Residence permit · Section 4 Residence Act
After entering the country with a national visa, you must go to the immigration office within 90 days - not after that. Anyone who applies for a residence permit too late will live without a valid one Legal basis in Germany. Registration comes first. The ABH appointment is the second step.
Correct order: Entry with a visa → Apartment registration (14 days) → Book an ABH appointment → Apply for a residence permit → Permission fiction is valid until a decision is made
Common Error: Forgotten an appointment or booked it too late → visa expired → no valid residence status → Fine or obligation to leave the country
Wrong procedure: Residents' registration office ≠ immigration authorities. The registration is replaced not the residence permit application.
Basics
The Aliens Authority (ABH) is the responsible authority for all questions regarding residence law after entry. She is not the message – the embassy issues the entry visa. The ABH issues the residence permit, which entitles you to remain in Germany for a longer period of time.
Every city and every district has its own immigration office. The responsible authority depends on yours Place of residence – not based on where you work or study. Anyone who lives in Munich and works in Augsburg goes to ABH Munich.
Large cities such as Berlin, Hamburg, Munich or Frankfurt have their own, often overburdened immigration authorities. In smaller cities, waiting times for appointments are often shorter.
| ABH does that | ABH doesn't do that |
|---|---|
| Issue a residence permit (initial grant, extension) | Issue visas for initial entry (→ Embassy) |
| Rewrite your residence permit (e.g. study → work) | Recognition of foreign professional qualifications (→ ANABIN, IHK) |
| Settlement permit and check naturalization requirements | Issuing work permits – this is integrated into the residence permit |
| Fiction certificates issue (bridging document) | Organize language courses or integration courses (→ BAMF) |
Legal protection
If you submit an extension or initial grant application in good time and the ABH has not yet made a decision, your previous residence status is considered to continue. This legal buffer is called permission fiction.
Fiction certificate as proof
The permission fiction takes effect automatically when you submit the application before your current residence permit expires or visa. It applies until the ABH makes a decision.
You will receive one as proof Fiction certificate (Section 81 Paragraph 5 Residence Act). This document proves to employers, banks or landlords that your stay is legal.
Step by step
You enter the country with a national visa (type D) – e.g. E.g. study visa, training visa or work visa. This visa allows entry and stay for up to 90 days. The national visa is not a residence permit - it is the basis for the application.
You must register with the residents’ registration office (citizens’ registration office) within 14 days of moving in. You receive one Registration confirmation – This document is mandatory for the ABH appointment.
No ABH appointment without registration confirmation. Register first, then DECEPTION.Book the appointment immediately after registration – not weeks later. Waiting times of 4-8 weeks are normal in large cities. In Berlin even longer. The appointment itself must take place before the visa expires - or at least the application must be submitted beforehand. Bookings are made via the online portal of the respective city authority.
In Berlin, Hamburg and Munich: Appointments may be fully booked. Check daily in the morning – cancellations will be released immediately.Each immigration office has slightly different requirements. The basic documents are the same nationwide. Additional documents depend on the purpose of the residence permit (study, training, work, family). Missing documents lead to a second appointment - and thus to weeks of delay.
Arrive on time with all documents. Bring a biometric passport photo (35 × 45 mm, current). The clerk checks the documents, takes fingerprints and, if necessary, provides one Fiction certificate out. The residence permit (residence card) is usually not issued immediately, but is made available by post or for collection within 4-8 weeks.
After issuing: Check the residence permit immediately for correctness – name, date of birth, period of validity, entered conditions (e.g. employment permitted/not permitted). Report errors immediately. The residence permit must be extended before it expires - book a new appointment early.
Mandatory documents
Basic documents for all purposes of stay - plus purpose-specific documents depending on the type of visa.
Valid passport + national visa
Original passport with visa glued in. Not a copy – the original passport must be presented. Minimum validity: longer than the residence permit applied for.
Current registration confirmation
From the residents’ registration office/citizens’ office. Not older than 3 months. Shows the current residential address in the ABH's area of responsibility.
Biometric photograph (35 × 45 mm)
Current, not older than 6 months. White or gray background. Front view, no headgear (religious exceptions possible). 1 photo is usually enough – bring 2 to be on the safe side.
Proof of health insurance
Statutory or private health insurance – must cover the period of stay. Students: Certificate of enrollment + proof of statutory health insurance. Trainees: Certificate from the company about KV registration.
Purpose-specific evidence
Studies: Certificate of enrollment + proof of blocked account
Training: Training contract + certificate of recognition
Work: Employment contract + proof of salary or confirmation of employment
Blue Card: Employment contract, proof of salary ≥ minimum salary, recognized qualification
Fee payment on site
The fee is usually on site in cash or by EC card paid. Amount: approx. €100 for residence permit (depending on title and term). Fiction certificate free of charge.
Title types
The ABH issues the residence permit appropriate to the purpose of entry. A change of purpose (e.g. from study to work) is possible, but requires a new application and new documents.
Residence permit, settlement permit, Blue Card
All residence permits at a glance| Title | Purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| § 16b Residence Act | Studied at a German university | Until the end of your studies + 18 months job search |
| § 16a Residence Act | Vocational training (dual system) | Duration of training |
| § 18a / 18b Residence Act | Specialist with vocational training/university degree | 4 years (extendable) |
| § 18c Residence Act (Blue Card) | Highly qualified people with academic degrees & minimum salary | 4 years (EU-wide) |
| § 20 Residence Act (Opportunity Card) | Job search with a points system | 1 year (non-renewable) |
| § 28 / 30 Residence Act | Family reunification with Germans or foreigners | 3 years (extendable) |
Common mistakes
Most problems with the immigration authorities do not arise from complex legal questions, but through avoidable organizational errors.
If you wait until your visa has almost expired, you will no longer find a free appointment. Book immediately after registration – even if the appointment is only in 6 weeks. The permission fiction applies as long as the application is submitted in a timely manner.
The ABH does not send complete checklists. Find out more in advance on the website of the responsible authority. Always bring originals and copies. Missing documents force a second appointment - waiting time all over again.
The biometric photo must be recent, frontal, on a white background. Selfies or photos in color on a colored background will be rejected. Photos from the photo booth at the train station are usually standard.
Anyone who accepts a job that exceeds the permitted hours while studying or changes employers without an examination: Consultation with ABH is mandatory. Violations of requirements can cost the title.
Residence permits expire. Book a new appointment three months before it expires. Not just a month in advance - that's often too late.
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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.