Permanent residence permit
A permanent residence permit for Germany is a valuable option for people who want to live and work in Germany for good. It gives them the right to stay and work in Germany indefinitely, without having to concern themselves with extending their residence status.
A great advantage of the permanent residence permit is that it offers more certainty for planning than a temporary residence title does. It also allows holders to remain in Germany in the event of unemployment or other changes in their circumstances.
Under § 9 (2) of the Residence Act (AufenthG), third-country nationals who have been living in Germany lawfully and without interruption for five years can apply for a permanent residence permit. The conditions are that they have sufficient means of subsistence and health insurance cover, and that no grounds for expulsion exist against them.
A further advantage of the permanent residence permit is that it gives the holder the right to travel to other EU countries and stay there for up to 90 days in any six-month period without having to apply for an additional visa.
Taken together, the permanent residence permit offers a long-term and stable prospect to those who want to live and work in Germany. With advantages such as certainty for planning, freedom to travel within the EU and an unrestricted right of residence, it is an attractive option for many people.
Visa and permanent residence permit – what is the difference?
The main difference between a permanent residence permit and a visa is that a permanent residence permit is an unlimited residence permit, whereas a visa is a temporary one.
A visa is normally issued for a fixed period and allows the holder to live and work in a country during that period. As a rule the holder of a visa has to apply regularly for an extension if they want to stay beyond its original validity.
A permanent residence permit, by contrast, allows the holder to live and work in a country indefinitely, without the need to file regular applications for extension. There are, however, usually certain requirements to be met in order to obtain one, such as having lived in the country lawfully for a certain period, holding a work permit, or having a certain level of language skills.
It is also important to note that permanent residence permits are as a rule harder to obtain than temporary visas, and can carry certain rights and obligations with them, such as tax liabilities and compliance with laws and regulations.
Please note that some information on naturalisation may change in 2023 as a result of new legislation.