Settlement permit; application

The settlement permit establishes a permanent right of residence in Germany. It is unlimited in terms of time and territory and may not be subject to any conditions or requirements.

The requirements for obtaining a settlement permit are correspondingly high. In addition to a secure livelihood and sufficient living space, the granting of a settlement permit also requires that the residence permit has been held for five years (as a rule), as well as essentially no criminal record, sufficient knowledge of the German language and basic knowledge of the legal and social order and living conditions in Germany.

Although the granting of a settlement permit generally requires, among other things, five years' possession of a residence permit, the Residence Act also provides for exceptions. For example, for

• foreign spouses of Germans (usually after 3 years),
• for successful self-employed persons (at their discretion after 3 years),
• Foreigners who are employed as civil servants by a German employer (after 3 years),
• Foreigners who have successfully completed a domestic vocational training program or a domestic course of study (after two years),
• Holders of a residence permit as a skilled worker (after 3 years).
• Holders of an EU Blue Card (after 27 months of highly qualified employment, after just 21 months if proof of sufficient German language skills is provided; further simplifications apply in the case of previous stays in member states).
• In special cases, highly qualified persons can be granted a settlement permit as their first title (e.g. scientists with special technical knowledge or specialists).

In addition to the required periods of possession of a residence permit, the other conditions for granting a settlement permit, which vary depending on the case, must also be fulfilled. An application for a settlement permit must be submitted to the local foreigners authority.

The requirements for the granting of a settlement permit vary depending on the purpose of residence.

The requirements for the settlement permit that is usually issued include

• that the foreigner has held the residence permit for five years,
• the foreigner's livelihood is secured,
• the foreigner has made at least 60 months of compulsory or voluntary contributions to the statutory pension insurance scheme,
• the foreigner has sufficient knowledge of the German language,
• has a basic knowledge of the legal and social order and living conditions in Germany and
• they have sufficient living space for themselves and their family members living with them in the same household.

In addition, the Residence Act provides for special regulations for the granting of a settlement permit for certain residence purposes, some of which have different requirements.

• Find out whether your foreigners authority allows you to apply online or has a special application form. If you have entered your place of residence, you may be referred to the application form or the online procedure under "Forms" or "Online procedure".
• If the application can only be made in person, make an appointment at the Foreigners' Registration Office. If you apply online, the Foreigners' Registration Office will contact you after receiving your application to arrange an appointment.
• During the appointment, your identity and documents will be checked (please bring your documents to the appointment, in the original if possible).
• If your application is approved, your fingerprints will be taken in order to produce the residence permit in the form of a new electronic residence permit (eAT).
• The Foreigners' Registration Office will commission the Bundesdruckerei to produce the eAT. After completion, you will receive information and can collect your residence permit from the responsible office. This must always be collected in person.
• If your application is rejected, you will receive a notice of rejection.

The application should be received by the Foreigners' Registration Office at least six to eight weeks before the current residence permit expires.

• The documents to be submitted may vary considerably.
  Please enquire at your local immigration office. As a rule, however, the following documents are required:
• valid passport
• Current biometric photograph (frontal view)
• Proof of secure livelihood
• Proof of sufficient living space
• Proof of health insurance cover

• Settlement permit for highly qualified persons: 147 euros
• Settlement permit for the exercise of a self-employed activity: 124 euros
• Settlement permit in all other cases: 113 euros