Declaration of Commitment Germany: What You're Really Signing

Your sister wants to visit you in Germany. A friend is coming for a language course. Your parents want to fly in for their grandchild's birth. In all these cases, the German embassy asks the same question: who pays for everything if something goes wrong?

If the person entering the country can't prove they can cover it themselves, you step in — with a document called a Declaration of Commitment, known in German as a Verpflichtungserklärung (sometimes also translated as a formal obligation letter). It's a form you can sign in ten minutes, and it binds you for five years afterward. Most people underestimate exactly that and treat the declaration as a confirmation of invitation. It's actually an enforceable debt instrument under § 68 AufenthG.1§ 68 AufenthG — Liability for the Cost of LivingBundesministerium der Justiz

This guide explains what you're actually liable for, for how long, what the authority wants to see from you, what the whole thing costs — and what alternatives exist.

What Is a Declaration of Commitment?

A Declaration of Commitment is your written undertaking to the immigration office (Ausländerbehörde) or a German mission abroad to cover the cost of living for a person entering the country. The legal basis is § 68 AufenthG.1§ 68 AufenthG — Liability for the Cost of LivingBundesministerium der Justiz

It's needed when the person who wants to enter can't prove their travel and living costs themselves. The Federal Foreign Office (Auswärtiges Amt) puts it exactly this way: the declaration is required when the visiting person is unable to fully cover the costs associated with the trip on their own.7Fragenkatalog zum Visumverfahren — VerpflichtungserklärungAuswärtiges Amt You don't submit it separately — it becomes part of the entering person's visa application.

What you're taking on is written into the statute word for word. Anyone who has undertaken to cover the cost of living for a foreign national must "reimburse all public funds spent on the foreign national's cost of living, including the provision of housing as well as care in the event of illness and long-term care needs."1§ 68 AufenthG — Liability for the Cost of LivingBundesministerium der Justiz In other words: food, accommodation, medical bills, medication, care.

And that's only half of it. The declaration of commitment you sign in practice also covers the costs of a forced departure — which is why officials call it a declaration of commitment under §§ 66 to 68 AufenthG. § 66 AufenthG provides that, alongside the entering person, liability also falls on "whoever has undertaken to the immigration office or the mission abroad to cover the foreign national's departure costs."2§ 66 AufenthG — Debtors of Costs; Security DepositBundesministerium der Justiz How far that reaches is set out in § 67 AufenthG: transport and travel costs to the destination abroad, administrative costs including detention pending deportation, translation and interpreting costs, accommodation and meals — and all costs of any required escort, including personnel costs.3§ 67 AufenthG — Scope of Cost LiabilityBundesministerium der Justiz Billing happens through a formal notice (Leistungsbescheid) for the amount of costs actually incurred.

German missions abroad say the same thing in their information sheets: the commitment covers not only the cost of living but also departure costs and the costs of a forced termination of stay.6Merkblatt zur Abgabe einer Verpflichtungserklärung gem. §§ 66–68 AufenthGAuswärtiges Amt, Deutsche Botschaft Bangkok

Five Years — the Part Almost Everyone Underestimates

Liability lasts five years. That's stated directly in § 68 para. 1 sentence 1, and the period "begins with the entry of the foreign national that the declaration of commitment made possible."1§ 68 AufenthG — Liability for the Cost of LivingBundesministerium der Justiz Not with the signature, not with the visa issuance — with entry.

What matters is what this does not mean: the five years are not a length of stay. Even if your visitor leaves again after three weeks, the clock keeps running. If she runs into hardship within those five years and applies for public benefits, the paying authority can come after you.

There's exactly one statutory limit on the scope, and it matters: "expenses based on a contribution payment are not to be reimbursed."1§ 68 AufenthG — Liability for the Cost of LivingBundesministerium der Justiz Benefits financed from the entering person's own contributions — for example, health insurance she paid into herself — therefore don't fall back on you.

And the statute expressly rules out a common misconception: the declaration of commitment does not lapse before the five years are up just because a residence title is granted under Section 5 of Chapter 2 — the humanitarian titles — or because international protection is granted.1§ 68 AufenthG — Liability for the Cost of LivingBundesministerium der Justiz If you've heard that liability ends automatically once the invited person gets protection status, you're thinking of the old legal position.

Separate from that is a statement that appears on the form itself and in the missions' information sheets: the commitment continues until the person leaves Germany or is granted a residence title for a different purpose.6Merkblatt zur Abgabe einer Verpflichtungserklärung gem. §§ 66–68 AufenthGAuswärtiges Amt, Deutsche Botschaft Bangkok Whether a change of purpose actually ends your liability early in your specific case is decided by the authority based on the signed form — the two statutory exceptions above are unaffected by that. So don't plan around it.

How Long Is a Declaration of Commitment Valid?

This question leads to the most common mix-up in the whole topic — because two completely different time limits are circulating.

The six months are a filing deadline. German missions abroad only accept a Declaration of Commitment for a limited period after it's issued. Their information sheets state: "The visa application must be filed within six months of the declaration of commitment's date of issue."6Merkblatt zur Abgabe einer Verpflichtungserklärung gem. §§ 66–68 AufenthGAuswärtiges Amt, Deutsche Botschaft Bangkok The reason is straightforward: your financial situation can change within half a year. If the deadline has passed, you need a new declaration. This deadline isn't in the Residence Act — it's mission practice — so confirm the exact time frame with the embassy or consulate where the visa application is filed.

The five years are the liability. This period only begins with entry and has nothing to do with the filing deadline.

In other words: after six months, the paper is no longer usable for a new visa procedure. Your liability from a declaration that's already been used doesn't end because of that — it runs its full five years from entry.

Who Can Submit a Declaration of Commitment?

