Permanent residence permit check 2026
Your permanent residence permit check for 2026 - do you meet the requirements?
Do I meet the requirements for a permanent residence permit?
The permanent residence permit plays a central role in German residence law. It is issued for an unlimited period of time and allows you to stay in Germany permanently, even if your professional or family situation changes, for example. However, the requirements for a permanent residence permit are not exactly easy to understand. This is because there is not one permanent residence permit that fits all cases, but numerous variants of permanent residence permits for all kinds of constellations.
We have developed this permanent residence permit check to make it easier for you to navigate between the various requirements and their exceptions. The test uses clearly formulated questions to guide you through the requirements for obtaining a permanent residence permit and walks you through them one after the other. At the end of the test, you will also find more detailed explanations of the individual questions so that you can better understand how the result of your test came about.
Permanent residence permit check
Requirements
Basics of the check
The provisions of the Residence Act (Aufenthaltsgesetz; AufenthG) provide the basis for our settlement permit check. Section 9 (2) AufenthG, which contains the "classic" permanent residence permit, is particularly relevant here. At the same time, the test also takes into account many of the numerous exceptions and special cases, for example under Section 18c AufenthG for skilled workers and holders of an EU Blue Card, under Section 21 (4) AufenthG for self-employed persons or under Section 26 (3) AufenthG for persons entitled to asylum and recognized refugees.
Please note, however, that this test is no substitute for qualified legal advice. Especially in the case of complex residence titles such as the permanent residence permit, we always recommend that you seek legal advice. This permanent residence permit check is only intended to give you an overview of the requirements for such a permit and to provide an initial assessment of whether your application has a chance of success.
Overview
Table of contents
Valid national passport
First of all, we will ask you whether you have a valid national passport or other suitable identification documents such as a travel document for foreigners or a travel document for refugees, the so-called "Blue Passport". We ask this question because your identity must always be verified before you can be granted a settlement permit in accordance with Section 5 (1) No. 1a AufenthG. You must also fulfill the passport requirement , i.e. have a valid passport.
In exceptional cases, it may be possible to obtain a permanent residence permit even without a valid national passport. This is the case, for example, if you do not have a passport but can clearly prove your identity with other suitable documents. However, the immigration authorities are generally very strict when applying these exceptions. Therefore, without valid identity documents, you will receive the result from our check that your application is unlikely to be successful.
Current residence permit
The second question concerns the residence permit you currently hold. This information is important because different residence permits sometimes have different requirements for the issue of a settlement permit. In addition, holders of a tolerated stay permit (Duldung), a residence permit for asylum seekers (Aufenthaltsgestattung) or a residence permit for study or training purposes in accordance with §§ 16a, 16b AufenthG are not eligible for a permanent residence permit. If you currently hold one of these titles, you must first change to another residence title in order to obtain a permanent residence permit.
A detailed list of the lowered requirements that apply to some of the various residence permits can be found on our main page on the permanent residence permit.
Family status and children
Next, the permanent residence permit check asks whether you have children and whether you are single, married, divorced or widowed. These answers are relevant at several points: Firstly, when it comes to whether your livelihood is secure.
This is because it depends not only on you personally, but on all members of your "community of need". By "community of need" we mean all family members who live with you.
Length of stay in Germany and pension contributions
The main prerequisite for obtaining a permanent residence permit is a sufficiently long stay in Germany. This stay must be legal , i.e. based on a corresponding residence title. It must also be uninterrupted . However, this does not mean that you are not allowed to leave Germany at all for the entire duration of your stay. Shorter stays abroad, for example on vacation, up to a maximum duration of six months are not taken into account.
Please note that when calculating your length of stay, periods during which you have completed training or studies in Germany are only counted as half of the total period in accordance with § 9 Para. 4 No. 3 AufenthG. A three-year training course with a corresponding residence permit therefore only counts as a one-and-a-half-year stay within the scope of the settlement permit.
In addition, you must be able to prove that you or your spouse have regularly paid into a pension scheme in order to obtain a permanent residence permit. This can either be the statutory pension insurance or a comparable private pension scheme. As a rule, you must have made these contributions for the entire duration of your stay in Germany, which is needed for obtaining a permanent residence permit.
However, there are numerous exceptions in which the required duration of residence and thus also the necessary pension contribution payments are reduced, in some cases even to less than two years. We also ask about the most common of these exceptions in this Permanent Residence Permit Check. However, for a comprehensive presentation of all special cases and the requirements that apply in these cases, we recommend our main page on permanent residence permits.
State aid
The next question is about whether you receive state benefits such as citizens' allowance (Bürgergeld), social assistance (Sozialhilfe) or basic security benefits (Grundsicherung) in old age or in the event of reduced earning capacity. Please note that the decisive factor is not whether you actually receive these benefits, but rather whether you are entitled to them. The reason for this is that a permanent residence permit should only be issued to people who can be expected to be able to support themselves in the future without help from the state.
If you are not sure whether you are entitled to state aid, you can find out more on the website of the Federal Employment Agency. The Citizen's Income Calculator from Caritas is also a helpful resource.
Integration course, graduation certificate and language certificates
Next, our permanent residence permit check asks whether you have successfully completed an official integration course, which also includes the German test for immigrants (DTZ). If this is the case, then you have already demonstrated the German language skills and knowledge of Germany's legal and social system required for a settlement permit.
Alternatively, you can also prove both skills by completing a German Hauptschule, Realschule, Gesamtschule or Gymnasium. If you do not have a German school-leaving certificate, but have successfully completed the 9th grade in Germany, your German language skills are still considered to be proven. The same applies if you have successfully completed vocational training or a course of study in Germany without having previously attended school here.
In any case, you can also prove the necessary language skills with a recognized language certificate. As a rule, you need at least B1 level for a permanent residence permit. However, for holders of an EU Blue Card, for persons entitled to asylum and for recognized refugees, the requirements for the necessary German language skills are reduced.
If you cannot prove that you have the basic knowledge of the German legal and social system required by law through an integration course or a German school-leaving certificate, you must take and pass the "Living in Germany" test or a naturalization test.
Criminal record
We then ask you if you have any previous convictions in Germany or abroad because this also plays a role in the chances of success of your application for a permanent residence permit. According to the law, you will only be granted a permanent residence permit if there are no reasons of public safety or order to the contrary. In practice, this criterion is handled in such a way that minor offenses punished with up to a limit of 90 daily rates remain irrelevant.
If you are currently being investigated in criminal proceedings - whether in Germany or abroad - this usually means that the procedure for issuing a permanent residence permit is suspended until the investigations have been completed.
How our lawyers can help you
This permanent residence permit check has hopefully given you a good insight into how much the requirements for obtaining such a permit can vary from case to case. It is easy to lose track of the many statutory exceptions. We therefore always recommend that you seek legal advice for your application. The experts at RT & Partner, who specialize in migration law, will check with you whether you meet the requirements for obtaining a permanent residence permit. If not, we will show you what is still missing at the moment. And if you already meet all the requirements, we will be happy to submit the application to the relevant immigration authority on your behalf. Thanks to their experience with authorities throughout Germany, our lawyers know exactly what is important when submitting your application. This will ensure that your application has the best possible chance of success.
Have you already submitted your application yourself, but haven't heard from the authorities for months? We will be happy to help you in this case too. We will contact the authority on your behalf and find out the reason for the delay. And if necessary, our lawyers will file an action for failure to act on your behalf to compel the authority to make a decision on your case.