6 months max. limit for living outside Germany - does it require abmeldung?

Hallo,

When I get my permanent residence permit, I might lose it if I live outside Germany for more than 6 months. Does this mean that if I travel for more than 6 months I might lose it, or only if I make abmeldung and take more than 6 months to return?

My goal is to live half the year - summer of course :) here, and half the year in my homeland. I would have a shared apartment (WG) here where I can keep my stuff and where I'd be registered continuously (the address).
So, if I hypothetically stay longer than 6 months, does this qualify as "living outside Germany" or, as long as I pay rent, have anmeldung and pay my taxes, am I considered "still living in here"?

Thank you for your time and all the quality information. Your platform has been a great value for me.

1 Comments

Reply (1)

Barbara Stasiak_Community Manager

Hallo @rose-drakes , Thank you for your question. If you are granted permanent residency and leave the country for more than 6 months, you may lose your permanent residency: https://handbookgermany.de/en/permanent-residence-migrants#faq_556 However, each situation is evaluated on a case-by-case basis, and there may be other factors that the immigration authorities consider when determining your residency status. Therefore, I recommend that you contact the Immigration Consulting Center to clarify your specific situation: https://bamf-navi.bamf.de/de/Themen/Migrationsberatung/ If you have any further questions, please let me know. Best Barbara