Residence permit for qualified skilled workers with an academic education

A skilled worker with an academic education is issued a residence permit to carry out any qualified employment.

The temporary residence permit is issued for up to four years. If the employment contract has a shorter term or if the approval of the Federal Employment Agency is limited to a shorter period, in an individual case the temporary residence permit will be issued for less than four years and extended.

Procedure:
1. Carry out the online application.

Please have all the necessary documents ready for this in PDF format if possible. However, you can also still photograph and upload the documents during the application process using your smartphone or tablet. The following file formats are accepted: PDF, JPG, JPEG, and PNG. The total size of your files must not exceed 50 MB. A single file must be a maximum of 5 MB in size.
Before you can send off the application, you need to pay the service fee.
At the end you will receive a PDF document to confirm your application. This document will certify that your current residence title (national D visa or residence permit) remains valid in the federal territory beyond the previous validity date. (This does not apply if you hold a Schengen visa (C visa) for a short-term stay or if your current residence title has already expired on the day of application.)
Please therefore make sure to save this document and print a copy if possible.
Note: Do your spouse and child live with you in Berlin and need a residence permit? Then please do not submit a separate application. Simply enter your family members in the spaces provided in the online application. The Berlin Immigration Office will contact you regarding residence permits for your family members.

2. Once you have carried out the online application, we will check it and then contact you as soon as possible. Where necessary, we will request further documents.

3. If your application is considered to be successful, you will be given an appointment for an in-person interview. Please bring the originals of all the necessary documents with you to this appointment.

Prerequisites

Legal residence
- You are already residing in Germany with a residence permit or another residence title (e.g., a national D visa). Or, based on your nationality, you are entitled to apply for a residence permit after visa-free entry.
- Applications for a residence permit extension can be submitted no earlier than eight weeks before its expiration date.
Employment contract or specific job offer

There should already be an employment contract, or at least a draft.
Employment in Germany

An employment relationship in Germany must be established. In addition, the employer must have a place of business in Germany.
Approval of the German Federal Employment Agency (Bundesagentur für Arbeit)

As a rule, a temporary residence permit for the purpose of employment may only be granted if the Federal Employment Agency has agreed to this.
Occupation practice permit

If a permit is required for professional practice (e.g. doctors, engineers), the person in question must prove they hold that permit or that it has been promised before the temporary residence permit is issued.
Equivalence of qualification
The issuance of a temporary residence permit as a qualified skilled worker requires that the person in question hold a German higher education degree, a recognised foreign higher education degree or a foreign higher education degree comparable to a German one.
- In the Anabin database of the Central Office for Foreign Education (Zentralstelle für ausländisches Bildungswesen – ZAB) you may enquire whether a foreign higher education degree is recognised in Germany.
- If the database contains no meaningful information, applicants must apply to ZAB for an individual paid evaluation of their degree and submit that evaluation.
More information on this subject can be found in the “More information” section
An adequate retirement pension scheme (only if you are over 45 years of age)
For the issuance of the temporary residence permit as a qualified skilled worker, as a rule persons over the age of 45 must have an adequate retirement pension scheme.
- The salary must correspond to at least 55 per cent of the annual calculation limit in the general pension insurance scheme. For the year 2025, this corresponds to a monthly gross income of at least 4,427.50 euros.
- The salary may be lower if an adequate retirement pension scheme has already been secured from other public or private sources.
Adequate health insurance

You have health insurance in Germany, either in the statutory health insurance system or a comparable private health insurance.
Foreign health insurance is not sufficient. For more information, please read the leaflet.
No indications of a threat to public safety or order
- Fines alone can prevent the granting of a residence permit.
- An application for a residence permit may not be processed while investigation proceedings are ongoing.
- You pose no threat to the free democratic basic order or the security of the Federal Republic of Germany.
- You are not involved in acts of violence in pursuit of political or religious goals, do not publicly call for the use of violence and do not threaten to do so.
Main residence in Berlin

You live in Berlin. A second residence in Berlin is not sufficient.
Current email adress

The Berlin Immigration Office will contact you via your current email address. Please also check your spam folder regularly.
For the online application: Consent to the electronic payment process
The following methods of payment are available to you:
- Credit card (Visa, Mastercard)
- Paypal

