Permanent residence permit in Germany [English Guide]

Key Takeaways

• A permanent residence permit (Niederlassungserlaubnis, or settlement permit) is a residence title that lets you live and work in Germany with no end date.
• The standard route to a settlement permit needs 5 years with a residence permit, a secured livelihood, 60 months of pension contributions, and B1 German.
• The fee for a permanent residence permit is 113 € for most applicants, 124 € for the self-employed and 147 € for highly qualified individuals.
• Applying for a permanent residence permit before your current permit expires keeps the current permit valid until the Ausländerbehörde (immigration office) decides.

This is how you do it

1. Check how your Ausländerbehörde takes applications.
2. Prove your German and civic knowledge.
3. Gather the required documents for your case.
4. Submit your application and pay the fee at least 8 weeks before your current permit expires.
5. Attend your Ausländerbehörde appointment.
6. Receive the decision for your settlement permit.

Table of contents

What is a permanent residence permit (settlement permit) in Germany?

A permanent residence permit in Germany (Niederlassungserlaubnis, also called a settlement permit) is a residence title with no end date. It lets you live and work in Germany with no time limit. The three names mean the same permit.

The permit is set out in Section 9 of the Residence Act (Aufenthaltsgesetz, AufenthG). It differs from German citizenship and the EU long-term residence permit (Daueraufenthalt-EU), which follow their own rules.

Here is how the three permits compare:

• Temporary residence permit (Aufenthaltserlaubnis). A residence title with a set end date, issued for a stay purpose such as work, study or family reasons (§ 7(1) AufenthG). Most people hold one before they apply for a settlement permit.
• Permanent residence permit (Niederlassungserlaubnis). A permit under § 9 AufenthG with no end date. On the standard route, you need 5 years with a residence permit and 60 months of pension contributions.
• EU long-term residence permit (Daueraufenthalt-EU). A separate permit under § 9a AufenthG that also has no end date. It needs 5 years with a residence title, and it lets you move to another EU state without a prior visa.

What are the advantages of a permanent residence permit?

A permanent residence permit has these advantages over a temporary permit:

• Your permit has no end date (§ 9(1) AufenthG). The electronic residence permit card (eAT) is valid for 10 years, and then you have to update it.
• Permission to work. You may work in Germany, unless if it’s banned under § 4a(1) AufenthG.
• Fewer conditions or extra rules attached to the permit. A temporary permit can carry them, for example a limit on the part of Germany where you may stay (§ 12(2) AufenthG). A permanent residence permit can include such conditions only where the law allows them (§ 9(1) AufenthG).
• No geographic restrictions. It lets you live anywhere in Germany.
• Same benefits on every route. Every settlement permit gives the same benefits, whatever its legal basis.
• Your family can join you. As a settlement permit holder, you can bring your spouse and minor children. Our guide to family reunification requirements in Germany explains the conditions.

What are the basic requirements for a permanent residence permit in Germany?

The standard route to a permanent residence permit rests on nine conditions in § 9(2) AufenthG. You are to be granted the permit when you meet all of them.

The requirements are:

• Timing: 5 years with a residence permit.
• Financial capacity: a secured livelihood, including health insurance, and 60 months of pension contributions.
• German and civic knowledge: B1 German and basic knowledge of Germany’s legal and social order.
• Living space: enough space for you and your household.
• Other requirements: no public safety concern, permission to work, any other permit your work needs, and the general rules on identity, passport and visa entry (§ 5 AufenthG).

How many years do you need for a settlement permit?

You need five years with a residence permit (Aufenthaltserlaubnis) to qualify for a settlement permit on the standard route. Section 9(4) AufenthG also allows three other types of time to count toward the five-year requirement:

• Earlier time in Germany. If you held a settlement permit when you left Germany, up to four years of your earlier residence count toward the five-year requirement. Any time abroad that caused your permit to expire is deducted.
• Time abroad. Each stay outside Germany that did not end your permit counts for up to six months.
• Study or vocational training. Lawful time in Germany for study or vocational training counts at half.

What financial requirements apply to a permanent residence permit?

A permanent residence permit needs two kinds of financial proof:

• Secured livelihood. You can pay your living costs, including sufficient health insurance, without public funds. Some benefits do not count as public funds, including child benefit (Kindergeld), parental allowance (Elterngeld), student aid (BAföG) and public funds based on contributions (§ 2(3) AufenthG).
• Pension contributions. You need 60 months of contributions to the statutory pension insurance. Payments into a comparable insurance or pension scheme also count. Gaps in work for childcare or home care are credited appropriately.

