How to apply for German permanent residence

By Nicolas Bouliane

If you lived in Germany for a few years, you can become a permanent resident.

Permanent residents can…

Why become a permanent resident

Permanent residence means more stability. It’s better than a residence permit because…

  • It’s more flexible
    It’s not tied to your income or occupation. You can change jobs, start a business or study. You don’t need permission from the Ausländerbehörde.
  • It’s permanent
    You don’t need to renew it every 2 or 3 years.12 It does not expire if you lose your job. It only expires if you travel outside of Germany for a long time.
  • It’s more trusted
    It’s easier to open a bank account, get a loan, get a mortgage, or find an apartment as a permanent resident.8

You might also qualify for German citizenship. Citizenship is better than permanent residence.

Permanent residence requirements

Basic requirements

To become a permanent resident, you must…

  • Support yourself
    Your income or your spouse’s income must cover your cost of living.58 It must also cover your children and unemployed spouse’s cost of living.40 Income from social benefits like Bürgergeld and Sozialhilfe do not count. Income from Kindergeld, Elterngeld, Kinderzuschlag and Erziehungsgeld counts.16
  • Have a place to live
    Your apartment must be big enough for you and your family. You need 9 m² per adult, and 6 m² per child.50
  • Have health insurance
    You need public or private health insurance. Expat health insurance and travel insurance are not accepted. If you need health insurance, talk to a broker.

There are more requirements, depending on your situation.

If you have a Blue Card

To become a permanent resident, you must also…

  • Have a job
    You must have a stable, long-term income. If you are unemployed, if you are in your probation period, or if your work contract ends in the next 6 months, you might not get a PR. If you have a history of stable employment, you might get it anyway.36
  • Have a Blue Card for 21 to 27 months
    27 months if you speak A1 German, or 21 months if you speak B1 German.10 This includes the time when you met the Blue Card requirements, even if you had a different residence permit.41
  • Speak A1 or B1 German
  • Pay pension insurance
    You must pay 27 months of public pension insurance, or 21 months if you speak B1 German. When you are employed, you do this automatically. See the pension requirements.

If you have a work visa

To become a permanent resident, you must also…

If you have a work visa, but you qualify for a Blue Card, you can become a permanent resident in 21 to 27 months.41 Apply as if you had a Blue Card. See the requirements for Blue Card holders.

If you have a freelance visa

To become a permanent resident, you must also…

  • Have a §21 Abs. 1 or 2a freelance visa for 3 years6
    The type of freelance visa is written on your residence permit. If you have a §21 Abs. 5 freelance visa, follow the requirements for ev.
  • Have a profitable business
    You can only get the PR after 3 years if the Ausländerbehörde thinks that your business is successful, profitable and sustainable. Your Ausländerbehörde case worker will decide this.
  • Support yourself
    In Berlin, they only consider your self-employment income. They ignore income from your spouse and income from investments.22

In Berlin, there should be no pension or language requirement.39

If you don’t meet those requirements, follow the requirements for everybody else. In this case you will need a pension. It might be easier to apply for citizenship, because citizenship does not require a pension.

If you live with a German citizen

To become a permanent resident, you must also…27

  • Have a German spouse, child or parent
  • Live together for 3 years
    You must live together, in Germany, for 3 years without interruption.29
  • Speak B1 German

There is no pension requirement for the family of German citizens.54

You can also become a citizen after 3 years.

If your spouse is a permanent resident

To become a permanent resident, you must also…

  • Live with your spouse for 3 to 5 years
    3 years if you work at least 20 hours per week, or 5 years otherwise.28 This includes the time before your spouse became a permanent resident.73 Your job should not be temporary, and you should not be in your probation period.61 Self-employment is allowed.60
  • Speak B1 German72

Your spouse must…

  • Be a permanent resident
  • Be a skilled worker
    Their last residence permit must have been a Blue Card, or a §18a, §18b or §18d work visa.68 If they had a different residence permit, follow the requirements for everybody else.
  • Have a job
    They must have a stable, long-term income. If they are unemployed, if they are in their probation period, or if their work contract ends in the next 6 months, you might not get a PR. If they have a history of stable employment, you might get it anyway.36

If you have a student visa

You can’t become a permanent resident while on a student visa.21 Wait until you have a different residence permit like a Blue Card, a work visa or a freelance visa.

