Applying for your Residence Permit

Relevance:
International
Students

In the event that you arrived in Germany with a Student Visa (usually valid for 3 months) you may have to apply for a residence permit if the duration of your course will be longer than 3 months.  

It is advisable to do so as soon as possible after you arrive and avoid a last minute rush just before your visa expires. You should also note that some institutions such as banks may require your residence permit in some cases. So it is best to get it as soon as you can. The good thing is that the process is straight-forward and can be completed on the same day of application if all the requirements are met in full.

What is required?

  1. You will need your valid passport (with a valid visa).
  2. A complete and filled Residence Permit application form.
  3. Your  Certificate of Registration (Anmeldebestätigung) that you obtained after registering in the resident’s office.
  4. Your certificate of enrollment (Immatrikulationbescheinigung) from your university. NB: Different from a letter of acceptance.
  5. Proof of health insurance. Usually issued by your health insurance provider( TK, AOK, DAK, e.t.c.)
  6.  A passport photo/portrait. Usually you can take one conveniently in booths in the train station.
  7. An application fee. Please refer to the price list. Usually between 80-110 euros.
  8. Proof of financial ability/support. This is usually possible in one of the three ways below in the form of:
      • A blocked account confirmation (Sperrkonto)
      • A Verpflichtungserklärung – formal statement of support by a 3rd party- issued by the KVR
      • A proof of fellowship or a scholarship that covers your cost of study

You can find list of the requirements you need to fulfill as well as the residence permit application form at the bottom of this webpage (for Munich/Bavaria only- for other states, please check with your local Ausländerbehörde – We’ll be updating this for other cities soon). Also book your appointment on that website.

It is advisable to book an appointment well in advance or as soon possible because waiting times for appointments are quite long at times, however, it is not mandatory to have an appointment to visit the offices.

In the event that you do not have an appointment, you might need to get up early in the morning and be there when they open. Upon arrival, you will have to queue and wait to get assisted so make sure you spare enough time.

Once all those documents are assembled, plan your visit to the Ausländerbehörde(KVR) .If you reside in Munich, you can find the location below.

Immigration Office (Ausländerbehörde) in Munich below​

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