Most national visas are valid for your first months only. Before yours expires, you apply for a residence permit at the local immigration office (Ausländerbehörde). You receive it as a plastic card, the electronic residence title (eAT). You also go back to the same office to extend it.
When to apply
- Register your address first. The office needs your Meldebescheinigung, and the address decides which office is responsible for you.
- Then apply straight away. In many cities appointments are weeks or months out. Many offices now take applications online and send you an appointment afterwards.
- For an extension, apply 6 to 8 weeks before the current permit ends.
What to bring
- Passport and your current visa or permit.
- One biometric passport photo.
- Your Meldebescheinigung and rental contract.
- Proof of health insurance.
- Proof of your purpose: enrolment certificate, employment contract, or Chancenkarte job-search evidence.
- Proof of funds: blocked account statement, payslips or scholarship letter.
- The application form, if your city publishes one, and the fee. Fees are usually around €100.
If your appointment is after your visa expires
If you applied in time, the office issues a Fiktionsbescheinigung: a paper certificate saying your stay remains legal until they decide. Keep it with your passport. Whether you can travel abroad on it depends on which box is ticked. See Travelling outside Germany on a permit.
Collecting the card
The eAT is produced by the federal printing office and takes a few weeks. You receive a letter with a PIN, then collect the card in person. Check your name, dates and any work conditions printed on the supplementary sheet (Zusatzblatt).
Track Residence permit in HomeSettled
HomeSettled stores your permit's expiry date and reminds you 90, 60 and 30 days before it runs out.
Common questions
Which office is mine?
The Ausländerbehörde for the district where you're registered. Our city guides link the office for eight large cities.
Can I work while I wait?
If your current permit allowed work and you applied in time, the Fiktionsbescheinigung usually lets you continue on the same terms. Check what it says.
Sources
Rules and amounts change. Check the official source before you rely on a figure.