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Residency Permit Obligation

German Law puts an obligation on all citizens to register their residency immediately after taking up a leased property. Moreover, all foregin citizens (non-EU members) are required to obtain a Residency Permit regardless if they wish to work or not.

Residency Registration and Residency Permit are two separate matters, that are commonly mistaken.

Residency Registration (German: Anmeldung) is simply informing the authorities about the address change, that needs to be done immediately after moving in. Germans, EU-citzens and foreign citizens are required to visit a local municipality office and by presenting a passport or ID together with a landlord confirmation register their new residency address.

Residency Permit (German: Aufenthaltstitel) on the other hand is meant only for foreign citizens. Depending on the country of origin, the residency permit must be obtained before the actual arrival to Germany (entry visa) or within 90 days upon moving to Germany. The full list of countries which citizens are required to obtain an entry visa can be found at the official website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Regardless of the fact if a foreign citizen wishes to live in Germany as a long-term tourist, take up a job or simply move with a spouse who had obtained a work permit before, the residency permit needs to be applied for at a local Immigration Office (German: Ausländerbehörde) well in advance. Depending on a personal situation, the residency permit can contain a work permit, a family visa, a job search visa or other kind to name a few.

An exact procedure and list of documents required to apply for a permit can vary and depends on the specific situation of an applicant. Commonly all the communication with an Immigration Office as well as an interview are performed in the German language, though some forms can be bi- or even tri-lingual. Also, the documents are often required to be certified translated into German, although more and more Immigration Offices accept English versions as well.

Contact us, if you require any assistance in the immigration procedure.

Fast-Track Immigration

Published on September 28th, 2020   Dieser Artikel auf Deutsch lesen. On 1st March 2020, the Skilled Immigration Act came into force in Germany, making it easier for skilled professionals from outside the EU to move to Germany to work. This Act not only relaxes some of the rules in place for entering the country but also includes a fast-track immigration procedure for qualified professionals. Fast Track – who can use it Qualified professionals are those persons who have completed at least two years of further education and obtained an academic or vocational qualification. In order to be eligible for fast-track immigration, this qualification must be officially recognized by the German authorities. A job offer or an employment contract is also a prerequisite, as is the relevant authorization from the qualified professional, allowing the employing company to apply to the immigration authorities. Fast-track immigration considerably reduces the time taken for administrative procedures when issuing a visa. The cost for this service is €411 in addition to the standard visa fee. The relaxations to the rules in the new Skilled Immigration Act mean that it is possible for qualified professionals to work in jobs that are related to their qualification but do not specifically require a tertiary education degree. Those jobs that do not require any qualifications are however not permissible. In the past, it was also only possible for those with vocational qualifications to occupy positions in which there was a shortage of skills in Germany – this rule no longer applies and those persons with vocational qualifications can work in any position covered by their qualification as long as said vocational qualification is recognized by the German authorities. Family Members It is not only the worker themselves who benefits from the fast-track immigration procedure, their spouse and children under the age of 18 are also included if their visa applications are carried out at the same time and they meet all the relevant requirements. If all the prerequisites for the procedure are met, the immigration authorities issue a preliminary approval and this must be used to complete the visa application process in the worker’s home country within three weeks. The decision regarding whether to grant the visa is then usually made within a further three weeks. Time-Saving, Quicker Entry It is worth noting that the fast-track immigration procedure does not guarantee that a visa will be issued. Despite this, it is a positive development for skilled professionals moving to Germany from outside the EU and will save both individuals and companies time in the immigration process. Getting Help We strongly advise consulting professional advisors to get the application prepared. Fast-Track can only be successful if the application is well prepared- If you need support or you would like to know more about the fast-track Immigration procedure, contact us. […]

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Skilled Immigration Act

New Immigration Law in Germany Due to the lack of qualified candidates such as craftsmen, engineers, or nurses, Germany has promoted the Skilled Inmigration Act (since March 1st, 2020 ) that allows people from outside [...]

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Ilona A. Keilich

Ilona founded ExpatsGuide in 2010, a Destination Service Provider in Germany servicing international clientele moving to and from Germany. She holds MBA in International Business and has gained, as one a few mobility professionals in Germany, the GMS designation (Global Mobility Specialist) of Worldwide ERC. Personally, Ilona has lived in four European countries and contributes often to global mobility magazines and media.

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