For many of us expats, it has been a long and complicated road to build a stable situation in Germany. You should be proud of yourself for achieving all this. However, in the back of the mind, there is always the feeling that our lives are hanging onto a visa tied to a company, a job or a type of career.
To push this uneasiness away, it’s time to make it official and long-term: let’s get a our German permanent residence permit sorted! Only then are we able to think about the future, without any sword of Damocles hanging over our heads.

This guide aims at giving you an overview on the topic. Brew yourself some coffee: it’s a long read!
Visa, residence permit, settlement permit… what are the differences?
Here the problem is that many of these words are used interchangeably. The Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (Bundesamt für Migration und Flüchtlinge / BAMF) differentiates between several residence titles – documents that state the terms under which you can visit, live in and work in the country. It’s more commonly known as a visa or limited residence permit. In Europe, you differentiate between the EU-level visas, such as the Schengen visa that you’ve likely heard of, and the national visas which are given by an individual country’s government. A settlement permit, on the other hand, is a long-term residence title which has fewer restrictions than temporary ones.
The Aufenthaltserlaubnis (limited residence permit) is your standard Germany visa, which is issued for a specific time period and has restrictions on the type of work the holder can have. In other articles on Settle in Berlin, we’ve covered visas for:
We’re going to focus on the two long-term settlement permits, namely the German permanent residence permit (unbefristete Niederlassungserlaubnis) and EU permit for permanent residence (Erlaubnis zum Daueraufenthalt-EU). If you want to live indefinitely in Germany and the EU, these are the two permits to research. And of course, there is the option of acquiring German citizenship. But that’s a story for another day.
The main difference between the permanent residence Germany provides and the one from the EU is the length of time you need to live in Germany before you qualify. Also, while the latter lets you move around the EU without restrictions, with the former you’ll need to keep your main address in Germany. Let’s look at both each of these options, starting with the EU-level permit.
What are the requirements for the EU permit for permanent residency?
According to Section 9a of the German Residence Act, as a non-EU national, you may apply for unlimited residency to live and work anywhere in the EU once you have lived at least five years in Germany. During this time, you need to have been paying into the health and pension systems (60 months in total) How these 60 months/5 years are calculated depends on your situation. For the permit for permanent residence Germany usually requires you to already have a visa that allows you to work, such as the permits for general employment, self-employment, and the EU Blue Card. If you’re currently a student, completing an internship, or just here to visit a language course, you don’t qualify.
When you apply, you’ll need to prove that you have enough money or a job that pays enough for you to support yourself and your family unit without the need for government assistance. Also, your living space must be big enough. This seems to mean a minimum of 13sqm per person. In addition to these requirements, you should enroll in an integration course or show proof that you speak German at a B1 or better level and that you have the necessary knowledge about German law and culture.
What are the requirements for the German permanent residence permit?
If you are a non-EU national and have lived in Germany for at least 5 years (60+ months of health and pension system contributions), then you meet the first requirement for the German permanent residence permit. The other requirements are the same as above for the EU permanent residence permit: enough money, visa that allows work, enough living space, enough German language and societal knowledge, and no criminal record.
But different from the EU permit, you might be able to get the Germany-issued permit sooner as long as you don’t have a criminal record and you fall under one of these categories as explained by the BAMF:
- Specialist: In some cases, you might immediately qualify for a permanent residence permit if you are a well-educated specialist in your field. Generally, this translates to scientists, senior researchers, and instructors. You first need to get a job offer in Germany with a high enough salary to secure your livelihood.
- Graduate of a German university: You now have the “right” degree to be successful here. When it comes to permanent residence Germany wants to keep the best and the brightest, so this will make it easier to get a temporary visa and only need to live 2 years in Germany to qualify for the long-term permit. More specifically, you need to have a job in your field that pays you enough money that you don’t need to rely on government assistance. In addition to working for 2 years in Germany (24 months contribution to the pension system), you’ll need to show B1 German language skills.
- EU Blue Card holder: There’s a reason this is called the “golden ticket” visa. As long as you meet the standard requirements set for the German permanent residence permit, you can apply for it after only 33 months instead of 5 years. Even better, if you pass the B1 German language exam, you can already apply for the permit after just 21 months! Only those months will be counted when you had the EU Blue Card, lived in Germany and contributed to the social security system. Basically, the government wants to keep you in Germany because Blue Card holders get good salaries, are well-educated, and usually bring much-needed skills.
