The residence permit is a temporary residence title. It is granted for the purposes specified in the Residence Act, e.g. for
- for humanitarian reasons,
- for the purpose of study or training,
- for the purpose of employment, self-employment or research,
- for family reunification for spouses/life partners and minor children, provided the foreigner living here has a right of residence himself/herself,
- for spouses/life partners and minor children of Germans,
- within the framework of the right of residence of opportunity introduced on 31.12.2022 (see: further information).
The Residence Act regulates for the individual residence purposes, in addition to the conditions for issuance, whether there is a legal entitlement to the issuance of a residence permit, or whether the Foreigners Authority must make a discretionary decision.
The residence permit is normally valid for the entire federal territory, but can be issued and extended with conditions and requirements. Conditions, e.g. a spatial restriction, can also be imposed subsequently.
The residence permit forms the basis for a permanent right of residence - despite an initial time limit - unless an extension is excluded from the outset, e.g. in the case of temporary residence purposes.
The extension of the residence permit, as well as the issuance, must be applied for at the Aliens' Registration Office.
If you select a location under "Localization" the contact details of the responsible authority and, if applicable, locally valid information will be displayed.