Documents required

Application for a residence permit for employment as a skilled worker
- only possible online
- You will receive a PDF document to confirm your application. This document will certify that your current residence title remains valid in the federal territory beyond the previous validity date. (This does not apply if you hold a Schengen visa (C visa) for a short-term stay or if your current residence title has already expired on the day you apply.)
- Please therefore make sure to save this document and print a copy if possible.
In the case of an application being filed by an authorised representative: power of attorney stating the subject matter of the procedure
If you already have a residence title or another German residence title for the Federal Republic of Germany: Copy of your residence title
Passport copies (in color)
Copies of the following pages of your passport are required:
- Always: Data pages (with your photo and personal details)
- If you have entered the country and are applying for a residence permit for the first time, additionally: Entry stamp and visa for entry or residence permit from another EU country in your passport (if applicable)
Your employment contract or job offer
Proof of qualification as a qualified skilled worker with academic education
Supporting documents confirming
- a German higher education degree, a higher education certificate or
- a recognised foreign higher education degree, an evaluation in the Anabin database or
- a foreign higher education degree comparable to a German higher education degree, individual paid evaluation by ZAB
More information on this subject can be found in the “More information” section
Form "Erklärung zum Beschäftigungsverhältnis" (filled out and signed by your employer)
Occupation practice permit

Only if required (see 'Prerequisites')
Proof of your residence
- Certificate of registration at the main residence (Melde-Bestätigung) or
- lease and written confirmation of occupancy from the landlord (Wohnungsgeber-Bestätigung)
Proof of the size and cost of the living space
The floor space and the monthly rent or housing costs of your own property (house or apartment) must be demonstrated as follows.
In the case of a rental property:
- Tenancy agreement (without house rules or other annexes) and
- Proof of the current monthly costs (rent with utility costs included – “Warmmiete”), e.g. bank statements
In the case of an owned property:
- extract from the land register, third section,
- costs of the home-owner charges and
- possible monthly loan costs for the property
Proof of your health insurance
- for statutory health insurance: up-to-date confirmation of health insurance
- for private health insurance: certificate from the insurance company that states the type, scope and duration of the insurance. Please tell your insurance company that you need the certificate for a residence permit for the purpose of employment.
For the extension of the residence permit: Proof of current employment
- Employer confirmation of the duration of the ongoing employment relationship (not older than 14 days).
- Salary slips for the first two and last two months

Forms

Fees

The fee must be paid before you send off the online application (by credit card or PayPal).

100.00 euro for the initial residence permit issue
96.00 euro for an extension of up to three months
93.00 euro for an extension of more than three months

For Turkish nationals (both for the initial issue and for the extension):

22.80 euro: up to the age of 24
37.00 euro: as from the age of 24

A refund is not possible in the event that the application is withdrawn if we have already begun to process the application (by examining the documents you sent or sending you an appointment for an in-person interview).

If you need a qualification evaluation, you will have to pay additional costs.

Legal basis

Average time to process request

If your application is considered to be successful, you will be given an appointment for an in-person interview.
After an appointment, it typically takes 3-4 weeks until the residence permit is issued as an electronic residence title.

More information

Notes on responsibility

This service can only be taken advantage of in the Berlin Immigration Office (Landesamt für Einwanderung – LEA) at Keplerstrasse 2.

Your point of contact

Landesamt für Einwanderung (LEA)
LEA, Keplerstr.
LEA, Keplerstr.
Contact
- Landesamt für Einwanderung (LEA)
- LEA, Keplerstr.
- Keplerstraße 2 , 10589 Berlin
- Mailing address
  
  Friedrich-Krause-Ufer 24, 13353 Berlin
- Tel.: 90269-4000
- Fax: -
- Contact form
- Home page
Explanation of symbols
more information
LEA, Business Immigration Service (BIS)
LEA, Business Immigration Service (BIS)
Contact
- Landesamt für Einwanderung (LEA)
- LEA, Business Immigration Service (BIS)
- Fasanenstraße 85 , 10623 Berlin
- Mailing address
  
  Friedrich-Krause-Ufer 24, 13353 Berlin
- Tel.: (030) 90269-5900
- Fax: (030) 9028-3468
- Contact form
- Home page
Explanation of symbols
more information