← back to glossary ← back to glossary

Residence permit/ residence title

In order to settle in Germany, migrants need a valid permit. The Residence Act (Aufenthaltsgesetz) entails seven residence titles with different requirements for migrants’ stay in Germany. The permanent settlement permit (Niederlassungserlaubnis) and the EU long-term residence permit are valid for an unlimited period of time and enable access to Germany’s labour market and social services. Under certain conditions, third country nationals may also receive a permanent settlement permit or long-term residence permit. The EU Blue Card, the ICT Card and Mobile ICT Card, as well as the visa are temporary residence titles. The temporary residence permit (Aufenthaltserlaubnis) is also limited in time according to the purpose of the stay in Germany. It is issued in order to pursue education or employment in Germany or for humanitarian or political reasons or reasons of international law or family matters and can be extended. Whether a residence permit allows a person to work in Germany depends on the specific residence title.