Submit a declaration of commitment (Verpflichtungserklärung)

• Application for a visa to enter the country An application for a visa has been submitted, or will soon be submitted, to a German mission abroad (embassy, consulate). • A Verpflichtungserklärung (declaration of commitment) is required The German mission abroad has asked you to submit a declaration of commitment, or you know that the person entering the country does not have sufficient means of their own to cover the costs of the trip and living expenses in Germany. • You have your main residence in Berlin • Creditworthiness • You must be financially able to cover the costs of living expenses. The amount of the minimum monthly net income or savings (for Schengen visas only) required depends on your marital status and any maintenance obligations, as well as the purpose of stay applied for. • In the Quick-Check you can check free of charge whether you are financially able to cover the living expenses of your guest(s). • If you cannot credibly demonstrate your financial capacity, this will be noted on the Verpflichtungserklärung with the remark "Bonität nicht nachgewiesen" (creditworthiness not proven). • Without EU or EEA citizenship: valid residence permit Do you not hold German citizenship, the citizenship of another EU country, or of Iceland, Liechtenstein or Norway? Then you need a valid residence permit, for example an Aufenthaltserlaubnis (temporary residence permit) or Niederlassungserlaubnis (settlement permit). • An Aufenthaltsgestattung (permission to reside pending an asylum decision), Duldung (temporary suspension of deportation) or Fiktionsbescheinigung (fictional residence certificate) is not sufficient. • Current email address The LEA (State Office for Immigration) will contact you using your current email address. Please also check your spam folder regularly. • You have read the forms "Zusatzerklärung zur Verpflichtungserklärung" (supplementary declaration to the declaration of commitment) and "Belehrung zur Speicherung und Nutzung der Antragsdaten im VIS" (notice on the storage and use of application data in the VIS [Visa Information System]) (for Schengen visas only) You can find the forms in the "Formulare" (forms) section and in the online application. • In the online application you must confirm that you have taken note of the forms. • You do not need to bring the forms to your appointment. • For attending in person by appointment: You have submitted the online application "Verpflichtungserklärung abgeben" (submit a declaration of commitment) After you have submitted the online application, you will receive an appointment for the issuing of the Verpflichtungserklärung at the LEA. • The fee must be paid before submitting the online application The following payment methods are available to you: • Credit card • PayPal

Submission of a Verpflichtungserklärung (declaration of commitment / sponsorship declaration) (with prior Quick-Check) available online only • At the end of the online procedure you will receive a PDF document confirming your application. Please save this document and, if possible, also print it out. • If you are an employee: proof of your income or savings • the last three net income statements (Nettoverdienstbescheinigungen) • Does your employer not issue net income statements monthly, but only when your salary changes? Then please submit the most recent net income statement and provide evidence of the last 3 salary payments by bank statements. • For declarations of commitment for long-term stays (national visas), additionally: employment contract • If you are self-employed or a freelancer: proof of your income or savings • most recent tax assessment notice (Steuerbescheid) (for applications submitted up to 30 June, the tax assessment notice from the year before last; for applications submitted from 1 July onward, the tax assessment notice from last year), or • a certificate of your approximate current net income for the last three months. The certificate (no older than 14 days) must be issued by a tax advisor, auditor, or lawyer with relevant professional experience in tax law. A business evaluation (betriebswirtschaftliche Auswertung) is not sufficient. • If you receive a pension: notice of your old-age pension • If you receive unemployment benefit I (Arbeitslosengeld I): assessment notice (Festsetzungsbescheid) • You can submit declarations of commitment for short-term stays (Schengen visas). • Declarations of commitment for long-term stays (national visas) can only be issued with the note "Bonität nicht nachgewiesen" (creditworthiness not verified). A declaration of commitment with this note is not sufficient to prove that the sponsored person's living costs are covered, to an authority such as a German mission abroad. • If you do not have a regular income: proof of your savings You can submit declarations of commitment for short-term stays (Schengen visas). • Only savings accounts or fixed-term deposit accounts with German financial institutions can be taken into account, not shares, funds, other securities, or speculative investments. • Declarations of commitment for long-term stays (national visas) can only be issued with the note "Bonität nicht nachgewiesen" (creditworthiness not verified). A declaration of commitment with this note is not sufficient to prove that the sponsored person's living costs are covered, to an authority such as a German mission abroad. • Health insurance Proof of the amount of contributions for • voluntary membership in the statutory health insurance (gesetzliche Krankenversicherung), or • existing private health insurance • Your identity card (Personalausweis) or passport • Copy of the passport of the person applying for the visa • Proof of your online application for submission of a Verpflichtungserklärung When you submitted the online application, a PDF was displayed to you. Please bring this PDF to the appointment (printed out or in digital form on your smartphone). • Appointment confirmation You received an appointment by email after submitting your online application. Please bring this invitation to the appointment (printed out or in digital form on your smartphone).

• Zusatzerklärung zur Verpflichtungserklärung (supplementary declaration to the letter of commitment) www.berlin.de/formularverzeichnis/?formular=/labo/zuwanderun • Belehrung zur Speicherung und Nutzung der Antragsdaten im VIS (notice on the storage and use of application data in the VIS, Schengen visas only) www.berlin.de/formularverzeichnis/?formular=/labo/zuwanderun

A fee must be paid for each Verpflichtungserklärung (declaration of commitment / sponsorship declaration). Regardless of the number of sponsors (Verpflichtungsnehmer) named in one declaration of commitment, the fee is • 29.00 euros: for submitting the declaration of commitment for one adult person or a married couple (with or without children) • 14.50 euros: if the declaration of commitment is submitted only for one or more minors The fee must be paid before submitting the online application (credit card, PayPal).

• Aufenthaltsgesetz (AufenthG) [Residence Act] §§ 66 to 68 www.gesetze-im-internet.de/aufenthg_2004/__68.html • Aufenthaltsgesetz (AufenthG) § 5 www.gesetze-im-internet.de/aufenthg_2004/__5.html • Aufenthaltsgesetz (AufenthG) § 2 www.gesetze-im-internet.de/aufenthg_2004/__2.html

After review of your complete digital application, you will be informed of an appointment. This can take between three and six weeks. The Verpflichtungserklärung (declaration of commitment) is issued during the in-person appointment. Please refrain from status inquiries.

The service can only be used at the Landesamt für Einwanderung (LEA, State Office for Immigration) at the Keplerstraße location.