Apply for Residence Permit with Right of Return
Find out how you can return to Germany as a former minor.
At a glance
How do you get a residence permit with a right of return?
You lived in Germany for a long time as a child or young person and then left the country? Then you may be granted a residence permit to return to Germany. This is at the authority''s discretion.
You must submit the application after your 15th and before your 21st birthday. Also, your departure must not have been more than five years ago.
There are simplified requirements for victims of forced marriage. If you were forced into marriage through violence or threats and could not return to Germany because of this, special rules apply. You must submit the application within three months after the end of the coercive situation. The deadline is at most five years after departure.
Requirements
Who qualifies?
- You were lawfully resident in Germany for at least eight years before your departure and attended school in Germany for at least six years. These requirements may be waived in cases of particular hardship or if you have a recognised school-leaving qualification.
- Simplified requirements apply for victims of forced marriage. You must be able to credibly present the circumstances of the forced marriage and the forced stay abroad.
Additional requirements
- You must submit the application after reaching the age of 15 and before reaching the age of 21, and your departure must not have been more than five years ago. In cases of particular hardship, these requirements may be waived.
- Your livelihood must be secured -- either through your own employment or through a maintenance obligation from another person for at least five years.
- You must have your main residence in Berlin and book an appointment via the contact form with the responsible department at the LEA.
How to apply
Contact the responsible department at the LEA via the contact form and book an appointment
Complete the application for a residence title and gather all documents: passport, biometric photo, school certificates, proof of livelihood and registration certificate
Attend the appointment in person and bring all documents in original and as copies
Submit your application for the residence permit
Done! You may receive a residence permit with a right of return. The authority will decide on your application.
Since 01.05.2025 only digital photos are accepted. Learn more
- Antrag auf Erteilung eines Aufenthaltstitels (Deutsch-Englisch-Französisch-Italienisch)
- Antrag auf Erteilung eines Aufenthaltstitels (Deutsch-Griechisch-Türkisch-Vietnamesisch)
- Antrag auf Erteilung eines Aufenthaltstitels (Deutsch-Spanisch-Portugiesisch-Russisch)
- Antrag auf Erteilung eines Aufenthaltstitels (Deutsch-Serbisch-Bosnisch)
- Prüfungsbericht (für Selbständige und Freiberufler)
Issuance of the residence permit
- Extension of the residence permit93,00 EUR
- For Turkish nationals (maximum)37,00 EUR
- Digital passport photo at self-service terminal6,00 EUR
Good to know
Were you forced into marriage and did you attend school in Germany for six years? Then the authority must generally approve your return. It may only refuse in the case of serious reasons.
wird das von Abs. 2a Satz 1 eröffnete Ermessen auf ein „soll"-Ermessen reduziert, d.h. der Wiedereinreise ist abgesehen von Fällen besonders gewichtiger entgegenstehender öffentlicher Interessen – z.B. ...weggefallen... eines schweren Ausweisungsinteresses – zuzustimmen.
VAB A.37, S. 416
You do not have to prove the eight years of residence consecutively. You can add up different periods of residence. What matters is that you reach a total of eight lawful years.
Der rechtmäßige Voraufenthalt von mindestens acht Jahren muss nicht ununterbrochen angedauert haben. Die Aufenthaltszeiten sind summierbar.
VAB A.37, S. 416
Do you receive a widow's pension? This counts just like your own pension. This means you can also use the right to return as a widow or widower.
Das Tatbestandsmerkmal Rente umfasst nicht nur originär erworbene Renten, sondern auch die Witwenrente
VAB A.37, S. 416
Contact & Responsibility
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Apply for Residence Permit with Right of Return
After the appointment, it takes approximately 4 weeks until the residence permit is issued as an electronic residence title and can be collected.