We love helping expats from all around the world with their visa appointments – so we’ve gathered 7 common mistakes people make at the Ausländerbehorde/Landesamt für Einwanderung (LEA) in Berlin, Munich, Hamburg and Frankfurt.
2023: this post is celebrating its tenth year anniversary! So we decided to give it a refresher.
1. Not registering your address before you go
You might not get very far if you’re not registered in the city. Register your address at the Bürgeramt (or the KVR in Munich) and do it before your appointment, or they will send you away. 2023: Yes, we know that the website says you can show up with your Wohnungsgeberbestätigung and your rental contract if you haven’t yet registered in Berlin. And yet we are constantly hearing of case workers sending applicants away because they are not yet registered. This might be beyond your control – we know how hard it is to even find a place in Berlin at which you can register … but if not, we strongly recommend registering your address before you go to the foreigner’s office. Need help? We can generally get you an appointment within 10-14 business days.
2. Not having the right type of health insurance
There are lots of different types of health insurance out there, so how are you supposed to know which kinds are accepted? Talk to a broker who knows what they’re doing (we love Emily from Archer Relocation). Their advice is free, so you have nothing to lose. Make sure the health insurance you buy is recognized in Germany and accepted by BaFin, and bring the certificate and all accompanying documents with you.
3. Showing up without an appointment
2023 – BERLIN LEA is operating by appointment only – don’t show up at all without an appointment.
4. Incomplete application forms
The application form is available in English and so many people forget to fill it out. If this happens to you, you’ll get a grumpy sigh or – worst case – the case worker will tell you to sit in the waiting room and fill it out, and they’ll call up your number again later …. at their convenience.
5. Not bringing a photo
This will set you back a few hours of waiting time. Luckily, there’s a photo booth in the building! I hope you brought cash to pay for them…
6. Expecting to get your permit on the spot
What a thrill when this happens, but don’t be distraught if something goes wrong or if there’s a processing time. Sometimes, they’ll want to see an extra document you don’t have with you, even if it’s not listed on your appointment information sheet. Sometimes, the rules change. And for some types of permits, the office has to send them away to the Federal Employment Agency for approval.
7. Anxiety
We know the feeling! It feels like your whole fate is hanging on this one appointment. Red Tape Translation has seen quite a few tears, shaking hands, and even a panic attack or two. Whatever happens, the police won’t come to the office and escort you into quarantine. You can always revisit the office and drop in a missing document or try for another visa type if things don’t work the first time around.
Hello! I am an American living in Berlin and the company I signed a contract with applied for a work permit on my behalf. They said they have received the form and that I have to come pick up the original copy and drop it off at the Ausländerbehörde. Does anyone know what type of appointment I must book with them now, and where on the site I book it?
Thank you!
Hi Loretta,
It’s probably this one: https://service.berlin.de/dienstleistung/305304/en/ (a residence permit to start an employment) and the form they’re talking about is probably the “Stellenbeschreibung” (job description) or, if you are super lucky, your company has already organised advance approval from the Federal Job Agency which means you might even be able to get the permit on the spot instead of waiting weeks. Either way, at the bottom of the link I sent, you can click on “Make an appointment”, switch the language to English and then choose the title that contains “§18” in it.
Only other type of permit it could be is a Blue Card, which would be the case if you have a university degree and earn over ca. 50,000 EUR per year (in some shortage professions, just over 40,000 but you still need a relevant uni degree). If you’re not sure, ask HR to tell you which type of work permit they have applied for. Cheers, Kathleen.
Hi! I lost my job, but I am not sure how I approach the Auslanderbehörde to notify them them of my change in job status and request to extend my time in Berlin to look for a new job. Do I walk in? make an appointment? which forms do I need to fill out? I am US citizen who has worked here for under 12 months. Can you please advise?
Thanks!
