Visa Overview in Germany
Germany offers a variety of visas, work permits and residence permits to foreigners, who want to live and work locally. The following survey shall help you find access to immigration.
There are 11 different types of residence permits. Each one of them has other conditions which need to be proven. It is of utmost importance to select the right visa type before the application procedure can begin. According to the Federal Agency of Migration and Refugees (Bundesamt für Migration und Flüchtlinge) only 11,2% of all immigrants from third-party countries (non-EU countries) took up residence in Germany on a work-based residence permit in 2017. Of all the immigrants coming to Germany for work purposes 62,6% were skilled workers.1
Survey of Visas
All foreigners from outside the EU who wish to remain in Germany for longer than three months must obtain a residence permit (Aufenthaltstitel), which can be categorized into permanent and non-permanent permits.
A visa allows foreigners to enter Germany and stay up to three months for a preselected and approved purpose, while the residence permit allows foreigners to stay for longer periods of time. If you are in Germany on a valid visa, you might be able to apply for a residence permit at the responsible local Foreigners Office (Ausländerbehörde). To find out if you meet the criteria to ‘exchange’ your visa for a residence permit, contact the local Foreigners Office for more information about this.
Citizens from some countries (including the USA, Canada, Australia, Japan, Israel, New Zealand and Switzerland) are allowed entry into Germany without a visa and may apply for a residence permit while in the country. If you don’t come from any of these countries a visa can be issued by a German embassy or consulate in your country of residence. It may also be possible to directly apply for a residence permit at the embassy or consulate in your country.
The conditions to get a residence permit may vary somewhat from place to place and according to your status. In any case, you’ll need a valid passport, a couple of “biometric” photos, proof that you have a place to live, proof of health insurance and proof that you can support yourself for the time you’re staying in Germany. Additional things you may need include proof that you have a critical skill, proof that you are married, proof that you have independent means or a pension, a health certificate and a certificate of good conduct.
If you decide that you are going to stay in Germany for a longer period you must have a registration certificate (Meldeschein) to prove that you have a residence. You get it at the Registry Office (Einwohnermeldeamt) that is responsible for your community or your city neighbourhood. Registering is a simple matter of going there and filling out a form. They may want to see your passport and lease, so have them with you. There is no charge for this registration.
Every time you change your residence within Germany, whether you move next door or across the country, you must report this to the registry offices at both the old and new place of residence. This isn’t an action directed at foreigners. Germans, too, must keep the Registry Offices posted when they move.
HEUSER RECHT UND STEUERN is among other things specialized in aiding in the process of applying for a visa, a residence permit and a work permit. The counsel HEUSER RECHT UND STEUERN provides is not only an assessment of the legal situation but is also complemented by recommendations on how to proceed in the most economical and efficient way. Clients can rely on the exhaustive support for carrying out relocations of any kind regarding all legal situations.
Assistance includes determining which type of residence permit is most viable, collecting the needed documents for the application and the application process itself to give you your best chances of succeeding in a new location of your choosing.
1.Bundesamt für Migration und Flüchtlinge, Das Bundesamt in Zahlen 2017; Asyl, Migration und Integration.