Your time as a student counts toward your PR, but it’s divided by half. For example, if you studied for 4 years, it counts as 2 years for your PR.9

If you are a refugee or asylum seeker

To become a permanent resident, you must…23

  • Have the correct residence permit
    You must have a § 25 Abs. 1, § 25 Abs. 2 S. 1, or § 23 Abs. 4 residence permit.26 The type is written on your residence permit. If you have a different residence permit, follow the requirements for everybody else.
  • Live in Germany for 3 to 5 years
    3 years if you speak C1 German, or 5 years if you speak A2 German. This includes the time when they processed your request for asylum.52
  • Speak A2 or C1 German

There is no pension requirement for refugees and asylum seekers.53

For your children

To become a permanent resident, your child must…33

  • Be at least 16 years old
  • Live in Germany for 5 years
    If your child is 16 or 17 years old, they must have lived 5 years in Germany before the age of 16. If your child is 18 years old, they must have lived 5 years in Germany in total.
  • Speak B1 German
    If your child is 18 years old, they must speak B1 German. If they are 16 or 17 years old, there is no language requirement.
  • Be supported by your income
    You, your spouse and your child’s income must cover your child’s cost of living.

If one parent is a German citizen, your child could get permanent residence in 3 years.

If you live with a German citizen

Everyone else

To become a permanent resident, you must…

  • Live in Germany for 5 years
    Your time as a student counts, but it’s divided by 2. For example, if you studied for 4 years, it counts as 2 years toward your PR.
  • Speak B1 German20
  • Have a retirement pension
    You need 60 months of public pension payments, or equivalent retirement savings. See the pension requirements.

If you live 5 years in Germany, you can also become a German citizen. Citizenship is usually better.

Pension requirements

To get a PR, you need savings for retirement.17 There are 4 ways to do this:

  • Pay into the public pension system
    If you are an employee, you automatically pay into the public pension system. If you worked for 60 months, you contributed for 60 months. If you are self-employed or unemployed, you probably don’t make public pension payments. To know how many pension payments you made, get a Versicherungsverlauf.
  • or use your spouse’s pension
    If you are married, and your spouse has a valid pension, you can use their pension. For example, if your spouse has made 60 months of public pension payments, it’s enough.18
  • or get a private pension
    It must guarantee an income of at least 1,503.34€ per month for at least 12 years after you retire. It must include a pension in case of disability.42 A Rürüp pension like the one Feather sells should work fine.
  • or have real estate or other investments
    Stable income from your investments might replace a pension.32 There is no clear information about this.

In Berlin, you need a guaranteed pension. Stocks or money in your bank account are not enough.59 Investments that bring a stable income might be enough. There is no clear information about this.

If you are self-employed, you don’t pay for a public pension. Instead, you can…

  • Make voluntary public pension payments
    You can make the minimum contribution (100.07€ per month) until you have 60 months of pension contributions. To make voluntary contributions, fill form V0060.25 You can make retroactive payments for up to 1 year.
  • or join the Künstlersozialkasse
    If you are a freelance artist, publicist or teacher, the KSK can pay half of your pension. It’s a cheaper way to get a pension.
  • or get a private pension
  • or use your spouse’s pension

If you are a refugee or an asylum seeker, you don’t need a pension.53

If you don’t have a pension, you can become a German citizen instead. There is no pension requirement for citizenship.

Permanent residence alternatives

Citizenship

If you can’t get permanent residence, you might still qualify for German citizenship.