Hi Freda,
Sorry I wasn’t able to respond very promptly, I have a new baby in the house. I would walk in. They might give you 3 or 6 months to find something new. But I suspect your situation has probably resolved itself by now. What did you end up doing, and did it work out?
hi there,
I am in Munster and on job seeker visa from Pakistan. Got a job contract and submitted in Auslanderbehorde on 22.11.2018 and still waiting. Since then I have been following up but they say 2 week more. I have been approached by other employers but they are asking for work permit which is still pending. Yesturday an employer interviewed and ask me to go to Auslanderbehorde and ask them for some paper which he would sign and send it back.
Just to know what would that oaor be and do the agency takes this much time or what I must have done something wrong that causes delay?
Hi Usman, No, I don’t think you’ve done anything wrong. I think things just take their time. My first permit took 11 weeks to be approved. I’ve heard of over 3 months. I’m sorry this is happening to you and I hope it gets sorted soon! I think the paper the employer might have been talking about is the Stellenbeschreibung, where the employer describes your job and lets them know why he/she needs you specifically, and not a European or German. You can download it here.
Hello Friends,
I am on job seeker visa, I did not find any job within a six months. I went to the Auslanderbehorde before my visa getting expired. Luckily, I have got the extension for 9 months until March,2020. But the problem here is, they gave me an appointment in September to visit the Auslanderbehorde office along with the required documents that they mentioned in the Appointment letter. My question here is
1) What happens if I did not turn up myself on the appointment date. Will my existing visa gets expired/invalid after some days??
2) I’m planning to go back to India and stay for six months and then return back to Germany two months before my visa get expired. Will this work? Will they allow me at the immigration?
Your comments/thoughts are highly appreciated . Thanks in advance.
Hi Kumar,
1) My feeling is that you should definitely show up at that appointment or have a good reason why you couldn’t (e.g. you end up in hospital and can provide proof). Your extension will remain valid until the day of that appointment, but not beyond it.
2) And I would also advise against travelling outside of Germany while you are waiting for that appointment, as I think you could run into trouble at border control when you try to re-enter Germany. I am not an immigration lawyer, but that’s my two cents.
Cheers,
Kathleen
Hello Friends,
I have a working visa and i have arrived in Germany, Stuttgart. I have satrted the new job just for one week, i have an offer in Berlin can i change the my job , which steps i must complete not to make any mistake???
Regards
Hi Semi, if your work permit is tied to your current job, visit the Ausländerbehörde with your new job contract and a “Stellenbeschreibung” to be filled out by your new employer so that you can apply for permission to do the new job. If you move to Berlin and register there, you’ll have to do it at the Berlin Ausländerbehörde, but you might prefer to do it in Stuttgart before you make the move, because it might take a few weeks to get approved. Kathleen
Hello Kathleen,
I have a question. I am currently staying in Hamburg Germany with a student visa and I have been offered a job in Munich Germany. I want to change my student visa to work visa. Can I apply for the change of visa at the Foreigner’s Office in Hamburg (where I am currently residing) or should I go to the Foreigner’s Office in Munich for that?
Please advice.
Go to the office in the city where you are registered at the time of applying. It can be either Hamburg or Munich. For future: might be good to figure out which Ausländerbehörde processes things more quickly, and then change your address at a time to suit the situation!
Hello there,
I have a situation here. I was living in Münich until December,2019 and moved to Mannheim in January,2020. I registered myself in Mannheim on 4th Feb,2020. Now the problem is, I had got my blue card in Munich in September,2019 and with it I had received zusatzblatt. Zusatzblatt is supposed to be changed if I change my employer withing one year of receiving my blue card. I thought after moving to Mannheim I can get it changed but in Mannheim auslaenderbehoerde says until Munich auslaenderbehorde send my documents here in Mannheim, they can’t change my zusatzblatt. It’s been more than 5 weeks since I register myself here in Mannheim, Munich has not yet sent my documents. How long do they take to send the documents and what are the consequences that I am working in Mannheim without changing my zusatzblatt?? Please help me..