You need to bring two things: a secure residence status and enough money.

On status: if you're a German national or a citizen of an EU or EEA country, your ID is enough. Otherwise you need a valid residence title. A permission to reside pending an asylum decision (Aufenthaltsgestattung), a toleration (Duldung), or a certificate of fictitious continuation (Fiktionsbescheinigung) is not sufficient — this is one of the most common grounds for rejection.8Verfahrenshinweise zum Aufenthalt in Berlin (VAB), A.68Landesamt für Einwanderung Berlin

Legal entities can also make the commitment — companies, associations, exchange organizations. Berlin practice requires them to have been established in the market for at least three years.8Verfahrenshinweise zum Aufenthalt in Berlin (VAB), A.68Landesamt für Einwanderung Berlin

On money, the authority checks your creditworthiness. There's no nationwide uniform amount, and you'll find plenty of tables online suggesting there is. The usual benchmark is whether your attachable income (pfändbares Einkommen) is enough to cover the entering person's needs on top of your own household. How strictly this is calculated depends on the federal state, the length of stay, and the purpose. Two examples from Berlin's procedural guidance show the range: for a visit without employment of up to three months, it's enough to make your financial capacity credible; for students, instead of the standard rate plus rent, the BAföG rate is applied.8Verfahrenshinweise zum Aufenthalt in Berlin (VAB), A.68Landesamt für Einwanderung Berlin Ask the authority responsible for your place of residence about the specific requirements.

What Documents You Need

Each authority sets its own exact list. The core is the same everywhere: identity, residence status, income. This list follows Berlin practice and works as a checklist for preparation — confirm your list with your own authority before the appointment.8Verfahrenshinweise zum Aufenthalt in Berlin (VAB), A.68Landesamt für Einwanderung Berlin

Two details that cost appointments: if you receive unemployment benefit I (Arbeitslosengeld I), a Declaration of Commitment for a longer-term stay in Berlin can only be issued with the note that creditworthiness wasn't proven. And you must appear in person — you can only be represented with a written power of attorney, which should come with a copy of your ID so the authority can compare the signature.8Verfahrenshinweise zum Aufenthalt in Berlin (VAB), A.68Landesamt für Einwanderung Berlin

Declaration of Commitment, Blocked Account, or Your Own Proof?

The Declaration of Commitment is only one of three ways to prove the cost of living. Which one fits depends on who should bear the risk and how long the stay lasts.

If both are possible, it's worth asking the sober question: do you want to be liable for five years just to avoid a blocked account? For a degree that takes several years anyway, the blocked account is the smaller risk for most families.

Where Do I Submit the Declaration of Commitment?

The responsible authority is the immigration office where you live — not the authority at your travel destination and not the embassy in the country of origin. If you live in Berlin, that's the State Office for Immigration; in Hamburg, Munich, Cologne, or a rural district, the local immigration office, or in some municipalities the public order office (Ordnungsamt). The Federal Foreign Office describes it exactly this way: you sign at the competent authority where you live, usually the Ordnungsamt or Ausländerbehörde.7Fragenkatalog zum Visumverfahren — VerpflichtungserklärungAuswärtiges Amt

Because every municipality runs its own process — some only accept applications online now and then assign an appointment, others run an open office hour — the fastest route is through the contact details of your specific authority. You'll find those through our Authority Finder: address, opening hours, and appointment booking for the office responsible for where you live.

If you live abroad permanently, under certain conditions you can also submit a Declaration of Commitment at the competent German mission abroad. The mission then informs the immigration office about the commitment.1§ 68 AufenthG — Liability for the Cost of LivingBundesministerium der Justiz

On form: under the current version of § 68 para. 2 AufenthG, the Declaration of Commitment can be submitted in writing or electronically; for electronic submission, the declaring person must be warned against a hasty submission through suitable measures.1§ 68 AufenthG — Liability for the Cost of LivingBundesministerium der Justiz This is new: older versions of the paragraph required written form without exception, and many information sheets, forms, and legal portals haven't caught up yet. So don't be surprised if you still read the old rule elsewhere. In practice, it usually works like this anyway: application online, signature in person.

What Does a Declaration of Commitment Cost?

The fee is regulated uniformly across Germany. § 47 AufenthV sets €29 in paragraph 1 number 12 "for the recognition of a declaration of commitment (§ 68 of the Residence Act)."5§ 47 AufenthV — Fees for Other Residence-Law Official ActsBundesministerium der Justiz

Two practical notes on that. The fee applies per declaration, not per person — if you commit for a married couple with children, it's still just one amount. And for declarations exclusively in favor of minors, authorities apply a reduced rate; in Berlin that's €14.50.8Verfahrenshinweise zum Aufenthalt in Berlin (VAB), A.68Landesamt für Einwanderung Berlin Where you apply online, the fee is often payable by credit card or PayPal before you submit.

Not included in the fee is the actual cost risk: the liability itself.

The Most Common Mistakes

• Mistaking the declaration for an invitation. An invitation is an informal letter. The Declaration of Commitment is an enforceable debt instrument spanning five years.
• Hoping for a way to revoke it. There isn't one. Neither withdrawal nor a challenge for mistake gets you anywhere.
• Confusing the six months with the length of liability. One deadline concerns the visa application, the other your assets.
• Bringing incomplete proof of income. The result is the creditworthiness note — the declaration gets issued, but the visa is still refused.
• Showing up without a valid residence title. Toleration, permission to reside pending an asylum decision, and a certificate of fictitious continuation aren't enough.
• Assuming protection status ends the liability. § 68 para. 1 sentence 4 rules exactly that out.
• Planning a visitor visa as the entry point to a permanent stay. For marriage or family reunification, the Marriage Visa or Family Reunification guides are the right routes.