Apply for permanent settlement permit for children (from age 16)

How do you get a settlement permit as a child or young person aged 16 or over?

Were you born in Germany or did you move here as a child? And have you held a residence permit for at least 5 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 it never expires.

To apply, you have to meet several conditions. You must be at least 16 years old. As a minor, you must already have held the residence permit for 5 years when you turn 16. Adults can also submit this application — but only if their first residence permit was issued before their 18th birthday. You also have to live in Berlin. A secondary residence is not enough. You need health insurance in Germany. Foreign health insurance is generally not sufficient. Your stay must not endanger public safety and order. Even fines can prevent the permit from being granted. Your application cannot be processed during ongoing investigation proceedings.

In addition: either you are currently undergoing a recognised form of education — for example school, vocational training, or studies — or you support yourself financially. If you are not in education, you may not receive Bürgergeld, social assistance, or youth welfare benefits. If you are already 18 years old, you additionally need sufficient German language skills at level B1. The income and language requirements are waived if you can demonstrably not meet them due to a physical, mental, or psychological illness or disability. For this you need a specialist medical certificate.

This is how the procedure works: first use the Quick-Check on the online platform to assess your chances. Then you submit the online application. Have all documents ready as PDF, JPG, JPEG, or PNG. The total size of all files must not exceed 100 MB. A single file may be a maximum of 7 MB. You can pause the application, save it, and continue later. Before submitting, you pay the processing fee — by credit card (Visa, Mastercard) or PayPal. At the end you receive a PDF confirmation. This shows that your existing residence title remains valid — even after its original expiry date. Caution: this does not apply if you hold a Schengen visa (C-visa). Be sure to save and print the confirmation. If you are still a minor, a legal representative — usually a parent — must submit the application for you. The State Office for Immigration (Landesamt für Einwanderung) (LEA) will then contact you by email as quickly as possible. So check your spam folder regularly as well. Once the application has been reviewed positively, you receive an appointment at the LEA. Bring all documents listed in the invitation letter in original to that appointment.