It takes a while, yes. Don’t worry, you’ve done everything right – you went to the office in the city in which you are registered. They told you they need Munich to transfer your file first. It’s out of your hands. Just sit tight and keep working until they tell you your file has arrived. If you haven’t heard anything in a couple of months, just write them an email in Mannheim following up.
Hi, my wife applied for family reunion visa at German consulate in Bangalore on 2nd March 2020. At that time I was living in Munich so she gave my Münich address. On 23rd March lockdown started everywhere. And on May 1st I moved to Dachau. So my auslanderbehorde changed to Dachau. But my wife visa application still has my Münich address. I checked at Munich auslanderbehorde and they told me on 21st August, that they don’t have her visa files. Even Dachau immigration office doesn’t have her files. What normally happens in such situation?
Utter confusion! I’m used to one foreigner’s office saying that they have to get a file from another foreigner’s office, but I am not used to both offices claiming not to have the file! I’d be questioning the consulate in Bangalore to find out what went wrong. At least they will have her file and can resend it if necessary.
Thank you so much for the reply Kathleen. So my scenario is: I came to Germany in January 2020 for the very first time. And just after 1 month my wife applied for family reunion visa. I still don’t have my resident permit (appointment is on 27th October 2020). I came on Blue Card entry visa which expired in July2020 and I now have fiktionsbescheinigung till dec. As my wife applied within such a short time after I entered Germany, do such cases are different from usual Family reunion visa cases?
Hi
I have a quick question please :
im on a fiktionbecheinigung that will expire in august. but my renewed permit got approved ( as i received a letter with a pin ). and im waiting for it.
yet.. i got a job offer in berlin. and i accepted it ! so im quitting my current job
anything to keep in mind after quitting my current job ? do i need to inform my auslanderbehorde ?
or what are the procedures this is my first time changing an employer in germany and ive been living here under a resident permit for 3 years and half.
note : when i went to renew my permit last februrary at the KVR the gentleman told me that im allowed to switch jobs now.without my employer’s permisison. so that restriction is gone.
please advise
Hi Mads,
Based on what you told me (the KVR told you you can switch jobs without getting permission), it sounds like you don’t need to do anything. Wait for the card, put a mail forward on your old address if you have to (do it with both Deutsche Post and PIN – another postal company), maybe don’t register your new address in Berlin until you have received the card (if you have a choice there) and good luck with the new job!
Hie guys I have a problem ..I was doing my FSJ which ended January 21 and was to start my Ausbildung after however everything slowed down and I couldn’t get a place to start for April 2021 (but I asked the Ausländer for Aufenthalt verlangerung and they gave me Till June ,but now that the next Stelle for My Ausbildung is starting 01.10.21 will I be allowed to stay here and maybe look for a job ? Till I start my Ausbildung because being sent home right now with Corona issue is not okay .Everything would be hard for me ..I would appreciate your help thank you
Hi Shally.You’ll just have to ask them foreigner’s office to give you another extension until your Ausbildung starts.
Hi! I finished my masters degree in Germany, and I got a scientific researcher position with a possibility of having a phd degree. But I was issued a wrong residence permit which was the student permit instead of the work permit. Now, I’ve worked and paid into the pension scheme for two years and I plan applying for the permanent residency title. Do you think they will make trouble with me because of the wrong permit title?
Oh wow, that’s a tough one! I think if you can show that you submitted all the right documents and it’s clear from your application that you were applying for the researcher permit and not the student permit, they’ll sort out the mistake. But it might be worth chatting to an immigration lawyer to make sure it gets sorted the right way.
I am registered in Munich on a job seeker’s visa after finishing my masters in Germany.
I have found a job as per my qualifications and have applied to get a work visa at KVR, Munich. However, my new job is in Nuremberg and have to relocate their in 2 weeks. Am I allowed to change my registered address outside Munich after having applied for work visa in Munich? Will it affect my application to get my work visa?
I tried calling the Ausländerbehorde in Munich but they are only reachable via email now and they have not responded to my question.