To become a German citizen, you must…43

  • Live in Germany for 5 years, or 3 years if you have a German spouse47
  • Speak B1 German48
  • Support yourself and your family, without using social benefits
  • Take the citizenship test (Einbürgerungstest)
  • Not be convicted of a crime

Citizenship is better than permanent residence because…

  • You get a German passport
  • You can live and work in other EU countries without a residence permit
  • You can’t lose your citizenship
  • Your citizenship does not expire if you leave Germany for over 6 months
  • You don’t need a pension to qualify46

If your country does not allow dual citizenship, becoming a German citizen means losing your old citizenship. In this case, permanent residence might be a better option. For example, China and India don’t allow dual citizenship.

EU Permanent Residence

There are two types of permanent residence: German permanent residence (Niederlassungserlaubnis) and EU permanent residence (Daueraufenthalt-EU). They are almost the same.

EU permanent residence is a little better because…

  • You can leave Germany for a longer period
    German PR expires after 6 months outside of Germany. EU permanent residence expires after 12 to 24 months outside the EU, or 6 years in another EU country.13
  • It’s easier to move to another EU country
    With the EU PR, you can move to another country, then apply for a residence permit there. With the German PR, you might need to apply for a residence permit at the embassy in Germany, then move to that country.71

You can only get a EU PR after 5 years in Germany. You can sometimes get a German PR faster.

The requirements and the application process are the same. If you qualify for the EU PR, you get the EU PR. Usually, if you lived in Germany for 5 years, you get the EU PR.

How to apply in Berlin

Need help? An immigration lawyer or a relocation consultant can take care of everything. It costs 500€ to 2,000€.45 It’s a tax-deductible expense.

In Berlin, it takes 4 to 10 months to get permanent residence.5 It took me 10 months in total. If you wait more than 3 months, you can sue the Ausländerbehörde for inaction, but it might not help.

1. Prepare your application

Before you apply for permanent residence, prepare your documents.

If you are self-employed, some documents must be prepared by a tax advisor. It can be hard to find a tax advisor. It can take a few weeks to prepare the documents.

Required documents

2. Apply for permanent residence

This is no Ausländerbehörde appointment for this. You must use the Ausländerbehörde contact form to send all the required documents, and wait for them to contact you. This can take a few months. You might not get a confirmation email.

When you use the contact form, choose the correct department. It could be a different department this time.

3. Wait

The Ausländerbehörde will process your application. It takes a few months to get a response. When I applied, it took 3 months.

When they reply, they might ask for more documents.2 If you can’t reply to their email, use the contact form to send documents.63

When they have all the documents they need, they will give you an appointment. In the appointment invitation, they might ask for more documents. Bring those documents to your appointment.

Your current residence permit stays valid while you wait. If it expires, you don’t have to leave Germany. You can continue working, studying or freelancing like before. If you get a Fiktionsbescheinigung, you can travel with your expired residence permit.

If your residence permit expires soon

4. Go to your appointment

After you send your application, the Ausländerbehörde will email you. They will invite you for an appointment. The appointment could be a in few months. My appointment was 8 months after I sent my documents.

When you go to your appointment, bring…

  • Your appointment confirmation, printed
    You can’t enter the Ausländerbehörde without it. They check at the door. You must print it.
  • Extra required documents
    In your appointment invitation, the Ausländerbehörde might ask for more documents.2 They might ask for more recent proof of income, employment, health insurance and rent payments. Print them and bring them. Do not bring the documents that you already sent.69
  • Passport
    You get your passport back during your appointment; they do not keep it.
    • Passport of your spouse, parent or child7 (if applicable)
  • Passport photo (35 × 45 mm)
    You do not need to cut the photos yourself; they have a tool for this. The photo should be less than 6 months old. – Where to get passport photos
  • Cash, Visa, Mastercard or Girocard
    You must pay the application fee. It costs 37€ to 147€.44 This fee is tax-deductible, so keep the receipt.
  • Your family
    If you apply as the spouse, parent or child of a German citizen, the German citizen must come with you to the appointment.30
  • A translator (optional)
    You can bring a translator or a German-speaking friend. I recommend Red Tape Translation. Relocation consultants and immigration lawyers can also translate for you.