NOTE: You may be exempt from the livelihood and pension contribution requirements if an illness or disability prevents you from meeting them (§ 9(2) AufenthG).

What German and civic knowledge does a settlement permit require?

A settlement permit requires B1 German, which the law calls “sufficient” German (§ 2(9) to (12) AufenthG). It also requires basic knowledge of Germany’s legal and social order.

You meet both requirements if you successfully complete an integration course (Integrationskurs).

Can you get a permanent residence permit without B1 German?

Yes, you can get a permanent residence permit without B1 German if one of these three exemptions in § 9(2) AufenthG applies:

• Illness or disability. A physical, mental, or psychological illness or disability keeps you from meeting the German and civic knowledge conditions.
• Simple spoken German. You can communicate in simple spoken German and had no right to an integration course, or were not required to take one.
• Hardship. The authority may waive the conditions to avoid a hardship. This is at its discretion, so hardship alone does not guarantee the waiver.

How much living space does a permanent residence permit require?

A permanent residence permit requires enough living space for you and the family members who live with you in your household.

Under § 2(4) AufenthG, your space is enough if it is not smaller than a person seeking public social housing would need. It must also meet the quality and occupancy rules that apply to Germans.

Children under 2 are not counted when calculating the required living space for your household.

What other requirements apply to a permanent residence permit?

These requirements apply in addition to the conditions above (§ 9(2) AufenthG, § 5 AufenthG).

Identity and passport

You must have the following under (§ 5(1) AufenthG):

• Your identity is clarified, and so is your nationality if you have no right to return to another state.
• You meet the passport obligation, which means a recognised, valid passport or passport substitute (§ 3(1) AufenthG).

Entry with the right visa

You need to have entered with the required visa and given the relevant details in your visa application (§ 5(2) AufenthG). The authority may waive this requirement in three cases:

• You meet the conditions for a legal entitlement to the permit.
• Special circumstances make it unreasonable to expect you to redo the visa procedure.

The authority must waive this requirement if you hold a permit under § 26(3) AufenthG as a refugee or person entitled to asylum (§ 5(3) AufenthG).

Work

• Permission to work. You must be allowed to work if you are an employee.
• Other work permits. You must hold any other permit that your work needs permanently.

Public safety

• Public safety. No public safety or order concern stands against your stay. The authority weighs how serious the offence or danger is against your length of stay and your ties in Germany.
• Expulsion interest. No interest in expelling you exists (§ 5(1) AufenthG).
• Serious expulsion grounds. No particularly serious interest in expelling you exists under § 54(1) no. 2 or 4 AufenthG, and no removal order under § 58a AufenthG has been issued (§ 5(4) AufenthG).

Can one spouse meet the permanent residence permit requirements for a couple?

Yes. When you live together as a married couple, only one of you has to meet three conditions (§ 9(3) AufenthG) while the other spouse can rely on it:

• 60 months of pension contributions.
• Permission to work, if you are an employee.
• Other permits that your work needs.

However, the other requirements, such as German and civic knowledge, still apply to each spouse who applies.

Which permanent residence permit requirements apply to your situation?

There are different requirements for permanent residence permits for specific groups.

Skilled workers

If you work as a skilled worker, these requirements apply under § 18c(1) AufenthG:

• Time with a permit: 3 years (2 years after German vocational training or study)
• Pension contributions: 36 months (24 months after German vocational training or study)
• German level: B1

You also need:

• A permit under §§ 18a, 18b, 18d or 18g AufenthG.
• A job that matches your permit.

The permit is to be granted without approval from the Federal Employment Agency (Bundesagentur für Arbeit), if the conditions in § 18c(1) are met.

EU Blue Card holders

If you hold an EU Blue Card, these requirements apply under § 18c(2) AufenthG:

• Time with a permit: 27 months (21 months with B1 German)
• Pension contributions: for the same period
• German level: A1 (B1 for the 21-month route)

You also need to have worked under your EU Blue Card (§ 18g AufenthG) for that whole period.

Highly qualified people

If you are highly qualified, the authority should grant the permit in special cases if the conditions in § 18c(3) AufenthG are met. The group covers scientists with special expertise, and teachers or academic staff in prominent positions.

