Reviewed on March 3, 2026
Apply for settlement permit for family members of Germans
As a family member of a German national, the settlement permit lets you stay in Germany for good.
At a glance
How do you obtain a settlement permit as a family member of a German national?
Are you living together with a German family member and have you held a residence title for at least 3 years? Then you have a right to a settlement permit. The authority must grant it to you if you meet all the requirements. The settlement permit is unlimited — so you may stay in Germany permanently.
Your German family member can be your spouse or same-sex civil partner. They can also be your minor child or a parent. The family living arrangement must have existed for at least 3 uninterrupted years in Germany. It must also continue to exist. You also need a secured livelihood: as a rule, you and your close family members may not receive Bürgergeld or social assistance, nor be entitled to them. If you are married to a German or in a same-sex civil partnership, your spouse or partner can also provide proof of income. If you cannot permanently secure your livelihood due to a physical, mental, or psychological illness, this requirement is waived. For this you need a specialist medical certificate. You must also speak German sufficiently: level B1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) is required. If you already had a residence permit because of your German family member before 06.09.2013, level A1 is sufficient. The language proof is also waived if learning German is unreasonable due to a permanent illness — likewise with a specialist medical certificate. You and your family members must also have health insurance, either statutory or through a comparable private health insurance. Foreign health insurance is generally not sufficient. There must be no grounds for expulsion against you: even fines can prevent the permit from being granted. While an investigation is ongoing, the State Office for Immigration (Landesamt für Einwanderung) (LEA) may not process your application. You must have your main residence in Berlin — a secondary residence is not enough.
You submit the application online with the LEA. Have all documents ready as PDFs if possible. You can also photograph documents with your smartphone and upload them. Allowed file formats are PDF, JPG, JPEG and PNG. The total size of all files must not exceed 100 MB. A single file may be a maximum of 7 MB. Before submitting the application, you pay the processing fee — by credit card (Visa, Mastercard) or PayPal. You can pause the application and save it temporarily at any time.
After submission, the LEA reviews your application and gets back to you as quickly as possible. Sometimes the LEA will request further documents. If your application is reviewed positively, you receive an appointment for a personal visit. Due to the high volume of applications, this can take some time. After submission you immediately receive a PDF as confirmation. This document shows that your existing residence title remains valid beyond its expiry date. Caution: this does not apply if you hold a Schengen visa (C-visa) for a short-term stay. Be sure to save the confirmation and print it out if possible.
Requirements
How to apply
Check whether you meet all the requirements: at least 3 uninterrupted years of family living arrangement with a German family member in Germany, secured livelihood without Bürgergeld or social assistance, German skills at level B1 (or A1 with a residence permit before 06.09.2013), health insurance, and main residence in Berlin — exceptions can apply in cases of permanent illness (specialist medical certificate required).
Prepare all documents as PDF, JPG, JPEG, or PNG — individual files maximum 7 MB, all files together maximum 100 MB.
Submit your application online with the State Office for Immigration (LEA) and pay the processing fee before submission by credit card (Visa, Mastercard) or PayPal — you can pause the application and save it temporarily at any time.
Save the confirmation PDF immediately after submission — it shows that your existing residence title remains valid beyond its expiry date (does not apply if you hold a Schengen/C-visa).
Wait for the response from the LEA — the LEA gets back to you as quickly as possible, but may request further documents and will invite you to a personal appointment if the review is positive.
Done! The authority must grant you the settlement permit if you meet all the requirements — it is unlimited and allows you to stay in Germany permanently.
Processing fee in the online application for Turkish nationals up to age 24
- Issuance fee at the appointment for Turkish nationals up to age 2456,50 EUR
- Processing fee in the online application for Turkish nationals from age 2413,80 EUR
- Issuance fee at the appointment for Turkish nationals from age 2413,80 EUR
- Processing fee in the online application23,00 EUR
- Issuance fee at the appointment23,00 EUR
Good to know
For the three-year period, every residence permit counts. The legal basis of your previous residence title does not matter. A residence permit under Section 30 is also credited.
Die Rechtsgrundlage für die Erteilung der Aufenthaltserlaubnis ist ebenso wenig von Belang wie der ursprüngliche Aufenthaltszweck.
VAB A.28, S. 365-372
Unlike with the regular settlement permit under Section 9, you do not need to prove basic knowledge of the legal and social order. You only need sufficient German skills at B1 level.
Aus dem Umstand, dass sich § 9 Abs. 2 S. 2 bis 5 sowohl auf das Erfordernis ausreichender Deutschkenntnisse nach § 9 Abs. 2 S. 1 Nr. 7 als auch auf das Erfordernis von Grundkenntnissen der Rechts- und Gesellschaftsordnung nach § 9 Abs. 2 S. 1 Nr. 8 bezieht, folgt ausweislich der Gesetzesbegründung nicht, dass im Rahmen von § 28 Abs. 2 auch Grundkenntnisse der Rechts- und Gesellschaftsordnung nachzuweisen wären.
VAB A.28, S. 365-372
Did you have a national visa for family reunification? Then this time is credited toward the three-year period. The condition is that you were in Germany during this time.
Die Zeit des Besitzes eines nationalen Visums zum Familiennachzug ist nach § 6 Absatz 3 Satz 3 dagegen anzurechnen, soweit sich der Inhaber währenddessen im Bundesgebiet aufgehalten hat.
VAB A.28, S. 365-372
Contact & Responsibility
Find responsible department
The responsible department depends on your surname and/or nationality.
Stuck on your application?
Tell us what's going on. We'll review your case and reply within 24 hours.
Report waiting time
Help the community by sharing your recent experience with appointment wait times.
Comments
Ratings and reviews from the community.
Something wrong? Help us improve this page.
Apply for settlement permit for family members of Germans
If your application is approved, you will receive an appointment. At the appointment, you will receive a written confirmation of your lawful residence until the ordered residence title is handed over. After the appointment, it takes at least 4 weeks until the settlement permit is issued as an electronic residence title and can be collected.