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Prerequisites

• You are a family member of a German citizen, as:
  • spouse or spouses
  • Registered life partner
  • Children and parents of Germans.
• You have had a residence permit to live with your family in Germany for three years.
• The family relationship with the German citizen continues to exist.
• You can support yourself without government assistance.
• You have sufficient health insurance
• You have sufficient knowledge of German (level B1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages).
• You have no criminal record.
• There is no interest in deporting you and you have not yet received a deportation order.

Documents required

• Valid passport or passport replacement
  • Biometric passport photo in electronic form
  • You must take a passport photo on-site. A photo booth is available for your convenience.
• You must provide the following evidence:
  • Proof that you can secure your livelihood
  • Proof of your health insurance coverage
  • Language certificate B1
  • Certificate "Living in Germany"
• If one parent of a German child is a third-country national:
  • Child's birth certificate
  • Proof of personal care
• For married couples and registered civil partnerships:
  • Marriage certificate or
  • Civil partnership certificate
• If necessary, the competent authority requires further documents, information or evidence

Please note

If you have demonstrably acquired the required language skills during your school leaving certificate, vocational training, or studies in Germany, you do not need a language certificate. If you have taken a subject such as "Social Studies" or "Social Order of the Federal Republic of Germany" during your studies, you do not need the "Living in Germany" certificate.

You must pay the processing fee in any case. If your application is rejected, the fee will not be refunded, not even partially. You can reapply for a permanent residence permit at any time.

If you are unable to learn a language due to illness or disability, you must provide appropriate documentation, such as a doctor's report or confirmation of a place in a residential care facility.

Deadlines

• Apply for a settlement permit at least 6 - 8 weeks before your current residence permit expires.


• The settlement permit is valid indefinitely. The electronic residence permit card issued with it is valid for 10 years and must then be updated.

Procedure

• You use the online service to apply for a permanent residence permit and upload the required documents.
• The responsible office will then send you an appointment for an interview.
• Please bring all necessary documents, preferably in original, to the appointment.
• The responsible authority will check your identity and your documents.
• If your application is approved, your fingerprints, signature and a biometric photo will be taken to produce the electronic residence card (eAT card).
• The responsible authority commissions an external agency, the Federal Printing Office, to produce the eAT card.
• As soon as it's ready, you'll receive a notification and can pick it up in person from the responsible office. The responsible office will schedule an appointment for you.
• If the application is rejected, you will receive a rejection notice with the reasons for the rejection.

If you are not yet of legal age:

• Your legal representative will apply for a settlement permit on your behalf at the relevant authority.
• You will be accompanied to the appointment by your legal representative.
• In the case of joint custody, either both parents must appear at the appointment or be authorized by the other parent.

Processing time

• Processing usually takes 6 - 8 weeks if all documents are complete.


• It takes approximately 4 - 6 weeks for the Federal Printing Office to produce the electronic residence permit.

Fees

• 56.50 euros for minor applicants


• 113.00 for adult applicants

Legal remedies

Contradiction

Legal basis

Section 28 (2) Residence Act (AufenthG)







Section 9 (2) sentences 2 to 5 of the Residence Act (AufenthG)







Section 5 (1) Residence Act (AufenthG)