Permanent Residence Permit for Refugees

As a recognised refugee or individual entitled to asylum, you must meet the following requirements to obtain a permanent residence permit:

• You may receive few or no benefits from the jobcentre or social welfare office; which means you have to be able to cover most of your expenses with your wages. The permissible percentage of welfare support you can receive from the jobcentre or social welfare office varies from one federal state to the other, but In principle, it is at least 50% to 75%. For more information, seek advice from the staff at the Immigration Office or a counselling centre.
• You must be able to speak German at the A2 level and provide proof for your language proficiency. If you want to apply for a permanent residence permit three years after your arrival in Germany, you must speak German at the C1 level.
• You must have enough living space for your family. The apartment's size requirements vary from one federal state to another, but in principle, it is 12m² per person. Ask the staff at the Immigration Office or seek help from a counselling centre if you need more information in this regard.
• You must have health insurance.
• You must have successfully completed the orientation course.
• You must not have a criminal record.
• You must have had a residence permit for at least 3 (or 5) years, the duration of your asylum procedure included.
• The reason for your recognition as an individual entitled to protection should still be relevant, so BAMF cannot revoke your recognition.

If you have been entitled to subsidiary protection, to obtain a permanent residence permit, you have to fulfil further requirements:

• You cannot receive benefits from Job Centre or the Social Welfare Office.
• You should be able to speak German at A2 level and provide the proper certificates.
• You must have contributed to pension insurance ("Rentenversicherung") for at least 60.
• You must have enough living space for your family. The apartment's size requirements vary from one federal state to another, but in principle, it is 12m² per person. Ask the staff at the Immigration Office or seek help from a counselling centre if you need more information in this regard.
• You must have health insurance.
• You must have successfully completed the orientation course.
• You must not have a criminal record.
• You must have had a residence permit for at least 5 years, the duration of your asylum procedure included.
• The reason for your recognition as an individual entitled to protection should still be relevant, so BAMF cannot revoke your recognition.

As a person who has a so-called “Abschiebungsverbot“, you need to meet the following requirements to obtain a permanent residence permit:

• You cannot receive benefits from Job Centre or the Social Welfare Office.
• You should be able to speak German at A2 level and provide the proper certificates.
• You must have contributed to pension insurance ("Rentenversicherung") for at least 60.
• You must have enough living space for your family. The apartment's size requirements vary from one federal state to another, but in principle, it is 12m² per person. Ask the staff at the Immigration Office or seek help from a counselling centre if you need more information in this regard.
• You must have health insurance.
• You must have successfully completed the orientation course.
• You must not have a criminal record.
• You must have had a residence permit for at least 5 years, the duration of your asylum procedure included.
• The reason for your recognition as an individual entitled to protection should still be relevant, so BAMF cannot revoke your recognition.

In principle, you cannot obtain a permanent residence permit- however, there are some possibilities for those who have a tolerated stay permit to obtain a residence permit after a few years. You can find out more about in our chapter "Residence Permits for Individuals with Duldung". After you hold a residence permit for a few years, you can also apply for and obtain a permanent residence permit. You can learn more about the general requirements for a permanent residence permit in our chapter "Permanent Residence Permit".

You must apply for the permanent residence permit in writing at the Immigration Office responsible for you. You will find the form "Application for the Permanent Residence Permit" ("Antrag auf Erteilung der Niederlassungserlaubnis") on the website of the immigration office. You have to send the filled application form, a biometric passport photo and the following documents to the responsible Immigration Office per post or submit them in person:

• A copy of your passport
• A copy of your employment contract, your last six payslips, and a recent confirmation letter from your employer which verifies that you are still employed there. This confirmation must not be older than 14 days. If you are self-employed: your last tax assessment and an audit report completed by a tax accountant.
• A recent confirmation from your health insurance company verifying that you are insured.
• A copy of your rental agreement
• A copy of your German language certificates
• Your pension information from the German pension insurance scheme (Deutschen Rentenversicherung), if you have subsidiary protection.
• If you receive child benefit, parental allowance or alike: the relevant confirmation letters
• The confirmation of your registration with the police

Keep in mind that you have to pay in order to obtain a permanent residence permit.

As soon as the Immigration Office has checked your application, they will notify you in writing.

Yes- if the following applies to you, you may lose your permanent residence permit:

• If you have been granted a permanent residence permit based on your recognition as a refugee or your entitlement to asylum, subsidiary protection or national ban on deportation- travelling to your home country may lead to the revocation of your protection status and consequently, your residence permit. When your recognition is invalidated, the immigration office has two options: 1. They may also revoke your settlement permit. 2. They may uphold your settlement permit. The latter usually happens when you have been in Germany for a long time, are linguistically well-integrated and have a job with no need for state benefits (from the Jobcentre or Social Welfare Office). The Immigration Office is the sole authority who decides between the two options mentioned above. (§52 I Residence Act)

• If you do not reside in Germany for more than 6 months or move to another country, in principle, you will lose your permanent residence permit. (§ 51 I Residence Act)

• Your permanent residence permit may be revoked if you have obtained it as a result of providing false information to the authorities.

If you are considered to be a threat to public safety and order, you may be deported. In this case, you will also lose your permanent residence permit. If you are at risk of losing your recognition or residence permit, seek advice from a counselling centre or lawyer. For example, you can find assistance at Pro Asyl. Their staff speak German and English and can be reached at +49 (0) 69-242 314 20 and proasyl@proasyl.de.

You can seek specialised advice from Migration Advice for Adults (MBE) or the Youth Migration Service (JDM). The counselling centres of the Youth Migration Service (JDM) are specially designed for youth and young adults (under the age of 27). The staff there speak many languages- and their service is free of charge. The Refugee Council in your federal state can also support you - you can search for their office in your area on the national refugee council website. The refugee councils can link you to specialised counselling centres or lawyers. Their service is free of charge.