Guides for living in Germany and for coming to Germany
Clear answers for people who live in Germany and for people who are still abroad: residence permits, permanent residence, citizenship, work visas, family, refusals, and how a lawyer in Germany can help.
You live in Germany
Extending your residence permit in Germany: deadlines, documents, and what to do after a refusalYour residence permit ends soon? When to apply, what the Ausländerbehörde asks for, what applies while you wait, and your options if it does not answer or refuses.Fiktionsbescheinigung: what it means, and whether you can work and travel with itThe paper you get while the Ausländerbehörde decides on your residence permit. The three kinds, which one lets you work and travel, and what to check before a trip.Settlement permit (Niederlassungserlaubnis): permanent residence in GermanyStay in Germany with no end date: who gets the settlement permit after five years, who gets it sooner, what counts towards the time, and when it can be lost.German citizenship (Einbürgerung): requirements, costs and how to applyYou have lived in Germany for five years or more? What naturalisation needs today, what changed in 2024 and 2025, what it costs, and when a lawyer helps.Changing jobs or losing your job with a work permit or EU Blue CardYour residence permit depends on your job? What to report to the Ausländerbehörde and by when, when a change needs permission, and how long you may look for work.
You are still abroad
EU Blue Card for Germany: who can get it and how to applyYou have a university degree and a job offer from Germany? What the EU Blue Card needs, how to apply from abroad, and when a lawyer helps.Opportunity Card (Chancenkarte): come to Germany to look for a jobWith the Chancenkarte you can come to Germany for up to a year to look for work. Who can get it, how the points work, the money you need and common mistakes.Work visa for skilled workers in Germany: with vocational training or a degreeTrained as a nurse, electrician, cook or IT specialist? How the skilled worker visa works, recognition of your qualification and the fast-track procedure.Family reunification in Germany: bringing your spouse and childrenYour husband, wife or children want to join you in Germany? What is needed, the German test, rules for refugees, and how a lawyer helps.German visa refused: what you can do nowSince July 2025 there is no remonstration any more. You can sue at the Administrative Court in Berlin or apply again. Deadlines and next steps.Can a lawyer in Germany help me while I am still abroad?Yes. Lawyers in Germany can advise you by video and messages before you come: visas, work, family and refusals. How it works, what it costs, and how to avoid scams.Moving to Germany from another EU country: no visa neededCitizens of EU countries, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Switzerland can live and work in Germany freely. What to do after you arrive, family and benefits.