Skip to content
HomiStart
Create your plan

Residence and visasStep-by-step

Getting or extending a residence permit in Munich (SZE)

How Munich's immigration office, the Servicestelle für Zuwanderung und Einbürgerung (SZE), handles residence permits in 2026 - online applications, the invitation to an appointment, fees, processing times, card pickup and what protects your status while you wait.

Checked 8 Oct 2026
Applies to
Non-EU citizens who live in the City of Munich and need a first residence permit, an EU Blue Card, an extension, a change of employer or a settlement permit. EU, EEA and Swiss citizens do not need a residence permit, but non-EU family members do. People living in the surrounding district (Landkreis München) or other districts deal with their own district office, not with the city.
Effort
High effort
Time needed
About an hour for the online application once your documents are scanned; a decision can take several months
Cost
In 2026 usually €100 for a first residence permit or EU Blue Card and €93 for an extension of more than three months; a Blue Card holder's settlement permit costs €113. Reduced fees apply to some Turkish nationals.
When
Apply before your visa or current permit expires. If you entered visa-free, apply within 90 days of entry. Munich recommends applying about four months before your permit expires.
Where
Munich, Germany
On this page
  1. Overview
  2. Before you start
  3. Documents you need
  4. Step by step
  5. Fees in 2026
  6. What protects your status while you wait
  7. If you entered visa-free
  8. Changing jobs on an EU Blue Card or other work permit
  9. Emergencies and contact
  10. Watch out
  11. Common mistakes
  12. Tips
  13. Frequently asked questions
  14. Official links
  15. In your plan
  16. Sources
  17. Related guides

In the City of Munich, residence matters are handled by the Servicestelle für Zuwanderung und Einbürgerung (SZE), the city's immigration authority (Ausländerbehörde) within the district administration department (Kreisverwaltungsreferat, KVR). It is located at Ruppertstraße 19, entrance A, and is also responsible for naturalisation.

The SZE works application first, appointment second. You submit the matching online application with your documents, receive a PDF confirmation, and the SZE invites you to an in-person appointment once it has checked your case. Personal visits are by appointment only.

This guide explains the Munich procedure. For which permit fits your situation, read the overview of residence permits and the guides on the EU Blue Card, skilled worker visa, Opportunity Card, studying and family reunification.

Before you start

  • You are registered at a Munich address (see Anmeldung in Munich).
  • Statutory or private health insurance that covers you in Germany.
  • Scans (PDF) of all documents required for your permit type.

Documents you need

  • Valid passport

    required

  • Entry visa with entry stamp, if you needed one (first application only)

    optional

  • Current biometric photo

    Submitted digitally with the online application; there are also paid photo terminals at the SZE.

    required

  • Proof of your Munich registration

    required

  • Proof of health insurance

    required

  • Employment contract or concrete job offer (for work permits)

    optional

  • Completed Erklärung zum Beschäftigungsverhältnis (employment declaration)

    Munich's form, signed by your employer, for permits connected to employment.

    optional

  • Degree certificate with anabin printout or ZAB statement (for qualified work)

    optional

  • Payslips (for extensions and settlement permits)

    optional

Step by step

  1. Step 1: Identify your permit and the matching online form

    The SZE's online services page lists separate applications by purpose: study and language courses, academic professions (including the EU Blue Card and job search after graduation), work and the Opportunity Card, self-employment, family reunification, EU free movement, and settlement permits. Choose the form that matches your purpose; an extension uses the same online form as a first application.

    If you are not sure which permit fits, read the country-wide overview of residence permits before you apply, or ask the Welcome Center or a migration counselling service.

  2. Step 2: Register your address first

    The SZE's first-information page states that you must be registered in Munich before you apply. If you entered with a national visa and are not yet registered, register at a Bürgerbüro straight away; see Anmeldung in Munich.

  3. Step 3: Prepare your documents as PDFs

    Scan every document you need as a PDF. Typical requirements, taken from the SZE's EU Blue Card page, are the application form, passport, entry visa (first application), biometric photo, employment contract, the city's Erklärung zum Beschäftigungsverhältnis and, for qualified work, your degree with an anabin printout or a ZAB statement. Foreign certificates need a certified German or English translation. For an extension, payslips are added. Each permit page lists its own documents, so read the one for your purpose.

    The SZE checks documents for authenticity, including electronic checks with other authorities and language institutes, and reports forgeries.

  4. Step 4: Submit the online application and save the confirmation

    Fill in the online form and upload your documents. After submitting, download the PDF confirmation. According to the SZE, it shows that your stay continues beyond the old expiry date and that you may keep working as before, so you can show it to your employer and other authorities.

    If you cannot apply online, you can send the application by post to the KVR, Ruppertstraße 19, 80466 München. This takes longer, you get no automatic confirmation, and you should send copies, not originals. Send your request only once.

