Settlement permit

The general requirements for issuing a settlement permit are set out in Section 9 of the Residence Act. They are fulfilled if:

• the foreigner has been in possession of the residence permit for 5 years,
• his or her livelihood is secured (no receipt of public benefits according to SGBII or XII),
• they can provide evidence of at least 60 months of contributions to the statutory pension insurance scheme or comparable insurance benefits,
• there are no grounds for deportation (e.g. due to criminal offenses),
• the foreigner is permitted to work, provided he/she is an employee,
• he/she has a permit to pursue his/her gainful employment on a permanent basis, if this is required (e.g. professional license, license to practice medicine, etc.),
• they have sufficient knowledge of the German language ("Deutsch-Test für Zuwanderer", Telc, Goethe or ÖSD certificate at level B1 of the CEFR or have successfully completed a German-language university degree or German-language training),
• they have a basic knowledge of the legal and social order and living conditions in Germany ("Living in Germany" test or "Naturalization test" successfully completed),
• they have sufficient living space for themselves and their family members.

Special regulations apply, for example, for family members of Germans, for foreigners who have a residence permit for humanitarian reasons or as an asylum seeker or refugee, for children, for skilled workers or holders of an EU Blue Card.

All incoming applications will be reviewed without a personal visit.

Please send us the relevant application forms and all necessary documents either by post or electronically by e-mail to: antrag-abh@jena.de. Please do not send us any original documents.

We will contact you directly if we have any queries. Therefore, please make sure that you can be contacted by post or, if necessary, by e-mail or telephone if you have any queries.

If a personal appointment is necessary after final examination of your application, you will receive an appointment from us at short notice.

• completed application form
• passport
• Proof of residence (tenancy agreement, in the case of a sub-tenancy agreement also a declaration of consent from the owner, in the case of use of own living space [property] extract from the land register)
• Proof of health insurance
• Proof of pension insurance (usually in the form of a pension insurance history from the German pension insurance)
• Proof of financing (e.g. pay slip for the last three months and employment contract, for self-employed persons the last two income tax assessments and a current BWA/GUV)
• Language certificate ("Deutsch-Test für Zuwanderer", Telc, Goethe or ÖSD certificate completed at level B1 of the CEFR) or a German-language university degree or German-language vocational training successfully completed [degree certificate])
• Test "Living in Germany" or "Naturalization test"
• Signed instruction sheet
• If applicable, declaration of consent to the storage and use of your e-mail address and telephone number

• Law on the residence, employment and integration of foreigners in Germany (Residence Act - AufenthG)
• Ordinance on the Employment of Foreign Nationals (Employment Ordinance - BeschV)
• Residence Ordinance (AufenthV)
• Ordinance on the implementation of integration courses for foreigners and late repatriates (Integration Course Ordinance - IntV)