Settlement permit for reasons of international law, humanitarian or political reasons

Description

A settlement permit is a residence permit of indefinite duration which allows you to live and work in Germany without any restrictions on time or location.

You can apply for a settlement permit if you

• have held a residence permit on grounds of international law, humanitarian or political reasons for 5 years (Sections 22–25 of the Residence Act) and have reached the age of 16.

If you have been recognised by the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) as a person entitled to asylum or as a refugee under the Geneva Convention on Refugees, or if you have been admitted to Germany as a resettlement refugee, you also have the option of applying for a settlement permit under Section 26( 3 of the Residence Act (AufenthG) with different eligibility criteria.

Submitting your application and booking an appointment

Please submit the application form and the required documents online or by post. Once you have submitted your online application, you can download a completed copy as a PDF for your records. This document will confirm your application and the granting or extension of your current residence permit. Once your application has been assessed, we will contact you to arrange an appointment for a face-to-face interview. You may also visit us during our opening hours without an appointment.

You can submit your application and the required documents online:

• Please upload your documents as PDF files where possible.
• Once you have submitted your application, a confirmation message will appear on screen. You can save this as a PDF file for your records.
• This confirmation states that your current residence permit remains valid in Germany beyond its previous expiry date and that you may continue to work to the same extent as before (legal fiction).
• You can present this confirmation as proof to the authorities or at your place of work.
• Once your application has been assessed, you will be given an appointment.

Requirements

• You are registered in Munich.
• You have a valid and recognised passport or passport substitute (travel document for foreigners or refugees).
• You have been living legally in Germany for at least 5 years with a residence permit. The time of an asylum procedure is counted towards the required period of residence.
• You have a residence permit in accordance with §§ 22 to 25 AufenthG.
• Your livelihood is secure.
• You have adequate health insurance.
• You have sufficient pension provision (at least 60 months of compulsory or voluntary contributions to statutory pension insurance or comparable benefits).
• You have sufficient living space for yourself and your family members. This does not include accommodation to prevent homelessness.
• You have sufficient knowledge of German (language level B1).
• You have a basic knowledge of the legal and social system in Germany.
• You have no criminal record.

Required documents

• A fully completed application for a settlement permit
• A valid passport or passport substitute (travel document for foreign nationals or refugees)
• A recent biometric passport photo, submitted digitally by a certified photo studio or chemist’s. Alternatively, you may use one of the photo terminals at the Immigration and Naturalisation Service Centre for a fee.

Proof of sufficient means of support

• If you are married or in a registered civil partnership, the evidence of means of support and pension provision may also be provided by your partner.

For employees

• Payslips (earnings statements for the last three months)
• Confirmation of employment
• Declaration regarding means of support
• Employment contract / apprenticeship contract

For the self-employed/freelancers

• Proof of profit after tax (latest income tax assessment) and
• For the self-employed: current profit and loss account from the tax adviser or current business accounts
• For freelancers: current profit and loss account from your tax adviser, fee agreement, invoices for commissioned work and bank statements relating to these invoices
• Proof of health insurance (your statutory health insurance card or the insurance policy for private health insurance)
• Business registration (if required under trade law)
• Declaration regarding means of support: Evidence of benefits such as parental allowance, child benefit, child supplement, childcare allowance and maintenance payments may also be attached.

Proof of adequate pension provision:

• Waiting period statement from the German Pension Insurance Scheme (at least 60 months of compulsory or voluntary contributions to the statutory pension insurance scheme). Information from the municipal insurance office on how to apply for the waiting period statement is available here. or
• Proof of entitlement to comparable benefits from an insurance or pension scheme or an insurance company.

Proof of adequate accommodation and monthly costs:

• Declaration regarding the household
• For rented accommodation: tenancy agreement stating the size of the flat in square metres and bank statements showing the rent amount, or a certificate of accommodation
• For owner-occupied flats: Purchase contract stating the size of the flat in square metres and, where applicable, proof of mortgage repayments and of the monthly housing allowance/service charge.

Proof of sufficient knowledge of German and a basic understanding of the legal and social system in Germany:

• A language certificate at level B1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) and a certificate confirming that you have passed the ‘Leben in Deutschland’ test, or
• A German school, vocational training or higher education qualification, provided you completed it in German.

Please note

• The documents submitted (such as proof of identity and language certificates) will be checked for authenticity. We consistently report forgeries to the police.
• ​ If we require any further documents, we will write to you.

Legal basis

§ Section 26 (3) Residence Act, Section 9 (2) Residence Act