How annoying for you! As soon as you register your address in Nuremberg, the foreigner’s office in Nuremberg will be responsible for your case instead of Munich. But it will probably take time for your file to be transferred between the two cities. I would either apply in Munich and avoid registering in Nuremberg until you’ve at least got the permit (you can use a mail forwarder) OR reregister and apply for the new permit in Nuremberg. The latter sounds like it would be more successful and quicker, as Munich is a VERY busy foreigner’s office!
I have one question regarding to niederlassungerlaubniss. That I came to Germany Lorrach on late December 2019 with a limited contract of 2.5 years. On my 21st month I had certifications for the leben in Deutschland and b1 test but ausländerbehärde told me I need to have an unlimited contract, so I have changed my employer after 25 months. So I have asked them what I need to do in order to apply but could not get any reply till now. They say only they will send some documents but even I have called and reminded that no docs I received and only they say I need to be patient. It had been about 6 weeks they still did not send me the docs. Is this normal? Should I go there directly and try to understand what is going on? And also the beamter is not friendly, he is so rude to me. Is this behavior acceptable? I would like to complain him but I am hesitating since he has the rights to approve my documents and do not want to have any more negative approach, but on the other I do not find fair his behavior to me. What can I do? Thank you
The delay is normal and the hostility is not surprising. There are nice public officials and there are nasty ones. You can complain about him if you wish to. They might give your application to another colleague to process if you requested.
Hi
I’m not sure what to do. I was terminated at my job in Hamburg but I already got a new offer in Munich, I moved to Munich and registered in Munich. I already applied for a change of employer on March 26 and I am yet to get any response (other than the automated response I got after the application). My job was to start on April 1st and I told my employer about my situation and they moved my start date to May 1st. Up until now, I haven’t gotten my new permit.
Can I just show up at the KVR office?
What happens if I resume the new role without the new permit?
What do you advise? I’m devastated
I’m so sorry this was so frustrating for you! How long did it take in the end? And did you decide to take the risk and start working without confirmation? I’d love to know, even though much time has passed.
Hello,
I received my blue card right after my masters graduation. Even though my blue card is valid till 2025, my contract is coming to an end after working for 8 months. I am actively looking for new opportunities. but I am very confused about what my next steps should be. Any leads would be of great help.
You can be unemployed for up to 3 months before your blue card would lose its validity. Contact the foreigner’s office and let them know. They’ll give you a solution for job seeking.
Hello,
I have recently been offered a job offer which I have accepted and the starting date is after 2 months. In the meantime, I am in the process of finishing with my Master thesis. What is the procedure when you are applying for a work permit but still haven’t received your Master’s Diploma? Is a confirmation by the university (Prüfungamt) sufficient to start with the work permit process? It takes max.6 weeks for the university to prepare the necessary certification and I don’t want to postpone my permit process a lot.
Thank you.
It would make more sense to wait for the 18 month job seeking permit for German uni graduates (so, after you graduate) because that’s quite a good permit with good conditions and as soon as you get it, you can begin working for the company. Is that what you ended up doing? Or did you apply to do the job with a regular work permit instead?
Hi,
I got an issue, I live in Heidelberg and currently on Blue card with zusatzblatt which is tied to X company, I got contract from another company Y to start in 1st of August, I got all docs required to make change in zusatzblatt, Can you tell me How much time would it required to change my employer in zusatzblatt and If I can just work with new employer after changing zusatzblatt only? and no new Blue card would be required?
Thanks,
Amit
This has probably been resolved but for others – after 2 years of working on a blue card, you can switch employers without needing permission as long as the new job also is a blue card job. If you’ve been on the blue card for under 2 years, you have to apply to get the employer switched and wait for approval before beginning.
Hi, my son has completed one year (of 4 total) of undergraduate studies in Hamburg. The immigration office local to him have had all his documents for 10 months and still no appointment. They never answer emails or the phone. He goes there and there’s an enormous queue and he can’t get near the door. He has had to come home to the UK with no residence permit and is worried he won’t be able to get back into the country, and also that he won’t be allowed into Mallorca for his holiday in August as his EU 90 day allowance ran out months ago. He only has a Fiktionsbescheinigung, which is like a ‘waiting for appointment’ document. Any advice?
