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Discovering Germany
Residence Title (
Aufenthaltstitel
)
EU citizens will not need to apply for a residence or work permit, except Swiss citizens who
have to apply for a EU residence permit.
After arriving in Germany and registering at the new place of residence, all non-EU citizens
have to apply for a residence title at the local foreign office (
Ausländerbehörde
). This
residence title includes the work permit, if the person is entitled to work, and is issued as
an electronic residence permit in credit card format. All residents of non-member states
(including children aged six and older) receive their own electronic permit.
The electronic residence permit requires (in addition to the biometric photo) taking
fingerprints of every applicant aged six and up, and a personal signature at the foreign office.
As the new permit is centrally issued by the federal print institution in Berlin, it currently takes
about four weeks to receive the card, once it has been applied for. Foreigners entitled to
work can receive a temporary permit first.
The electronic residence permit includes the passport number, so if the passport changes,
the residence card will have to be modified, too.
Work Permit (
Arbeitserlaubnis
)
All non-EU citizens will have to apply for a work permit at the foreign office. This work permit
will be incorporated into the residence permit. This also applies to spouses who want to
work.
Work permit approvals can be obtained at the Central German Employment Office
(
Zentralstelle für Arbeitsvermittlung, ZAV)
or the local Employment Office (
Arbeitsagentur
).
This process can take six to eight weeks or longer.
For the application of a work permit it is normally necessary to supply
A copy of passport
Employment contract
Application letter (statement from the company with a detailed job-description)
Photocopies of university diploma and other qualifications
A curriculum vitae
Work permits are linked to the employer and the location. Should the employer change, the
work permit will need to be re-applied for. It is also important to note that work permits have
to be renewed at least six weeks before expiry date.
There are specific types of residence and work permits, like the
EU Blue Card
, which was
introduced in August 2012. It is intended for highly skilled, non-EU, local hires. You can
apply for an EU Blue Card if certain requirements like a minimum annual salary (subject to
annual change) and job qualifications are met. The Blue Card can help in visa-free travelling
to other European countries for a work permit application or to receive a permanent
residence permit in Germany after some years.