Getting Your First German Residence Title (Aufenthaltstitel)

Step-by-Step

1. 1

   Phase A — Pre-arrival: Identify the Right Aufenthaltszweck and Route

   New Arrival
   1. With your future employer or sponsor, decide which route fits your Aufenthaltszweck (purpose of stay) — Blaue Karte EU (§ 18g AufenthG), Aufenthaltserlaubnis als Fachkraft (§§ 18a/18b AufenthG), family reunification, study, research, or the Chancenkarte
   2. Per § 5 AufenthG, confirm you can meet the general prerequisites: Lebensunterhalt gesichert, identity established, no Ausweisungsinteresse, Passpflicht met
   3. Check the Auswärtiges Amt country list to confirm whether your nationality requires a D-visa before arrival or qualifies for visa-exempt direct application at the Ausländerbehörde

   💡 Tip: Use the Make it in Germany portal as the single federal English-language starting point — it links the route pages, the FEG framework, and the country list.

   Make it in Germany — visa and residence (make-it-in-germany.com ↗) Auswärtiges Amt — visa-requirement country list (auswaertiges-amt.de ↗)
2. 2

   Phase A — Pre-arrival: Confirm Qualification Recognition (Anerkennung)

   New Arrival
   1. For Blaue Karte EU: confirm your academic qualification is recognised in Germany or comparable to a German academic qualification — a Zeugnisbewertung from the Zentralstelle für ausländisches Bildungswesen (ZAB) is the common evidence
   2. For §§ 18a/18b Fachkraft: complete the Anerkennung procedure, or under the FEG begin an Anerkennungspartnerschaft so that the procedure can continue from Germany
   3. For regulated professions: ensure the formal Anerkennungsbescheid and licence to practise are in place or in prospect before the visa application

   ⚠️ Watch out: If the recognition is not finalised when the visa is decided, the Auslandsvertretung may refuse the Fachkraft route. Per Make it in Germany, you can apply instead for a Visum zur Anerkennung under § 16d AufenthG and complete the procedure inside Germany.

3. 3

   Phase A — Pre-arrival: Employer Files Vorabzustimmung (Optional Fast-Track)

   New Arrival
   1. Your future employer files the application at the local Ausländerbehörde for the beschleunigtes Fachkräfteverfahren on your behalf
   2. The Ausländerbehörde coordinates the Zustimmung der Bundesagentur für Arbeit and issues a Vorabzustimmung that is sent to the German mission abroad
   3. Take the Vorabzustimmung to your visa appointment — it compresses the decision phase materially

   💡 Tip: Per Make it in Germany: your future employer may be able to speed up the process from Germany — tell them about the fast-track procedure for skilled workers before you make an appointment at the embassy.

   Make it in Germany — entry process and fast-track (make-it-in-germany.com ↗)
4. 4

   Phase A — Pre-arrival: Book the Visa Appointment at the Auslandsvertretung

   New Arrival
   1. Identify the competent German mission abroad based on your ordinary residence
   2. Book the appointment either online via the Auslands-Service-Portal or directly on the mission's website
   3. Read the mission's own document checklist — it is the authoritative list for your country of application

   ⚠️ Watch out: Per the federal portal: Waiting times for an appointment at the German embassy vary depending on the location. Plan your job-start date with a generous buffer; some missions have multi-month queues.

5. 5

   Phase A — Pre-arrival: Submit the D-Visa Application and Pay the Fee

   New Arrival
   1. Attend the appointment in person and submit the route-specific document package — Reisepass, Visumantrag, Arbeitsvertrag, Zeugnisbewertung or Anerkennungsbescheid, Krankenversicherungsschutz, livelihood evidence (Sperrkonto / Verpflichtungserklärung if not covered by the contract)
   2. Pay the €75 visa fee — the federal portal states this is non-refundable if the application is unsuccessful
   3. Submit any Vorabzustimmung issued through the fast-track procedure

   💡 Tip: Given that you are planning to stay in Germany long-term, it is advisable to bring all your personal documents with you, such as your birth certificate, school-leaving certificate, qualifications, and, if it applies to you, driving licence and marriage certificate. You will need health insurance coverage from the first day of stay.

