Residence permits in Germany: an overview of the main routes

A residence title (Aufenthaltstitel) is the official permission for a non-EU national to stay in Germany. The main types are:

• Visa: a Schengen visa (type C) for short stays of up to 90 days, or a national visa (type D) for longer stays. A national visa is usually the entry ticket; after arrival you exchange it for a residence permit.
• Temporary residence permit (Aufenthaltserlaubnis): issued for a specific purpose, such as skilled work, study, family or job search (the Opportunity Card is one of these).
• EU Blue Card (Blaue Karte EU): a permit for university graduates and certain IT specialists with a well-paid job.
• ICT Card: for managers and specialists transferred within a company group.
• Settlement permit (Niederlassungserlaubnis): a permanent permit, not tied to a purpose.
• Permanent EU residence permit (Erlaubnis zum Daueraufenthalt-EU): also permanent, with some mobility rights in other EU countries.

Temporary titles come with conditions (Nebenbestimmungen), often printed on an additional sheet (Zusatzblatt). These say whether and for whom you may work. Read them carefully: on many permits you may only work for the employer named, at least at first.

EU, EEA and Swiss citizens

Citizens of the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland enjoy freedom of movement. They need no visa or permit, only a valid ID card or passport, and must register their address like everyone else. Swiss nationals staying longer than three months need a Swiss residence permit from the immigration office. Non-EU family members get a residence card. See the EU citizens in Germany guide.

Visa-free nationals: Australia, Canada, Israel, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, the UK and the USA

You may enter without a visa and apply for your residence permit in Germany within 90 days of entry. You may not start working until the permit (or a document that expressly allows work) has been issued. The federal government therefore advises applying for a work visa before entering if you want to start a job soon after arrival. Nationals of Andorra, Brazil, El Salvador, Honduras, Monaco and San Marino may also apply in Germany, but only for purposes other than employment.

Everyone else: national visa first

All other non-EU nationals apply for a national visa at the German embassy or consulate responsible for their place of residence before travelling. A Schengen tourist visa cannot be converted into a residence permit in Germany.

Work and job search

• EU Blue Card (§18g): a recognised or comparable university degree and a job paying at least €50,700 gross a year in 2026, or €45,934.20 in shortage occupations, for recent graduates and for IT specialists without a degree. See the EU Blue Card guide.
• Skilled worker permits (§18a for vocational training, §18b for degrees): a German or recognised qualification, a qualified job and, as a rule, approval from the Federal Employment Agency (Bundesagentur für Arbeit, BA). First-time applicants aged 45 or older need a salary of at least €55,770 a year (2026) or adequate pension provision.
• Experience-based route (§19c(2)): a qualification recognised in the country where you earned it, at least two years of relevant experience and a salary of at least €45,630 a year (2026), without formal recognition in Germany. See the Skilled worker residence permits guide.
• Opportunity Card (Chancenkarte, §20a): up to one year to look for work, using a points system, with €1,091 a month proof of funds (2026). See the Opportunity Card guide.
• Job search after studying or training in Germany (§20): graduates of German universities and vocational training can get up to 18 months to look for qualified work.

Study, training and recognition

• Study (§16b): admission to a German university and proof that you can fund your studies. Students may work 140 full days or 280 half days a year. See the Studying in Germany guide.
• Vocational training (§16a) and recognition measures (§16d): for in-company training, or for training that closes gaps found in a recognition procedure.

Family

Spouses, registered partners, minor children and, in some cases, parents can join a relative who lives in Germany. Requirements differ depending on whether that relative is German, an EU citizen or a non-EU national. See the Family reunification guide.

Self-employment and freelancing

Self-employment (§21) requires a viable business with secured financing and a benefit to the economy; freelancers (§21(5)) need concrete clients, for example letters of intent, and any licence their profession requires. Applicants over 45 must show adequate pension provision. The first permit is limited to three years. See the Self-employment and freelancing guide.

