The entry visa allows entry - but not permanent residence. The residence permit must be applied for at the immigration authority, before the visa expires. Anyone who fails to do this is committing an unlawful stay - with lasting consequences for future visas and overall residency status. Book an appointment immediately after registering your accommodation.
All title types at a glance
The title must correspond to the purpose of the stay. It cannot be changed at will - a change of purpose requires a new application, sometimes with departure.
Status 2025 · Residence Act. All fees plus €9 for the biometric residence permit (plastic card). Fees can be reduced if you are entitled to a discount (demonstrated low income) – ask the ABH.
What the ABH always demands
UMandatory documents and the fiction certificate
At the same time, the immigration authority checks the formal purpose of your stay and whether all the requirements for this are met. Complete documents at the first appointment – no additional deliveries, no excuses. Any additional documents requested pause the process and extends the waiting time for the final title.
Anyone who cannot get a timely appointment with the immigration authorities and the entry visa expires in the meantime, you can't just wait and see. The fictitious certificate (Section 81 Paragraph 4 Residence Act) certifies that the stay is considered temporarily permitted – until the authority has decided on the application.
It is not a residence permit and does not replace it. But it prevents the illegal residence situation and its consequences. To obtain it, you must apply for a residence permit must already be submitted to the authority in writing - with date and evidence. Apply for the fiction certificate immediately after submitting the application, Don't wait until the visa expires.
Step by step
From entry to the plastic card – five steps that must be completed in this order.
The responsibility of the immigration authority depends on the registered place of residence – Therefore, first register your accommodation, then the ABH appointment. Book an appointment online via the respective city portal. In Berlin and Munich, a waiting time of 6-12 weeks is normal. Select the correct request - the wrong request means the appointment is worthless, new appointment necessary.
Obtain all mandatory documents and the website of the responsible immigration authority Check for title-specific additional requirements. Any missing documents from the ABH delays the process for another few weeks, sometimes months if subsequent translations become necessary. Store documents sorted by category in a folder: Originals, copies and translations for each document.
If the entry visa expires before the ABH appointment takes place: immediately submit the extension request in writing – by email to the immigration office, at the information desk or by registered mail. This means that Section 81 Paragraph 4 of the Residence Act applies automatically: the stay applies as provisionally permitted. The fiction certificate can then be given upon request. Always document the date and type of application.
→ Visa expired + no written application = unauthorized stayDocuments are checked and scanned. Fingerprints and biometric photo taken. The plastic card is not handed out immediately – it is produced separately and is available for collection 2-6 weeks later. On the day of the appointment you will receive a temporary certificate, which serves as proof of residence. Immediately check the requirements and permitted activities on the certificate – Clarify errors or ambiguities directly.
Notification will be sent by letter or email when the card is ready. Pick up in person with passport. Check all information on the card immediately: Name, date of birth, purpose of stay, validity date, requirements. If there are errors, complain immediately. Note the expiry date and the next renewal date Book at least 3 months in advance.
→ Submit the next extension application 3 months before expiryExtension & settlement permit
NEHow will the NE be extended and when is it possible?
Temporary residence permits must be extended before they expire. The extension application at least 3 months before expiry initiate – Book an appointment and schedule a fictitious certificate. The requirements for an extension meet essentially the requirements for the initial grant.
| way | Minimum stay | Language certificate | Main requirement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard way | 5 years | B1 German | Secure livelihood, 60 months pension insurance, no criminal offenses |
| Blue card EU with B1 | 21 months | B1 German | Fastest way. Highly qualified people with a minimum salary and B1 certificate. |
| EU Blue Card without B1 | 33 months | A1 is enough | Applies to Blue Card holders with less knowledge of German. |
| Special integration | 3 years | C1 German | Excellent integration services in accordance with Section 9 Paragraph 2 Sentence 2 Residence Act. |
| Spouse of a German | 3 years | B1 German | Marriage must exist at the time of application, at least 2 years. Livelihood secured. |
| Well integrated under 21 years | 5 years | A2 / school certificate | Grew up in Germany, completed school education. |
Do it at the same time
While the immigration office is processing the application, these four steps can and should be completed at the same time - they do not depend on the title.
Wait for the tax ID and forward it
The tax ID will arrive by mail 2-4 weeks after registering your residence - no application necessary. Report it to your employer immediately. Without a tax ID, tax class VI applies – the highest wage tax deduction.
Open a German bank account
German banks require confirmation of registration and passport. With the provisional ABH certificate and registration confirmation, open a checking account immediately - for salary, rent and all ongoing payments.
Register for health insurance
Employee: Employer registers automatically - inform health insurance company (TK, AOK, Barmer, DAK). Students: even at the student fund. Family members without income: free GKV family insurance.
Register for an integration course or B1 course
Anyone who has arrived with an integration course requirement: register immediately - waiting lists are long. If you are aiming for the NE in 21 months (Blue Card): plan your B1 certificate in good time. Every month ahead counts.
What goes wrong
These mistakes happen often - and each one can jeopardize your residence status or permanently delay your settlement permit.
Visa expired without application and without certificate of fiction
The most common and consequential mistake. Anyone who allows their entry visa to expire without applying for an extension is committing an unauthorized stay. This will be permanently recorded in the official file and will affect all future titles, settlement permits and visa applications in other countries. If there is a tight deadline, act immediately.
Wrong request when booking an appointment
The booking portals require precise details of the request. Anyone who books "first issue" even though it is an extension or chooses the wrong title type will receive a rejection on the day of the appointment. New appointment necessary – with an 8 week wait, an expensive oversight. If in doubt, ask the authorities by phone.
The purpose of your stay changes without notifying the ABH
Anyone who quits their job, breaks off their studies or changes training positions without informing the immigration authorities risks having their residence permit expire. Any significant change in the purpose of your stay must be reported to ABH immediately – even if the change leads to a better job. Clarify job changes with § 18a/b and blue card in advance.
Application for extension submitted far too late
If you only book an appointment 4 weeks before the title expires and the authority has a waiting period of 8-12 weeks, you will automatically run into a process. Submit an extension application no later than 3 months before the title expires – Book an appointment and schedule the fictitious certificate. Write down the expiration date on the title card immediately upon collection.
Pension insurance periods for the NE are missing
The settlement permit requires 60 months of compulsory contributions to the statutory pension insurance. Anyone who has worked for years as a student, mini-jobber or self-employed person without RV contributions may not meet this requirement – even if the stay has already existed for 5 years. Clarify early, not shortly before the NE application - additional payments are possible to a limited extent.
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As of: May 2026. Lalmano checks content editorially and is based on official information, including from Foreign Office, BAMF and Make it in Germany. The content does not replace individual legal advice.