That’s rough! Under those circumstances, perhaps you can forgive the 8-week delay in replying to this comment. Did he end up going to Mallorca? I hope so. If his Fiktionsbescheinigung is an §81.4 type, he can travel abroad and return to Germany as long as it is valid.
Hello, I am a non EU citizen and I graduated from a German university with a master’s degree. I am registered in Erft-Rhein-Kreiss and I got a job in Berlin. I applied for my work permit and I still didnt receive it , and at the same time I got a better offer in other company which I want to switch to it. What should I do if I want to change my employer ? Should I apply all over again on the name of the new company?
This depends on what kind of permit you applied for in the first place. Non-EU graduates from German universities get an 18-month job seeking permit and permission to work for anyone during that 18 months. If that’s the permit you have already or have applied for, then once you have it, you can just… switch jobs with no further ado. But if you applied for a work permit that was specifically based on the job in Berlin, you’d have to apply all over again with the new contract to get the employer changed. This will all take time so be patient.
Hello,
I am on Job seeker visa in Germany and it expired on 27th September 2022. I got Job offered as well.
Job is for Berlin location. So I register my address here in Friedberg and took appointment of Auslenderbehorde in Friedberg.
Now they assigned me Fiction certificate, expires on 29th Jan 2023. And took my application in consideration for Blue card. But after getting all documents they gave me next appointment for Blue card application (to sign and to give fingerprint) of 05th December 2022. But here issue is as per my work contract I need to start working on 01st November 2022.
So how my application can proceed?
Employer told that till you get blue card cannot able to start working. So I am not sure why they give next appointment on 05 December 2022 ?
Please suggest what could I do in this case ? Should I need to go Berlin and register new address and need to apply from there? It will take less time than this?? Or Should I have to wait here?
Kind regards,
Nirav Patel
5th December 2022 is actually a really good outcome, and people from many cities in Germany would agree with me. I would keep the appointment in December and if your documents are in order on the day, you’ll have permission to work in the Blue Card job starting the same day. Trying to fast-track this process is challenging. 5.12.2022 was probably the soonest appointment they could give you. You could try finding a sooner appointment online, but I don’t like your chances.
Hiii everyone,
I think I am in very troublesome situation. I am doing job as of now but I still have student visa. I applied for the work permit visa but it was only after 3 months of starting full time job. The situation was complicated. I thought, I must have all the documents before I inform visa office Nuremberg about my degree completion and starting of full time job. My application is in process now but honestly I can’t sleep. I must travel to my home country for my marriage after one and half month. Can anyone please enlighten me here what to do.
Hi Hardik. Luckily, students are actually permitted to be employed for up to 120 full-time days per year, so if you haven’t already worked this year, you’ll have some time to get this sorted before those days run out. Also. if you graduated from a German university, your new permit will allow you to be employed or self-employed for 18 months. So I wouldn’t sweat it too much. As for needing to travel, ask the office for a Fiktionsbescheinigung if your student permit will expire while you’re away.
Hello,
I am an international student in Germany. I received a full time job contract in Germany which qualifies for Blue Card. (I haven’t completed my studies yet.)
My joining date is 1st Nov. 22 but my appointment with the Ausländerbehörde is in December.
I am current doing a 6 month full time voluntary internship which will end on 31st October 2022. (35 hours per week).
Can I start working while waiting for the change of residence permit?
My student visa is valid till end of January 2023.
Your student visa allows you 120 full-time days of employment or 240 part-time days per year. It sounds like you might have already used them up with the internship. If so, then technically, no, you can’t, but I also would be very surprised if anyone gave you any issue, considering that you are not going to graduate and are applying for a completely new permit. Just one thing – if you haven’t graduated from uni yet and you don’t already have a degree, how is your new job going to qualify as a blue card? (Unless you plan to graduate before taking it). I imagine you might have solved some of these issues by now.