  5. Step 5: Wait for the SZE to contact you

    The SZE processes applications in order of receipt; it states that settlement permit applications are processed later and that other time-limited cases are prioritised by urgency. It may ask for missing documents. It does not answer status questions while the published processing time is still running.

    Processing times stated on the city's pages in October 2026: up to seven months for an EU Blue Card and up to twelve months for a settlement permit. Plan accordingly.

  6. Step 6: Attend your appointment

    You receive an email invitation for a personal appointment, where your fingerprints are taken for the electronic residence permit (eAT). Bring your passport and the originals of the documents you uploaded.

  7. Step 7: Collect your residence card

    The Bundesdruckerei produces the card. According to the SZE, a card collected at the SZE is usually ready in four to six weeks, while direct postal delivery takes about three weeks. When the card is ready, book a pickup appointment online. Note the expiry date in your calendar.

  8. Step 8: Plan your next extension

    Apply for an extension before your permit expires, ideally about four months in advance as the SZE recommends, using the same online form. If you apply in time, your current permit and its conditions continue to apply until the SZE decides.

Fees in 2026

Fees are set by federal law (section 45 of the Residence Ordinance) and listed on the SZE's permit pages:

  • First residence permit or EU Blue Card: €100.
  • Extension: €93 for more than three months; €96 for up to three months.
  • Settlement permit for EU Blue Card holders: €113.
  • Reduced fees apply to Turkish nationals covered by the EU-Turkey association rules (for example €46 from age 24 for a Blue Card).
  • The paid photo terminals at the SZE are an alternative if you have no digital photo.

Naturalisation is a separate procedure with its own fee (€255 per adult in 2026); see the naturalisation guide.

What protects your status while you wait

The SZE's FAQ explains the federal rules in plain terms:

  • If you applied before your permit expired, your current permit and its conditions, including permission to work, continue until the SZE decides (Fortgeltungsfiktion). Your online confirmation serves as proof.
  • For a first application, your stay counts as permitted if you were lawfully in Germany when you applied.
  • To travel while an extension is pending, you need a fictional certificate (Fiktionsbescheinigung) and should carry proof of your residence rights. Re-entry is only covered by the continuation rule (Fortgeltungsfiktion), not by the weaker Erlaubnisfiktion.
  • A residence permit ends no later than your passport expires. If you get a new passport, your old permit stays valid; carry both passports. If your permit has expired and you have a new passport, send a copy and a biometric photo through the contact form.

If you entered visa-free

Citizens of Australia, Canada, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, the United Kingdom and the United States may enter without a visa and apply for a residence permit in Germany. The SZE's visa page states that you must apply within 90 days of entry. Visa-free entry alone usually does not allow you to start working; check with the SZE before you take up a job, and see residence permits overview.

Nationals of other countries generally need a national visa from a German mission before travelling for work, study or family reunification.

Changing jobs on an EU Blue Card or other work permit

According to the SZE's Blue Card page, a change of employer within the first 12 months of holding the Blue Card must be reported to the SZE with the termination of the old job, the new contract with a job description and the employment declaration. You may start the new job immediately; the SZE can object within 30 days if the conditions are not met. After 12 months no report is needed.

For other employment permits, apply online for the change of employer with the employment declaration, your permit, the new contract, your passport and the termination letter. If you lose your job, contact the SZE through its contact form with the termination letter, a current bank statement and proof of health insurance.

Emergencies and contact

  • Service phone: 089 233-96010, Monday to Thursday 7:30 to 15:30 and Friday 7:30 to 13:00 (2026). The general authority number 115 can also help.
  • Contact form: for questions not covered by the online applications; include your full name, date of birth and full Munich address.
  • Emergencies without a valid permit: for certain groups and urgent situations, for example an imminent loss of job or benefits or urgent travel within seven days, the SZE offers emergency appointments online. The SZE decides whether an emergency exists, and the emergency service does not process new applications or extensions. Do not come without an appointment; if no slot is available, call.
  • Employers can contact the SZE for the accelerated skilled-worker procedure (beschleunigtes Fachkräfteverfahren) through a dedicated first-contact form.
  • Free orientation: the city's Welcome Center at Ruppertstraße 11 offers drop-in advice for newcomers, and migration counselling services can help you prepare your application.

Watch out

Apply before your visa or permit expires, or within 90 days of visa-free entry. A late application can lose the protection that keeps your status and right to work valid.

Booking at the SZE is always free. The city warns against paid appointment offers from third parties.

Do not come to the SZE without an appointment; walk-in visits are only possible in narrow exceptions.

Processing can take many months. Do not book non-refundable travel that depends on receiving your card.