- Self-employed: The official requirements are vague, but basically if you meet all of the standard requirements and your business is successful, then you can apply for the permanent permit after just 3 years This only applies to business owners (Gewerbetreibende). Freelancers (Freiberufliche) have to wait the usual 5 years.
- Family member of a German citizen: In this case, the rules are less strict. If you have learned basic German, have held a temporary residence permit for at least 3 years, and still live together with the German citizen (spouse, partner, child, or parent) then you should qualify for the permit for the permanent residence Germany offers.
- Asylum seekers and refugees: If you are a recognized asylum seeker or refugee in Germany, you qualify for a permanent residence title like everyone else after 5 years. This can be shortened to 3 years if you can show that you are well integrated and have learned German (C1 level).
More details on the requirements can be found here in English or by deciphering the German legalese.
What are the benefits related to German permanent residence?
Beyond the obvious, you can expect the following benefit to apply to you on PR:
- No need to apply for visa extensions ever again.
- No limitations related to the type of job you can have, self-employed or employee.
- A much better access to financing options in Germany. Banks are much willing to loan money to permanent residence.
- Automatic access to family reunification rights.
- Eligibility to German citizenship after 8 years on PR.
- Less restrictions to start your own company.
- Less restrictions on various social benefits.

Permanent Residence Germany Application Process
For the application process for either permit, you’ll need to submit the following documents to your local Foreigners Office (Ausländerbehörde). For the purpose of this post, we will be using using the specific requirements for Berlin residents. (Links for other cities: Dusseldorf, Munich, Hamburg, Frankfurt, Stuttgart)
- Application Form for a permit allowing Permanent Residence Germany or EU (Antrag auf Erteilung einer Niederlassungserlaubnis/Erlaubnis zum Daueraufenthalt-EU) – this mostly confirms that you’ve read the requirements.
- Valid passport
- Biometric photo
- Proof of sufficient income: here they’ll want to see that you and/or your partner are earning enough money to avoid welfare assistance. Employees should bring their contract, a recent statement from the employer confirming they work there, pay slips of the last 6 months, and an overview of social security payments. Self-employed people and freelancers need the most recent tax return (Steuerbescheid) and an audit report (Prüfungsbericht) from a licensed tax consultant. If you’re no longer working due to retirement, you just need your pension statement (Rentenbescheid), but if you’re unable to work you need to bring a doctor’s statement (fachärztliches Attest), assessment from the employment office, or disability statement (Rente wegen Erwerbsunfähigkeit oder Erwerbsminderung).
- Documentation for any additional funds that you receive, like child money (Kindergeld) or parental leave assistance (Elterngeld).
- Proof you have health insurance, either through confirmation from the insurance (public) or showing the policy agreement and proof of payment (private).
- Proof that you (or your partner) are paying into the pension system.
- Registration confirming that this is your main address (Meldebescheinigung).
- Rental agreement or purchase contract that shows the monthly costs and total square meters.
- Integration course or German language certificate with the final exam’s grade listed. There may be alternative ways to prove these conditions are met – ask at your local Foreigners Office.
- The fee varies depending on the situation, usually between €113 and €124. Note that you still have to pay half as a processing fee if you are denied the permit.
In some cases, you’ll need additional documentation, so check the requirements for your employment category. Here are the links to the Berlin service pages for:
If you’re missing documents or don’t meet the requirements, be ready to get denied the permit. This shouldn’t have an effect on your existing visa unless you no longer meet those requirements either. I highly recommend you find an immigration lawyer or talk to your local migration advisory center (Migrationsberatung).
If you’re missing documents or don’t meet the requirements, be ready to get denied the permit.
Once you get your little plastic card, celebrate! The permit for permanent residence Germany has finally awarded you with lets you live and work in Germany for as long as you like. Your permit is unlimited and won’t expire or need changing when you switch jobs. If you took the longer route and applied for the EU permit, you can now move to any other EU state. But if you live outside the EU for more than a year you may lose the permit. And you’ll want to stay on good terms with the local Foreigner’s Office, especially if you’re working towards citizenship.
FAQ – Permanent residence Germany
As mentioned here, the integration course certificate can facilitate the processing of your file by the authorities and therefore improve your chances. However, it’s not compulsory: “You can furnish proof of an adequate command of the German language as well as of your basic knowledge of the legal and social system, but also other things when appearing in person.“, as per stated by the Foreigner’s office. So while a language course certificate is something you can’t not provide, the rest will be assessed during your interview.
As mentioned by the German residence act, you residence title can end in a few different ways:
Your permit has been revoked by the German authorities or if you have been deported from the country, in case of criminal behavior for example.