Hello fellows and dear Kathleen,
I am a non EU citizen living Stuttgart. I graduated from a master program at the end of august and i had found a job starting on the first of October. But since I already did a voluntary internship for 97 days and graduated, I don’t know whether I can work with my current student visa (120 full working days allowed) on this full time job? The Beamtin when they extended my student visa told me that I should apply for a job seeker visa and I can work with that. Since the Stuttgarter Ausländerbehörde didn’t rely my E-Mails (nor did they reply to my friends), I now moved to and registered at Heidelberg where the job is. The company postponed the start for a month till November. Does anyone know how long do they take to transfer the documents? I am so afraid that the company would say we can’t wait that long and we don’t want you.
Oooh that’s tricky, because you graduated in August and so from August, it should have been possible to get the job seeking permit, on which you can do whatever you want for 18 months…. but then you moved, which means another city is now responsible for your case. I imagine it has all been sorted by now, so … what happened in the end?
Hey,
I want to change my employer.
What to do now .
I come in germany in February.
Please help
Apply to get your employer changed. Look here if you’re in Berlin: https://service.berlin.de/dienstleistung/326856/en/
Hey, I submitted for a niederlassungserlaubnis about a month ago through email, as they say. I send all my documents in the same email, but haven’t gotten any reply as of now, should I send them a status reminder or wait more for a call back? Thank you in advance
No need to ask for an update, it will take a while, and it is normal to have not heard back, even after a month or longer. Just wait it out.
Hello
My name is sonia sharma
I am writing on behalf of my friend.
He got his job seeker visa on 1st of nov. Then on 10th of november he had got an appointment for work permit. And he went to immigration.
Now today he got the pin for residence permit of job seeker visa.
But he doesnot get reply for work permit.
Kindly help us out in this matter.
We have to wait for their reply or we should think it will be negative .
He had also paid 100 euros for job seeker as well as 100 euros for work permit
Regards
PIN usually arrives about 10 days before the card arrives in the post. I imagine you’ve received the card by now!
Hello ! I am living in Heilbronn since June 2022. I have 1 year temporary resident permit and zusatzblatt. I had left my job , now I have a new job offer from Frankfurt, can I apply for change of employer in Heilbronn auslanderbehude . Otherwise firstly I should be registere myself in Frankfurt and then apply for changing employer. Please help me. Thank you very much. Have nice day!
Apply for the change wherever you are registered at the time at which you apply. Either apply for the change of employer in Heilbronn and wait until it’s done before you re-register in Frankfurt, or move to Frankfurt, register in Frankfurt and register for the change of employer in Frankfurt. Both options are possible… my gut instinct tells me Heilbronn might be quicker than Frankfurt, from what I have seen on the news about Frankfurt’s Ausländerbehörde lately!
Hi Kathleen,
I am a US citizen working in Germany(temporary work permit)for under 1 year,I want to change my Employer.I would like to know if the process is done only by Ausländerbehorde or does the submitted documents(EZB,Work contract…) needs to be sent to the Agentur für Arbeit,Can i stop my job at the previous Company until i get my residence permit amended to start at the new Company?
Hi John, your application should be submitted at the foreigner’s office but it might get sent to the Agentur für Arbeit. However, the foreigner’s office will do that bit for you. If you’ve submitted an application to change employers, you could quit your current job but you’d have to consider what you’ll do if the employer switch is not approved. You can’t start working for the new company until you get permission to switch employers.
I have submitted all my documents in Dusseldorf in August 2022, and it’s extremely unfortunate that 6 months have passed and there’s still no update on my application.
My previous visa has expired on the 6th of November 2022 and have been unable to exit the country or apply to jobs or join the German integration course.
I have been trying to call the Dusseldorf office on 02118921020 on Tuesday and Thursday between 4 to 7pm and on Friday between 1 and 4pm but the call has never connected and goes to automated message that they can not take call now.
Really hoping on a miracle right now or if someone can guide me on how I can move forward