   ⚠️ Watch out: If the visa is refused, per the federal portal the €75 is not refunded. File a Remonstration with the mission within the deadline stated in the refusal letter, or file Klage at the competent Verwaltungsgericht.

6. 6

   Phase A — Pre-arrival: Consular Decision and Entry

   New Arrival
   1. The Auslandsvertretung decides the application and issues the D-visa (nationales Visum) as a sticker in your Reisepass
   2. The D-visa typically permits initial entry for 90 days — you must convert to the Aufenthaltstitel inside Germany before it expires
   3. Variant — visa-exempt nationals: if you are a national of a country listed by the Auswärtiges Amt as visa-exempt (USA, Canada, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, UK, Israel), you may skip the consular step entirely and enter visa-free, then apply for the Aufenthaltstitel directly at the Ausländerbehörde within the 90-days-of-180 window
7. 7

   Phase B — Post-arrival: Register Your Address (Anmeldung)

   New Arrival
   1. Within the statutory deadline (typically two weeks in most Länder), register at the Meldebehörde (Bürgeramt) of your new address
   2. Bring your Reisepass with the D-visa, the Wohnungsgeberbestätigung from your landlord, and any family members' documents
   3. Collect your Anmeldebestätigung — it is required for the Ausländerbehörde appointment that follows

   ⚠️ Watch out: Late Anmeldung is an Ordnungswidrigkeit under § 54 BMG with a fine up to €1,000 and blocks most Ausländerbehörde appointments. Complete it as soon as possible after move-in.

8. 8

   Phase B — Post-arrival: Book the Ausländerbehörde Appointment

   New Arrival
   1. Identify the competent Ausländerbehörde based on your registered address — Aufenthaltstitel are issued by the locally competent municipal authority, not by a federal office
   2. Book the appointment via your municipality's online portal or by email, as published by your local Ausländerbehörde
   3. Aim to book well before your D-visa expires; the Fiktionsbescheinigung under § 81 Abs. 4 AufenthG covers in-time applicants until the decision
9. 9

   Phase B — Post-arrival: Attend the Appointment and Provide Biometrics

   New Arrival
   1. Bring your Reisepass with the D-visa, Anmeldebestätigung, Arbeitsvertrag, Krankenversicherungsschutz, biometric photo, and the route-specific documents (Zeugnisbewertung, Anerkennungsbescheid where applicable)
   2. Provide biometric data — fingerprints and signature for the eAT under § 78 AufenthG
   3. Pay the fee at the counter (commonly EUR 100 for an Aufenthaltserlaubnis or Blaue Karte EU under the Aufenthaltsverordnung; the local Ausländerbehörde confirms the binding figure)
10. 10

    Phase B — Post-arrival: Decision and Fiktionsbescheinigung

    New Arrival
    1. The Ausländerbehörde decides the application; per § 81 AufenthG, if the eAT card is not yet available, a Fiktionsbescheinigung is issued to bridge the gap and preserve your lawful status
    2. Check the Nebenbestimmungen (side conditions) printed on the Fiktionsbescheinigung — especially the Erwerbstätigkeit (employment) endorsement
    3. Keep the Fiktionsbescheinigung with your Reisepass; banks, employers and travel authorities may rely on it

    ⚠️ Watch out: If the file is incomplete the Ausländerbehörde may defer the decision; the Fiktionsbescheinigung under § 81 Abs. 4 AufenthG continues to cover an in-time applicant until the file is completed.

11. 11

    Phase B — Post-arrival: Collect the eAT Card

    New Arrival
    1. The Bundesdruckerei produces the elektronischer Aufenthaltstitel (eAT) and dispatches it to the issuing Ausländerbehörde, typically within several weeks of biometric capture
    2. Collect the card in person and verify the 16 visible data fields listed in § 78 AufenthG — name, photo, date and place of birth, address, validity, issuing authority, Art des Aufenthaltstitels and Rechtsgrundlage, signature, serial number, nationality, gender, Anmerkungen, plus the passport reference
    3. Photograph the eAT front and back for your records — banks, employers and immigration officers may ask to see it later

    💡 Tip: Save a calendar reminder five months before the eAT expiry — see the existing guide on renewing the Aufenthaltstitel (aufenthaltstitel-verlaengerung) for the renewal procedure under § 81 AufenthG.