Getting Your First German Residence Title (Aufenthaltstitel)

Document Checklist

Reisepass Valid passport Required: Original passport valid for the intended period of stay; per § 5 Abs. 1 Nr. 4 AufenthG the Passpflicht must be metCost: Already issued The passport is needed both at the German mission abroad (Auslandsvertretung) for the D-visa and at the Ausländerbehörde for the post-arrival Aufenthaltstitel.
Visumantrag (nationales Visum) Visa application form Required: Long-stay national visa application issued by the competent consular missionWhere to get: Auslandsvertretung website or the Auslands-Service-PortalCost: Free (form); fee paid with the application Per the federal portal, the competent Auslandsvertretung is determined by your ordinary residence and publishes its own document checklist.
Nachweis des gesicherten Lebensunterhalts Proof of secured livelihood Required: Per § 5 Abs. 1 Nr. 1 AufenthG: the Lebensunterhalt must be gesichert. Acceptable evidence includes a signed Arbeitsvertrag, a Verpflichtungserklärung from a sponsor, or a Sperrkonto (blocked bank account)Cost: Varies (Sperrkonto setup fees apply at the chosen bank) For employment routes, the Arbeitsvertrag itself usually serves as livelihood evidence.
Krankenversicherungsschutz Proof of health insurance Required: Confirmation of statutory or private cover valid from day one of arrivalCost: Varies by Krankenkasse (out of scope of the Aufenthaltstitel fee) Per the federal portal, you will need health insurance coverage from the first day of stay. See the German Krankenkasse guides for selection and enrolment.
Anerkennung / Zeugnisbewertung / Anerkennungsbescheid Qualification recognition Required: For Blaue Karte EU: academic qualification recognised in Germany or comparable to a German academic qualification. For §§ 18a/18b Fachkraft: completed or in-prospect Anerkennung; for regulated professions, the formal Anerkennungsbescheid and licence to practiseWhere to get: Competent recognition authority for the profession or, for academic comparability, the Zentralstelle für ausländisches Bildungswesen (ZAB) ZeugnisbewertungCost: Varies by procedure The Anerkennungspartnerschaft introduced under the FEG allows the recognition procedure to begin from Germany in some cases.
Arbeitsvertrag oder verbindliches Arbeitsplatzangebot Employment contract or binding job offer Required: Signed contract or binding offer matching the qualification, covering at least six months, with salary meeting the route-specific threshold (Blaue Karte EU or §§ 18a/18b Fachkraft)Cost: Already issued The employer may file a Vorabzustimmung with the Bundesagentur für Arbeit via the local Ausländerbehörde under the beschleunigtes Fachkräfteverfahren before the visa step.
Anmeldebestätigung / Meldebescheinigung Anmeldebestätigung (post-arrival) Required: Confirmation of address registration at the Meldebehörde (Bürgeramt) issued after arrivalWhere to get: Bürgeramt of your registered residenceCost: Already issued Anmeldung is typically required within two weeks of moving in and is a precondition for most Ausländerbehörde appointments.
Biometrisches Passfoto und Fingerabdrücke Biometric data and passport photo (post-arrival) Required: Recent biometric photo meeting the federal specification; fingerprints and signature captured at the Ausländerbehörde appointment for the eAT under § 78 AufenthGCost: Approximately EUR 5-15 for the photo at a studio or photo machine Per § 78 AufenthG the eAT carries the holder's biometric photo and fingerprints on a chip plus the visible data fields listed in the statute.

View full guide