In the case you are older than 60 years old and spend longer than 12 months abroad, you can lose your permanent residency. In this case, you should notify the immigration authorities so they may grant you an exception.
It depends from cities to cities. Some want you to send an application in written form with no appointments before hand (Berlin, Munich). Others require to book an appointment and submit your documents during that appointment (Hamburg, Frankfurt, Stuttgart).
The fees for a permanent residence application are structured like this:
Self-employed: 124€
Skilled professional: 147€
Renewing: 67€
Other: 113€
Fees when the application is denied: 56,50€
I hope this overview helped you to wrap your head around the different topics. Let me know in the comments if you have any remarks or questions.
Hi Bastien,
Thank you so much for the information you shared. I have a question.
I applied for a visa in my home country, and they gave me a short-term visa falling under a blue-card, which starts in August. Then, I changed this visa to a printed blue-card in Munich in September. In this case, what is the starting date of my blue card? August or September?
Depending on that, I will calculate 33 months to apply for permanent residency. Thank you so much!
Hey Hannah, I’d say August in my opinion if you qualified for all criteria from that moment on.
I am a PhD researcher since 2016 March and my contract extends till the end of this year. Would I be eligible to apply for settlement permit ? As I understand I must have lived for 5 years and have a valid employment to apply. Both these conditions are applicable since I have an employment contract and paying taxes. However is PhD then considered as a different status than regular employment?
Hey Nina. This source tells me that “Doktorand” is considered a job yes. Is that what you mean by PhD?
Hi Bastien, your article outlined ‘What are the benefits related to German permanent residence?’ Do you have an article that explains the ‘benefits related to the EU permanent residence?’ Thanks!
Thank you for the detailed write-up!
Question 1: If I have been paying taxes since 1st Jan 2019 but I got my Blue Card on 1st March 2019, do my 21 months start from the day I started paying tax or from the day I got my Blue Card?
Question 2: How much time in advance can I email them my documents and form (Berlin)? If my 21 months (based on your answer to the question above) get completed on let’s say 1st July 2021, should I email them 4-6 weeks in advance so that I have an appointment for as early as 1st July? Or can I only email them ‘after’ I complete my 21 months?
Thank you for your help once again.
Hey Rohan. 1- As mentioned in the post: “Only those [21] months will be counted when you had the EU Blue Card, lived in Germany and contributed to the social security system.” 2- What matters is that at the time of appointement, you fulfill all criteria. You can ask this hotline again to be sure on both pointsGood luck.
Hi Bastien,
Thank you for the super informative article!
While I mostly understand the requirements, I am hoping for some specific advice regarding my situation:
This September I will have officially lived in Germany on a residence visa for 5-years. One of these years (Feb 2020-to present) I was receiving ALGI (not II). This is, from what I have been told, not considered to be welfare…meaning I do not have to worry about it leaving a stain on my PR application. My question though is whether or not the one year I was on ALGI will contribute towards the 60-month requirement?
Second question (sorry!),
My husband is an EU National from Bulgaria. Unfortunately Bulgaria doesn’t recognize same-sex marriages, so I am out of luck in trying to achieve any sort of naturalization or PR from there. However, are there any loopholes for me here in Germany that will help acquire PR or Naturalization quicker/with less requirements?
Thank you again so much for the informative article, and thank you in advance should you have time to reply to my questions 🙂
-Trey
Hey Trey. 1. I actually don’t know. Good question. Ask this hotline for a reliable answer. 2. You can go to Denmark to get married there, obtaining an international marriage certificate for the both of you, and then get it recognized in Germany. Just a suggestion, don’t know if it would help.
Hi Bastien,
I joined my husband in Germany who is a Non-EU citizen on a Family Reunification Visa.
I then got my Residence Permit and worked for 1 year and paid Social Security, Insurance….. but I didn’t convert my Residence Permit to Blue Card even though I was eligible to convert.
I then moved to another job where I finally decided to apply for Germany Blue Card. I am currently 1+ year on Blue Card and still working. I speak C1 Level German (Goethe Certified) and hold a Masters Degree.
My question is
Can I apply for PR now (I have completed more than 24+ months paying Social Security and hold a Blue Card for 1+ year)
or
I have to wait for 21+ month of Blue Card work experience before applying?
Thank You for your help in advance.
Hey Samantha. In my opinion based on this information, you can’t apply for PR right now as you don’t fulfill requirements yet. You’d have to wait. You can double check this by calling this hotline.