Settlement permit

The settlement permit is an unlimited residence permit. In contrast to a residence permit, you do not have to regularly renew your settlement permit at the immigration office. With a settlement permit, you can work without restriction.

In order to obtain a settlement permit, you must generally meet the following requirements:

You have had a residence permit for at least 5 years.
You must be able to support yourself (and your family) independently. This means that you must not receive any money from the job center or social welfare office.
You must speak German at level B1 and provide proof of this.
You must have paid pension insurance contributions for at least 60 months. The amount of the contributions does not matter. You can find out more about pension insurance in our chapter Pensioners in Germany.
You must have sufficient living space for yourself and your family. The size of an apartment varies from federal state to federal state. Ask your case worker at the immigration office or a local advice center.
You must have a work permit.
You must have successfully completed the orientation course. You can find out more about this in our Integration courses section.
You must not have committed any major criminal offenses. Convictions for fines of up to 90 daily rates or suspended sentences of up to three months are generally irrelevant.

For some groups of people, however, there are easier conditions for obtaining a settlement permit.

Please note:On July 7, 2023, a new law was passed regarding the immigration of skilled workers to Germany. It contains numerous changes and innovations as well as simplifications to make Germany more attractive for skilled workers. It is not yet clear exactly when the various changes and innovations will be introduced. When the time comes, we will publish updates on our website. We recommend that you visit our website regularly to stay well informed.

If you have any further questions, you can also contact our community platform "Together in Germany", our community managers will be happy to answer your questions!

For whom are the conditions easier?

Refugees

You can find everything you need to know about the settlement permit for "persons entitled to asylum, recognized refugees and people with subsidiary protection and a ban on deportation" in our chapter on settlement permits for refugees.

Skilled workers & researchers

A skilled worker is a person with a job that requires vocational training or a degree. Skilled workers and researchers can obtain a settlement permit after just 4 years of residence. They only need to have paid into the pension insurance scheme for 48 months. They must have a job. And speak German at level B1. You must also meet the following requirements:

You must be able to support yourself (and your family) independently. This means that you must not receive any money from the job center or social welfare office.
You must have sufficient living space for yourself and your family. The size of an apartment varies from state to state. Ask your case worker at the immigration office or an advice center nearby.
You must have a work permit.
You must have successfully completed the orientation course. You can find out more about this in our Integration courses section.
You must not have committed any major criminal offenses. Convictions for fines of up to 90 daily rates or suspended sentences of up to three months are generally irrelevant.

Graduates of a course of study or training in Germany

If you have successfully completed vocational training or a course of study in Germany and have a residence permit as a skilled worker or researcher, the requirements are also easier for you. After 2 years with a residence permit as a skilled worker or researcher, you can apply for a settlement permit. It is sufficient if you have only paid into the pension insurance scheme for 24 months. You must have a job. And speak German at level B1. You must also meet the following requirements:

You can support yourself (and your family) independently. This means that you must not receive any money from the job center or social welfare office.
You must have sufficient living space for yourself and your family. The size of an apartment varies from state to state. Ask your case worker at the immigration office or an advice center nearby.
You must have a work permit.
You must have successfully completed the orientation course. You can find out more about this in our Integration courses section.
You must not have committed any major criminal offenses. Convictions for fines of up to 90 daily rates or suspended sentences of up to three months are generally irrelevant.

Self-employed entrepreneurs

If you run a successful business in Germany and can support yourself (and your family) independently, i.e. you do not receive any money from the job center or social welfare office, you can obtain a settlement permit after just 3 years. You must also have adequate health insurance and sufficient pension provision. You must not have been convicted of criminal offenses.

Civil servants

Civil servants who work in the public sector in Germany can obtain a settlement permit after just 3 years of residence. They also do not have to show any pension insurance contributions. You must also meet the following requirements:

You can secure a living for yourself (and your family) independently. This means that you must not receive any money from the job center or social welfare office.
You must speak German at level A2 and provide proof of this.
You must have sufficient living space for yourself and your family. The size of an apartment varies from state to state. Ask your case worker at the immigration office or an advice center nearby.
You must have a work permit.
You must have successfully completed the orientation course. You can find out more about this in our Integration courses section.
You must not have committed any major criminal offenses. Convictions for fines of up to 90 daily rates or suspended sentences of up to three months are generally irrelevant.

Holders of the EU Blue Card

If you have an EU Blue Card, you can obtain a settlement permit very quickly. After 33 months with the EU Blue Card, you can apply for a settlement permit. You only need to have paid pension insurance contributions for 33 months, have a suitable job and speak German at A1 level. If you speak German at level B1, you can obtain a settlement permit after just 21 months. You must also meet the following requirements:

You can support yourself (and your family) independently. This means that you must not receive any money from the job center or social welfare office.
You must have sufficient living space for yourself and your family. The size of an apartment varies from state to state. Ask your case worker at the immigration office or an advice center nearby.
You must have a work permit.
You must have successfully completed the orientation course. You can find out more about this in our Integration courses section.
You must not have committed any major criminal offenses. Convictions for fines of up to 90 daily rates or suspended sentences of up to three months are generally irrelevant.

Family members of a person with German citizenship

If you are a family member of a person with German citizenship, you also have simpler requirements: You only need to have had a residence permit for 3 years. You must also speak German at level B1 and prove that you will continue to live with the person with German citizenship. You can find out more about this topic in our chapters Marriage / Divorce and Born in Germany. You must also meet the following requirements:

You can support yourself (and your family) independently. This means that you must not receive any money from the job center or social welfare office.
You must have paid pension insurance contributions for at least 60 months. The amount of the contributions does not matter. You can find out more about this topic in our chapter Pensioners in Germany.
You must have a work permit.
You must not have committed any major criminal offenses. Convictions for fines of up to 90 daily rates or suspended sentences of up to three months are generally irrelevant.

Spouses of "foreign" persons with a settlement permit

If you are or were married to a person with a settlement permit, you can also obtain a settlement permit yourself. The prerequisite for this is that your livelihood is secured without help from the job center / social welfare office. You must also meet the following requirements:

You must speak German at level A1 and provide proof of this.
You must have sufficient living space for yourself and your family. The size of an apartment varies from federal state to federal state. Ask your case worker at the immigration office or an advice center nearby.
You must have successfully completed the orientation course. You can find out more about this in our Integration courses section.
You must not have committed any major criminal offenses. Convictions for fines of up to 90 daily rates or suspended sentences of up to three months are generally irrelevant.

Children of "foreign" persons

Children of "foreign" persons can obtain a settlement permit if they have held a residence permit for at least 5 years on or after their 16th birthday. As soon as the child reaches the age of majority, additional requirements must be met: The child must speak German at level B1 and be able to earn a living without help from the job center or social welfare office. People who are doing vocational training or studying do not have to prove that they can support themselves. The child must not have been convicted of a major criminal offense.

Important

Children can only obtain a settlement permit from the age of 16. The application must be submitted by the parents or a guardian.

Upon obtaining a settlement permit, permanent residence migrants no longer need to renew their residency permits at regular intervals. Unlike other residence permit holders, they are not required to prove ongoing financial independence through welfare assistance.

Skilled workers and researchers, including certain categories of permanent residence migrants, can secure a settlement permit after four years of residence in Germany, provided they meet specific requirements.

Source: handbookgermany.de