Settlement permit
Settlement permit
The settlement permit enables you to stay in Germany for an unlimited period of time. With it, you can consolidate your stay in Germany. Under certain conditions, it is also possible to obtain an EU permanent residence permit, which facilitates access to the European labor market.
Requirements for a settlement permit
The requirements for the issuance of a settlement permit strongly depend on your previous residence title. In principle, you must meet the following requirements when applying for a settlement permit:
- Five-year legal residence
- Secured livelihood
- Retirement provision
- No conflicting reasons of public safety or order
- Permitted employment and gainful activity
- Language skills and knowledge of the legal and social order
- Sufficient living space
Five-year legal residence
You must have lived legally in Germany for five years, i.e. have a (temporary) residence title, in order to be able to obtain an unlimited settlement permit. Very short trips abroad are harmless.
However, there are special regulations in the Residence Act, which allow the issuance of a settlement permit. Even if you have not been living in Germany for five years.
Special regulations
- Skilled workers (without EU Blue Card): 4 years
- EU Blue Card : 33 months plus 21 months with sufficient language skills (level B1)
- Self-employed: 3 years
- Persons entitled to asylum: crediting of residence periods of the asylum procedure
- Family members German: 3 years
- Foreign spouse
Secured livelihood
You must be able to support yourself and your family members. Your livelihood is secure if you can meet it without drawing on public funds.
NO public funds
- Child benefit
- Child supplement
- Parenting Benefit
- Parenting Benefit
- Unemployment benefit I
- BAföG
- Child benefit
- Child supplement
- Parenting Benefit
- Parenting Benefit
- Unemployment benefit I
- BAföG
Retirement provision
In order to obtain the settlement permit, it is necessary that you have already made 60 compulsory or voluntary contributions to the statutory pension insurance. If you want to apply for a settlement permit for yourself and your spouse, it is sufficient if one of you fulfills these requirements.
In order to find out whether you have already made the 60 contributions, you can apply to the German Pension Insurance for so-called "waiting period information". On the basis of this letter, the competent immigration authority can also see whether you meet this requirement.
Language skills and knowledge of the legal and social order
You have sufficient language skills and knowledge of the legal and social order and living conditions in the Federal Republic if you have successfully passed at least the level B1 language test and successfully completed an integration course. Proof can also be provided by other means - such as a school-leaving certificate.
Sufficient living space
Two factors play a role in determining whether your living space is sufficient: the condition and the occupancy, i.e. the size of the apartment in terms of the number of occupants. Sufficient living space is always available if there are 12 square meters of living space for each family member over the age of six and 10 square meters for each family member under the age of six, and if ancillary rooms (kitchen, bathroom, WC) can be shared to a reasonable extent. A shortfall of this apartment size by about 10% is harmless.