The appointment takes around 15 minutes.4 They call your number on the screen, you meet your case worker, give your documents, and answer a few questions. They ask you questions in German about your height, your eye colour, and the size of your apartment.1

What happens at the Ausländerbehörde

If they approve your permanent residence, you must pay the 37€ to 147€ fee.44 They will give you a plastic payment card. Bring it to the payment machine in the building, and pay the fee. The fee is tax-deductible, so keep the receipt. After you paid, you can go home.

They must print your permanent residence card. This takes 4 to 8 weeks weeks.34 You will get a second appointment to pick up the card. They do not mail the card to you.67

You will get a document. It confirms that your permanent residence application was approved, that your card must be printed, and that your previous residence permit is still valid.31 This is not a valid travel document. It does not allow you to leave and re-enter Germany. If your current residence permit has expired, you might need a Fiktionsbescheinigung to travel outside of Germany.

What happens after your appointment

5. Get your permanent residence card

Go to your second Ausländerbehörde appointment, and pick up your permanent residence card.34 Check if the information on your card is correct. The Ausländerbehörde sometimes makes mistakes.70

You will also get a letter with the activation code for your eID. You need it to activate the eID function of your permanent residence card. This lets you use your permanent residence card to log into online government services.

Required documents

These are the required documents in Berlin. If you apply elsewhere, they require different documents. Check the website of the Ausländerbehörde where you apply.

When you apply online, use PDF files or photos. Don’t use word documents or other formats. If you have too many documents, merge them or make them smaller. You can also mail your documents, but it’s not better or faster.

When you go to your appointment, don’t bring the documents that you already sent. Only bring the documents that they ask for in your appointment confirmation.24 Print everything on A4 paper. Do not staple the pages together.

Required documents for everyone

  • Passport
    When you apply online, include a colour scan of your passport. When you go in person, bring your passport. You get it back during the appointment; they do not keep it.
  • Proof of health insurance
    You need valid health insurance. Travel insurance is not accepted.
    • Health insurance card
    • or proof of public health insurance
      Get a Mitgliedsbescheinigung nach 175 SGB V from your health insurer or your health insurance broker.
    • or proof of private health insurance
      Bring your insurance contract, a Mitgliedsbescheinigung, and bank statements that show health insurance payments. Get these documents from your health insurer or your health insurance broker.6
  • Proof of health insurance payments
    Bring bank account statements that show recent health insurance payments.56
  • Proof of housing
    You need a place to live where you can register your address. If you apply in Berlin, your home address must be in Berlin.
    • Lease
      It must show the size of your apartment. Your apartment must be big enough (9 m² per adult, 6 m² per child).50 You must make enough money to pay your rent. It can be a temporary lease, a WG, a sublet or a student residence.
    • and tenancy confirmation (Wohnungsgeberbestätigung)
      Some temporary apartments and sublets don’t give you this document. You might not get a PR without it. Bring it even if you registered your address.
    • and registration certificate (Anmeldebestätigung)
    • and proof of rent payments
      Print recent bank statements that show rent payments.51
  • Proof of pension
    See the pension requirements.
  • Translations
    If your documents are not in German, bring translations. For certificates and official documents, bring certified translations. They sometimes accept untranslated documents, but don’t take the risk. Get translations from Red Tape Translation or Lingoking.

If you receive social benefits like Kindergeld, Kinderzuschlag, Elterngeld, Betreuungsgeld and other social benefits, you must bring…

  • Proof of social benefits
    Bring certificates and other documents that prove that you receive those social benefits.55

In Berlin, these documents are optional:

  • Language certificate or integration course certificate
    This proves that you speak German. Book a language test to get one. In Berlin, you don’t need it. If you can answer questions in German during your Ausländerbehörde appointment, your German is good enough.3

For employees

Required documents for Blue Card holders

Required documents for work visa holders

For self-employed people

Required documents for self-employed people

For spouses of German citizens

If you depend on your spouse’s income, bring…62

  • Your spouse’s work contract (Arbeitsvertrag)
  • Their recent pay slips (Gehaltsabrechnung)
    Bring their pay slips for the last 6 months.
  • Their employment certificate (Arbeitgeberbescheinigung)
    It must be less than 14 days old. Get it from their employer.