Protection

Asylum and humanitarian protection follow a separate procedure. See the Protection and asylum orientation guide.

For visa-required nationals, the route almost always has two stages.

1. National visa from abroad. Since 1 January 2025, the Federal Foreign Office's Consular Services Portal (Auslandsportal) has been connected to all 167 German visa sections worldwide. It covers the most important national visa categories: employment, study, vocational training and family reunification. You fill in the form and upload documents online. You still need one appointment in person to give fingerprints, show original documents and pay the €75 fee. Processing can take several months depending on the mission and the purpose.
2. Residence permit in Germany. The entry visa for employment is generally issued for up to one year. After arrival, register your address within two weeks of moving into a flat. Then apply to the immigration office (Ausländerbehörde) for the residence permit before your visa expires.

Employers can speed up stage 1 with the fast-track procedure for skilled workers (§81a). The employer applies at the immigration office in Germany with your power of attorney and pays a €411 fee. After pre-approval, the embassy gives you an appointment within three weeks and usually decides within a further three weeks.

• Before entry: the German embassy or consulate responsible for your place of residence, usually through the Consular Services Portal and sometimes through an external service provider.
• After entry: the immigration office (Ausländerbehörde) for the place where your main residence is registered.
• In Berlin, this is the Landesamt für Einwanderung (LEA), the State Office for Immigration. Most applications are now made online through service.berlin.de. Services without an online form use the LEA contact form. The old online appointment booking system has been shut down. After checking your documents, the LEA invites you to an appointment. Expect at least 2 to 3 months. The LEA needs proof that your main residence is in Berlin, so register your address first.

For step-by-step help with Berlin's system, see the Residence permits at the Berlin LEA guide.

Most residence permits are issued as an electronic residence permit (elektronischer Aufenthaltstitel, eAT). This is a plastic card the size of a credit card, made by the Federal Printing Office (Bundesdruckerei). Its chip stores your personal data, the permit details, your biometric data and your address.

• Two visits: at the first, the office takes your fingerprints, signature and photo and orders the card. At the second, you collect it. In Berlin, the card is usually ready 4 to 6 weeks later.
• PIN letter: you receive a letter with the PIN details for the card's online ID function. Using that function is voluntary.
• Card validity: the card is valid for at most 10 years, even if your permit itself (for example a settlement permit) is unlimited.
• Fees in Berlin (2026): €100 for a first eAT and €93 for a renewal. Some permits can be issued as a sticker label in the passport instead (€56, renewal €49).
• Moving house: the address on the chip is updated when you register your new address at a citizens' office (Bürgeramt).

Immigration offices often cannot decide before your current permit expires. The law protects you if you apply on time:

• Extension or change applied for before your permit expires: your existing permit, including its work conditions, is treated as continuing until the office decides (§81(4) AufenthG). This is called the Fiktionswirkung.
• Lawful stay without a title, for example visa-free entry: if you apply within the permitted period, your stay counts as allowed until the decision (§81(3)). This does not allow you to start working.

The paper that proves this is the Fiktionsbescheinigung, a green folded document that costs €13 for adults in Berlin (2026). In Berlin, if you apply online before your permit expires, the confirmation PDF at the end of the application, together with your passport and current permit, also proves the Fiktionswirkung. Save it as a PDF, not just as a screenshot.

According to the LEA, a Fiktionsbescheinigung based on a valid permit allows you to travel abroad and come back. A certificate issued to someone who entered visa-free allows neither re-entry nor starting work. If you apply only after your permit has expired, these protections do not apply automatically.

Most routes lead to a settlement permit. Blue Card holders can apply after 27 months with A1 German, or after 21 months with B1. Skilled workers with §18a/§18b permits can usually apply after three years and 36 months of pension contributions with B1 German (two years if they qualified in Germany). Under the general rules it takes about five years. Details are in the Settlement permit guide; citizenship is covered in the Naturalisation guide.