For this group, § 18c(3) AufenthG names no minimum time with a permit, no pension contributions, and no German level.

Spouses of § 18c permit holders

If your spouse holds a settlement permit under § 18c AufenthG, you are to be granted a settlement permit under § 9(3a) AufenthG. These requirements apply:

• Time with a permit: 3 years
• Pension contributions: not part of this route
• German level: B1

You also need:

• To live with your spouse as a married couple.
• To work at least 20 hours a week.
• To meet the basic conditions on livelihood, public safety, work permission, work permits, civic knowledge and living space.

The exemptions from the standard route apply here too.

Self-employed people

If you are self-employed, the Ausländerbehörde may grant you a settlement permit under § 21(4) AufenthG. These requirements apply:

• Time with a permit: 3 years
• Pension contributions: § 21(4) sets none
• German level: not part of this route

You also need:

• A business that is expected to keep developing, judged mainly by its success and duration.
• Income that supports you and the family members you must support.
• No public safety or order concern against your stay.

Applicants over 45 are, as a rule, granted the self-employed residence permit only with adequate old-age provision (§ 21(3) AufenthG).

The route does not apply to a permit for a freelance activity under § 21(5) AufenthG.

The Ausländerbehörde has discretion on this route. We recommend consulting a lawyer before you apply to confirm your eligibility and help you with the process.

Family members of Germans

If you are a family member of a German, you are to be granted a settlement permit under § 28(2) AufenthG. This group includes the spouse, a minor unmarried child, or a parent who cares for a minor German child.

These requirements apply:

• Time with a permit: 3 years
• Pension contributions: not part of this route
• German level: B1

You also need:

• Your family unit with the German continues to exist in Germany.
• No public interest in expelling you exists.

The exemptions from the standard route apply here too. If you still need your first permit as the spouse of a German, read our guide to spousal reunification in Germany.

Refugees and people entitled to asylum

If you hold a permit as a person entitled to asylum or a recognised refugee, you are to be granted a settlement permit under § 26(3) AufenthG. These requirements apply:

• Time with a permit: 5 years, or 3 years with C1 German
• Pension contributions: not part of this route
• German level: A2 (5-year route) or C1 (3-year route)

You also need:

• A livelihood that is mostly secured (5-year route), or secured to a very large extent (3-year route).
• Basic conditions on public safety, work, civic knowledge and living space.

The time of your asylum procedure before you got the permit counts toward the years on both routes. On both routes, the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (Bundesamt für Migration und Flüchtlinge) must not have reported grounds to revoke your protection.

How do you apply for a permanent residence permit in Germany?

Apply for a permanent residence permit at your local immigration office (Ausländerbehörde).

Follow these steps:

1. Check how your Ausländerbehörde takes applications. Some offices ask for online applications, while others also accept them by post.
2. Prove your German and civic knowledge. Completing an integration course proves both (§ 9(2) AufenthG). The document list below names other proof that some offices accept.
3. Gather the required documents for your case.
4. Submit your application and pay the fee. Apply at least 8 weeks before your current permit expires. If you apply online, save the PDF confirmation.
5. Attend your appointment. The Ausländerbehörde checks your identity and documents there. If it approves your application, it takes your fingerprints for the electronic residence permit card (eAT).
6. Receive the decision.
   • If approved: The Bundesdruckerei (the federal printing office) produces your eAT. Collect it in person from your local immigration office.
   • If rejected: You receive a rejection notice. Consult an immigration lawyer about your options.

Which documents do you need for a permanent residence permit?

These are the core documents you need to apply for a permanent residence permit:

• A valid passport
• A current biometric photo (frontal view)
• Proof of your secured livelihood. The proof depends on your situation:
  • Employees: pay slips for the last 3 months, an employment confirmation, and a declaration on livelihood.
  • Self-employed: proof of profit after tax, a tax office certificate, and the livelihood declaration.
• Proof of your health insurance
• Proof of your pension contributions: an account statement (Wartezeitauskunft) from the Deutsche Rentenversicherung, or proof of comparable benefits
• Proof of adequate living space, such as a rental contract that states the floor area with bank statements showing the rent, or a housing certificate (Wohnraumbescheinigung)
• Proof of German and civic knowledge: an integration course certificate (§ 9(2) AufenthG), or a B1 certificate with a Leben in Deutschland test certificate. A German school, training, or university qualification also works if you completed it in German

Requirements vary by city, so make sure to confirm the full document checklist with your local Ausländerbehörde before applying. Missing documents can delay your application.

