Residence permit for the employment of certain nationals

Citizens of certain countries can be granted a residence permit to work independently of qualification as a skilled worker.

Citizens of the following countries are eligible:

• Australia, Israel, Japan, Canada, the Republic of Korea, New Zealand, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and United States of America

(Nationals of these countries can obtain a residence permit after entry without a visa.)

• Albania, Andorra, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Monaco, Montenegro, North Macedonia, San Marino, Serbia

(Nationals of these countries require an entry visa that was issued for this job by a German agency abroad.)

The residence permit is issued for the duration of the approval granted by the Federal Employment Agency. A new approval from the Federal Employment Agency is required to extend the residence permit or when changing employers.

Please note: Are you a specialist with academic education or vocational training?
Then please refer to the "More information" section to find out which residence permit might be more suitable for you.

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
  
  • For nationals of Australia, Israel, Japan, Canada, the Republic of Korea, New Zealand, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United States of America: You entered the country no more than 90 days ago or are already staying in the federal territory with a residence permit or another residence title.
  • For nationals of Albania, Andorra, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Monaco, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and San Marino: You entered the country with a national D visa. The D visa was issued by a German diplomatic mission abroad for the purpose of employment (according to § 19c Aufenthaltsgesetz in conjunction with § 26 Beschäftigungsverordnung).
  • Applications can be submitted no earlier than eight weeks before expiration of the current residence title.
• Employment
  
  • There should already be an employment contract.
  • For nationals of Australia, Israel, Japan, Canada, the Republic of Korea, New Zealand, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United States of America, a draft of the employment contract is sufficient.
• Employment in Germany
  
  • An employment relationship in Germany must be established.
  • In the case of nationals from the states of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia, the employer must also have a place of business in Germany.
• Approval of the German Federal Employment Agency (Bundesagentur für Arbeit)
  
  • In general, the residence permit may only be granted if approved by the Federal Employment Agency (Bundesagentur für Arbeit (BA)). The Berlin Immigration Office consults the BA in an internal procedure once the application for a residence permit has been submitted.
  • For nationals of Albania, Andorra, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Monaco, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and San Marino, approval must be obtained from the German diplomatic mission before entering the country.
• 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
  
  • only possible online
  • 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 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 permit 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
• Employment contract
  
  • For nationals of Australia, Israel, Japan, Canada, the Republic of Korea, New Zealand, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United States of America, a draft of the employment contract is sufficient.
• Form "Erklärung zum Beschäftigungsverhältnis" (filled out and signed by your employer)
• 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

• Erklärung zum Beschäftigungsverhältnis (job description)
• Information on adequate health insurance (leaflet)

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

• Aufenthaltsgesetz (AufenthG) § 19c Abs. 1
• Beschäftigungsverordnung (BeschV) § 26

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

• Residence permit for qualified skilled workers with an academic education (service)
• Residence permit for qualified skilled workers with vocational training (service)
• EU Blue Card (service)
• Certificate of registration at the main residence (Melde-Bestätigung)
• Example: confirmation of occupancy from the landlord (Wohnungsgeber-Bestätigung)

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

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