Required documents for spouses

For refugees and asylum seekers

Required documents for refugees and asylum seekers

For children

Required documents for children

After you get your PR

Activate your eID

You can use your permanent residence card to log into online government services. If you pick up your card at the Ausländerbehörde, it should already be activated. Make sure it works before you really need it.

How to activate your eID

Travel as a permanent resident

With a PR, you can visit other Schengen area countries without a visa.

If you have German permanent residence, it expires after 6 months outside of Germany. If you have EU permanent residence, it expires after 12 to 24 months outside the EU, or 6 years in another EU country.13 To travel longer, you can get permission from the Ausländerbehörde.

Make a tax declaration

Your immigration expenses are tax-deductible, so keep all your receipts. Include them in your tax declaration. You will pay a little less income tax. If you hire a lawyer or a relocation consultant, their fee is also tax-deductible.

Renew your permanent residence

When you get a new passport, your permanent residence card becomes invalid. You are still a permanent resident, but you must get a new card.

To get a new card, get a Bürgeramt appointment, go in person, pay 67€, and wait a few weeks.64 You should get the card by post. The eID function might be deactivated on your new card. You might need another Bürgeramt appointment to activate it.65

Need help?

An immigration lawyer or a relocation consultant can answer your questions. Some organisations can also help you for free.

Where to ask immigration questions

Sources and footnotes

  1. Reddit (January 2024), Reddit (2023), Facebook (2022) ⤴

  2. ArbeitNow (April 2021), Reddit (January 2024), Reddit (July 2024), personal experience (February 2024), Facebook (2022), Facebook (2022) ⤴

  3. Berlin.de (June 2024), Reddit (January 2024), multiple relocation consultants (June 2024), ArbeitNow (April 2021), Reddit (September 2023), Reddit (2023), Facebook (2021), Reddit (2024) ⤴

  4. Reddit (May 2024) ⤴

  5. Reddit (May 2024), Reddit (September 2023), ArbeitNow (April 2021), Google Docs (2024), Reddit (June 2024) ⤴

  6. §21 Abs. 4 and 5 AufenthG, Berlin.de, sachsen.de (page 9), iQ Netzwerk (page 13, 2022) ⤴

  7. Facebook (2022) ⤴

  8. Graham Pugh, apartment search expert (June 2024) ⤴

  9. §9 Abs. 4 S. 3 AufenthG, jurati.eu (June 2024) ⤴

  10. §18c Abs. 2 AufenthG, §2 Abs. 9 and 11 AufenthG, Make it in Germany (June 2024), BAMF (June 2024), Berlin.de ⤴

  11. §18c Abs. 1 AufenthG ⤴

  12. strafverteidiger-salzgitter.de ⤴

  13. §51 Abs. 2 AufenthG, se-legal.de (July 2024), Berlin.de (July 2024), Hamburg (July 2024) ⤴