How much does a permanent residence permit cost in Germany?

The fee for a permanent residence permit in Germany depends on your group under Section 44 of the Residence Ordinance (Aufenthaltsverordnung, AufenthV).

Your group	Fee
Other adults	113 €
Self-employed (§ 21(4) AufenthG)	124 €
Highly qualified* (§ 18c(3) AufenthG)	147 €
Minors	Half the fee for their group, for example 56.50 € in the 113 € group (§ 50(1) AufenthV)

Fees as of Oct 2026
*Highly qualified means scientists with special expertise, and teachers or academic staff in prominent positions.

A minor who gets a settlement permit when they turn 16 after five years with a family residence permit pays a flat 55 € (§ 35(1) sentence 1 AufenthG, § 50(1) sentence 2 AufenthV).

What can you do if your permanent residence permit application is delayed?

If your permanent residence permit application is delayed, your current permit stays valid as long as you applied before it expired (§ 81(4) AufenthG).

Under § 81(5) AufenthG, the Ausländerbehörde must issue you a Fiktionsbescheinigung, a certificate that confirms the effect of your application.

How long does it take for permanent residency to be approved?

There is no single nationwide processing time for a permanent residence permit. It depends on your office, your permit route, and whether your documents are complete.

In some cities it takes less than 6 months, while other cities may take 6 to 12 months:

• Berlin: around 6-9 months. It may take some time because of the high number of applications.
• Munich: up to 12 months. It currently processes applications later if you already hold a valid temporary permit.

If your application has stalled, we can help assess your case before taking legal action over the delay.

Can you lose your Niederlassungserlaubnis?

Yes, you can lose your Niederlassungserlaubnis (§ 51 AufenthG). Section 51(1) lists the cases in which a residence permit expires, which include:

• You leave Germany for a reason that is not temporary.
• You leave Germany and do not return within 6 months, or within a longer period set by the Ausländerbehörde.

Two of the rules that limit these cases are:

• After 15 years in Germany (§ 51(2)). The two rules above do not apply after 15 years of lawful residence, if your livelihood is secured and no expulsion interest under § 54(1) no. 2 to 5 or § 54(2) no. 5 to 7 exists. The same applies to your spouse’s settlement permit if you live together as a married couple.
• Longer return period (§ 51(4)). The Ausländerbehörde sets a longer period if you plan to leave for a temporary reason and hold a settlement permit, or if your stay abroad serves German interests.

Some people have a longer return period under the law, and the Ausländerbehörde can also set a longer period in certain cases (§ 51(4) AufenthG). Before you leave Germany for more than 6 months, ask your Ausländerbehörde which period applies to you.

What are the alternatives to a settlement permit in Germany?

If you can’t get a permanent residence permit, you still have other options to secure your long-term stay in Germany.

EU long-term residence permit instead of a settlement permit

The EU long-term residence permit (Daueraufenthalt-EU) has no end date, like the settlement permit. You apply for it at your Ausländerbehörde.

You need 5 years with a residence title, regular income, sufficient German, civic knowledge, no public safety concern, and enough living space (§ 9a AufenthG).

The EU permit differs from the settlement permit in these ways:

• It lets you move to another EU state and apply there for a residence permit without a prior visa.
• It names no pension months and no work permission condition.
• It excludes, among others, holders of permits for vocational training (§ 16a AufenthG) or study (§ 16b AufenthG) and people whose stay is of a temporary nature.
• It follows its own expiry rules in § 51(9) AufenthG.

German citizenship instead of a permanent residence permit

German citizenship is a separate status under Section 10 of the Nationality Act (Staatsangehörigkeitsgesetz, StAG), not the Residence Act.

Among other conditions, you need 5 years of lawful residence in Germany, a secured livelihood, B1 German, and knowledge of Germany’s legal and social order.

German citizenship also requires a commitment to the free democratic basic order, which the settlement permit does not list.

References

• § 9 Aufenthaltsgesetz (AufenthG)
• § 18c AufenthG
• § 81 AufenthG
• § 44 Aufenthaltsverordnung (AufenthV)
• Niederlassungserlaubnis, City of Munich
• Permanent residence titles, Berlin Immigration Office