Germany without doubt is a very great destination to become a residence with diverse people and of course endless opportunities. However, obtaining residence permit in Germany is never a bad idea and also required if you planning on staying in Germany for more than 90 days.
Recently, so many foreign nationals find it difficult to process residence permit. They see it as a tedious process because they lack the simple information to obtain the German residence permit.
As long as you’re a non-EU citizen and you intend to stay in Germany for more than 90 days, then you’re required to apply for the residence visa. However, citizens of Australia, USA, Canada, Japan, Israel, New Zealand, Switzerland, the Republic of Korea and EU-citizens can then apply for residence permit after moving into Germany without visa.
Before I guide you through the process on how to get residence permit, I’ll first outline some of the benefits of living (becoming residence) in Germany.
Benefits of Living in Germany
- Germany has nine borders which I considered as the largest compared to other European countries. So, it’s a great benefit for residence of Germany.
- The cost of living in Germany is relatively low.
- Germany has one of the most luxurious train system
- Germany has lot of public holidays, so you’ve more time to explore other cities in Germany.
- They’ve lot of job opportunities and it’s very easy to get a job in Germany
- It’s very easy for you to adapt in Germany as a foreigner
- They’ve one of the best healthcare centres
- Their education system is top-notched with students achieving one of the best academic experiences.
- There internet service providers charges very little amount on internet plans and mobile data
Now you know some of the benefits of living in Germany, let me simply brief you through the paths on obtaining residence permit in Germany.
There are different paths to apply for Germany residence permit. However, the path you follow depends on the purpose or reason for your stay in Germany. Before I get started, let me quickly explain the two major categories of residence permit.
Types of Residence Permit in Germany
Temporary residence permit
The temporary residence permit is also known as the limited residence permit. It’s given to foreigners on their first arrival to Germany after they must’ve applied for it. Depending on the reason for stay, there is limited time frame or period given to users under the temporary residence permit.
Furthermore, this type of residence permit requires you to execute only the reason or purpose for migrating to Germany. For instance, if you came to study in Germany under a temporary residence permit, you’re given the period of time to complete your study and with the temporary study residence permit; you can’t use it to work.
EU Blue Card
This is similar to the temporary residence permit but it has a longer validity with more usability. The EU Blue card is usually given to highly skilled employees or professionals. However, in other to qualify for the EU Blue card, it’s required that you must’ve completed your higher education or master’s degree, and then get a job related to your educational qualifications. Once your job allows you to earn a minimum of 50,000 Euros annually and you’ve High German proficiency, then you’re eligible for the EU Blue card.
The validity of the EU Blue card is 4years which after you can immediately apply for permanent residence permit as long as you maintain your job.
Permanent residence permit
This is also known as settlement permit because applicants plan to settle permanently in Germany. However, you’re only eligible after you must have held the temporary residence permit for at least 5 years. However, permanent residence permit eliminates every restriction on movements in Germany and other European countries. You get to study and work anywhere without restrictions unlike a temporary residence permit holder. Lastly, permanent residence permit is a solid path to obtaining citizenship in Germany.
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Paths to obtain German Residence permit
There are various paths to obtain residence permit in Germany. These paths depend on the purpose of coming to Germany. They include;
Study purpose
If your reason for migrating to Germany is to study in Germany, as long as you plan to stay longer than 90 days to complete your education, then you’re required to apply for residence permit for studying.
In most cases, applicants gets residence permit relative to the length of their program. Also, students can engage in work-study position but not allowed to engage in full time job contracts. However, after education, international students are given temporary permit for another 18 months to seek for jobs and after that, they can apply for residence permit for employment.
Employment purpose
Residence permit is also given to foreign nationals who wish to work in Germany for a long period of time longer than 90days. However, you can only work in Germany after you must have gotten the residence permit document for work.
In other to get temporary residence permit for work, there are certain requirements you must pass through which includes proof of German proficiency and also you must get an approval from the Federal Employment Agency in Germany. In most cases, your employer must proof that the job position couldn’t be filled by a Germany citizen.
Marriage purpose
If you’ve a spouse who’s a permanent residence of Germany or a German citizen, then you’re eligible to apply for residence permit in Germany. The process is a very simple one as long as you meet up to certain eligibility factors which include passing Germany language and few other factors.
At first, you’re given a temporary residence permit and after you must have lived with your spouse under the temporary residence permit for 3 years, you can apply for a permanent residence permit in Germany.
Requirements for Residence Permit in Germany
- Valid passport
- Passport-styled photograph
- Proof of German proficiency
- Proof of German health insurance
- Proof of financial stability
- If you’re applying for study purpose, then you need to provide letter of admission into university
- If you’re entering Germany for marriage purpose, then you need to provide marriage certificate.
- Birth certificate if applicable
Read also: Green Card through Marriage Processing time for all Countries
After you’ve obtained the above documents, then you can begin your application process to obtain the German residence permit. If you’ve any question related to obtaining residence permit in Germany or migrating to Germany, please do let me know via comment section, I’ll be glad to assist you.