Common mistakes

  • Applying before registering your Munich address.
  • Choosing the wrong online form, or sending the same application several times.
  • Uploading incomplete documents; missing documents are the most common cause of delays.
  • Starting work after visa-free entry before the permit allows it.

Tips

  • Save the PDF confirmation of your online application on your phone and print a copy for your employer.
  • Keep a folder of scans; extensions and the settlement permit ask for many of the same documents again.
  • Put your permit's expiry date and a reminder four months earlier in your calendar.
  • If your employer is involved, ask whether it uses the accelerated skilled-worker procedure.

Frequently asked questions

Editorial answers written by our team, based on the sources below.

Do I need an appointment to apply?

No. You submit the online application first; the SZE then invites you to an appointment after checking it. Appointments can be booked directly only for specific services such as card pickup, emergency help, the eID/PIN service and formal obligation letters.

My permit expires soon and I have no appointment. Am I in trouble?

Submit the extension online before the expiry date. According to the SZE, your current permit and its conditions continue until a decision, and the PDF confirmation proves this.

How long does it take?

It depends on the permit. In October 2026 Munich's pages stated up to seven months for an EU Blue Card and up to twelve months for a settlement permit. Card production adds several weeks.

I live in Garching (or another town near Munich). Is the SZE responsible?

No. The SZE is responsible for residents of the City of Munich. Residents of the district of Munich (Landkreis München) go to the Landratsamt München; other districts have their own offices.

In your plan

  • Apply for your residence permit online at the SZE
  • Renew your residence permit before it expires
  • Plan your residence permit application after visa-free entry
  • Note the end date of your visa or visa-free period
  • Attend your SZE appointment and collect your residence card
  • Find the residence route that fits your move
  • Check that your permit will allow self-employment
  • Collect originals, apostilles and translations

Sources

Written and checked by HomiStart editorial against the official sources below. Next scheduled check: 6 Jan 2027.

  1. Landeshauptstadt München – KreisverwaltungsreferatOfficial source
    Online-Services – Servicestelle für Zuwanderung und Einbürgerung (Opens {{site}} in a new tab)
    Accessed 8 Oct 2026
  2. Landeshauptstadt München – KreisverwaltungsreferatOfficial source
    Erstinformationen – Servicestelle für Zuwanderung und Einbürgerung (Opens {{site}} in a new tab)
    Accessed 8 Oct 2026

    Steps to the eAT, apply about four months ahead, PDF confirmation, processing order, card printing, phone and hours, emergency appointments.

  3. Landeshauptstadt München – KreisverwaltungsreferatOfficial source
    FAQ – Servicestelle für Zuwanderung und Einbürgerung (Opens {{site}} in a new tab)
    Accessed 8 Oct 2026

    Same form for extensions, no appointment needed to apply, postal applications, status while waiting, travel, card pickup 4-6 weeks, post about 3 weeks, warning about paid appointments.

  4. Landeshauptstadt München – KreisverwaltungsreferatOfficial source
    Aufenthaltserlaubnis – Blaue Karte EU (Opens {{site}} in a new tab)
    Accessed 8 Oct 2026

    Documents, fees €100/€93, Turkish nationals €46/€27.60, processing up to 7 months, change of employer rules, contact.

  5. Landeshauptstadt München – KreisverwaltungsreferatOfficial source
    Niederlassungserlaubnis mit Blauer Karte EU (Opens {{site}} in a new tab)
    Accessed 8 Oct 2026

    Fee €113, processing up to 12 months.

  6. Landeshauptstadt München – KreisverwaltungsreferatOfficial source
    Visum für Deutschland (Opens {{site}} in a new tab)
    Accessed 8 Oct 2026

    Visa-free nationals must apply within 90 days of entry; address Ruppertstraße 19, entrance A.

  7. Landeshauptstadt München – KreisverwaltungsreferatOfficial source
    Einbürgerung (Opens {{site}} in a new tab)
    Accessed 8 Oct 2026
  8. Landeshauptstadt MünchenOfficial source
    Welcome Center München (Opens {{site}} in a new tab)
    Accessed 8 Oct 2026
  9. Bundesministerium der Justiz – Gesetze im InternetOfficial source
    Aufenthaltsverordnung § 45 Gebühren für die Aufenthaltserlaubnis (Opens {{site}} in a new tab)
    Accessed 8 Oct 2026
  10. Landratsamt MünchenOfficial source
    Abholung von Aufenthaltstitel (eAT) (Opens {{site}} in a new tab)
    Accessed 8 Oct 2026

    Landkreis services apply to district residents, not the city.

  11. Landeshauptstadt München – KreisverwaltungsreferatOfficial source
    Dokumentenausgabe – Abholung elektronischer Aufenthaltstitel (Opens {{site}} in a new tab)
    Accessed 8 Oct 2026

    Free pickup by appointment after checking the processing status online; new slots released each morning.

Was this guide helpful?