Aufenthaltstitel (German residence title)

Section 4 of the Residence Act (AufenthG) says foreign nationals need a residence title to enter and stay in Germany, unless EU law or another rule says otherwise. It then lists the forms a title can take:

• Visum: the national (D) visa you collect at the German mission before travelling.
• Aufenthaltserlaubnis: a temporary residence permit, always tied to a purpose such as skilled work, recognition or family (section 7).
• Blaue Karte EU: the EU Blue Card for graduates above a salary threshold.
• ICT-Karte and Mobiler-ICT-Karte: for intra-company transfers.
• Niederlassungserlaubnis: the unlimited settlement permit.
• Erlaubnis zum Daueraufenthalt – EU: EU long-term residence.

Section 78 says the permit, Blue Card, ICT cards and settlement permits are issued as separate cards with a chip, often called the eAT.

Your title follows your situation. Doctors and nurses waiting for recognition often enter on a permit under section 16d for recognition measures or the recognition partnership. Once licensed, they move to a skilled-worker permit (section 18a or 18b) or a Blue Card. The Chancenkarte is a residence title for job searching. Section 4a says a title holder may work unless a law forbids or restricts it, so the wording printed on your card matters.

A residence title does not let you practise. You still need an Approbation, Berufserlaubnis or nursing licence from the state authority.

1. Apply for the national visa at the German mission, unless your nationality can apply after entry.
2. Register your address (Anmeldung) after you arrive.
3. Apply to the local foreigners authority (Ausländerbehörde) for the residence card before your visa runs out.
4. Apply to extend it before it expires. Under section 81(4), a renewal or change applied for in time keeps your old title valid until the authority decides, and you receive a Fiktionsbescheinigung as proof.

Section 45 of the Residence Ordinance sets the fees: €100 to issue a residence permit, Blue Card or ICT card; €93 to extend one for more than three months (€96 for up to three months); and €98 for a change of purpose. Section 44 sets €113 for most settlement permits and €147 for the highly qualified route. The period of a permit is set by its purpose (section 7).

For settlement, section 18c allows a skilled worker to get a Niederlassungserlaubnis after three years on a skilled-worker title, with 36 months of pension contributions and German at B1 (ausreichende Kenntnisse). Blue Card holders can qualify after 27 months, or 21 months with B1 German.

• Applying late. If you apply after the title expires, section 81 only lets the authority keep it in force to avoid undue hardship.
• Long waits for appointments. Apply early and keep the Fiktionsbescheinigung with your passport for your employer.
• Changing job or purpose without checking whether your title allows it.