  14. §18c Abs. 1 S. 4 AufenthG ⤴

  15. Reddit (2023), Facebook (2022). For Blue Card holders, work visa holders, refugees and everyone else. ⤴

  16. §2 Abs. 3 AufenthG, §9 Abs. 2 S. 1 AufenthG, Berlin.de, rtpartner.de ⤴

  17. §9 Abs. 2 S. 3 AufenthG ⤴

  18. BAMF (June 2024), rtpartner.de, §9 Abs. 3 S. 1 AufenthG, VAB 9.2.1.3.3 (July 2024) ⤴

  19. BAMF (June 2024) ⤴

  20. §9 Abs. 2 S. 7 AufenthG, §9a Abs. 2 S. 3 AufenthG ⤴

  21. RA Sven Hasse (2017), iQ Netzwerk (page 2, 2022) ⤴

  22. VAB 21.4.2 (July 2024) ⤴

  23. §26 Abs. 3 S. 4 AufenthG, jurati.eu ⤴

  24. Ausländerbehörde case worker (July 2024) ⤴

  25. Deutsche Rentenversicherung, Sebastian Hoffmann (2020) ⤴

  26. Berlin.de (July 2024) ⤴

  27. §28 Abs. 2 AufenthG, Berlin.de (June 2024) ⤴

  28. §9 Abs. 3a AufenthG, jurati.eu ⤴

  29. Berlin.de (June 2024) ⤴

  30. Berlin.de (June 2024) ⤴

  31. Reddit (2023), Reddit (2023) ⤴

  32. VAB 9a.2.1.2 (July 2024) ⤴

  33. BAMF, §35 AufenthG, Berlin.de (July 2024), anwalt-diedrich.de (July 2024) ⤴

  34. ArbeitNow (April 2021), Facebook (2022) ⤴

  35. ArbeitNow (April 2021), Reader feedback (June 2024), Oliver at SympatMe (June 2024) ⤴

  36. VAB 2.3.1.10 (July 2024), Reddit (2023), Reddit (2023), Reddit (2022), Reddit (2024), Victoria Messer (January 2024), jurati.eu, Facebook (2022) ⤴

  37. For Blue Card holders, for work visa holders, for refugees and for everyone else ⤴

  38. §18c Abs. 1 AufenthG ⤴

  39. §21 Abs. 4 AufenthG, VAB 21.4.2 (July 2024), Fiona Macdonald, immigration lawyer (June 2024), Twitter (2024) ⤴

  40. §21 Abs. 4 AufenthG ⤴

  41. jurati.eu, iQ Netzwerk (page 10 and 11, 2022), Facebook (2024), VAB A18.c.2.1 (July 2024) ⤴

  42. Berlin.de (June 2024), VAB 9.2.1.3.3 (July 2024), Willkommenszentrum (November 2021) ⤴

  43. BMI (June 2024) ⤴

  44. §44 AufenthV, §44a AufenthV ⤴

  45. Elliot Herman (June 2024) ⤴

  46. Reddit (2024) ⤴

  47. §9 Abs. 1 StAG ⤴

  48. §10 Abs. 1 S. 6 StAG, BMI (June 2024) ⤴

  49. For Blue Card holders, work visa holders, refugees and everyone else. ⤴

  50. VAB A2.4 (July 2024) ⤴

  51. Reddit (2024), Facebook (2022) ⤴

  52. jurati.eu ⤴

  53. jurati.eu ⤴

  54. jurati.eu ⤴

  55. Berlin.de ⤴

  56. Personal experience (July 2024) ⤴

  57. It’s required with the Prüfungsbericht. Personal experience (July 2024) ⤴

  58. §9 Abs. 2 S. 2 AufenthG, Berlin.de (2024) ⤴

  59. VAB 9.2.1.3.3 (July 2024) ⤴

  60. VAB 9.3.3a.1.3 (July 2024) ⤴

  61. VAB 9.3.3a.1.3 (July 2024) ⤴

  62. Berlin.de (July 2024) ⤴

  63. Reddit (July 2024), personal experience (February 2024) ⤴

  64. ArbeitNow (2023), §45c AufenthV ⤴

  65. Adithya Srinivasan (July 2024) ⤴

  66. Personal experience (July 2024) ⤴

  67. Ausländerbehörde employee (July 2024), Elliot Herman (July 2024), Aydan Baghirova (July 2024) ⤴

  68. §9 Abs. 3a AufenthG, §18c AufenthG ⤴

  69. Ausländerbehörde case worker (July 2024) ⤴

  70. Personal experience (2021) ⤴

  71. Berlin.de (July 2024) ⤴

  72. §9 Abs. 3a AufenthG ⤴

  73. Fiona Macdonald, immigration lawyer (August 2024) ⤴