Permanent settlement permit for family members of German citizens - application

• Legal stay in Germany for at least 3 years with a residence title Residence titles in this sense are in particular: national visa, residence permit and EU Blue Card. • Family unit with a German national • The German family member can be your spouse or same-sex partner, your minor child or a parent. • The family unit with the German must have existed without interruption for at least 3 years and must continue to exist in Germany. • Secured livelihood through own income • Your livelihood and that of your close family members (spouse/life partner and children) is secured. You must not receive or be entitled to any benefits from a job center or social welfare office under the second or twelfth German Social Code (such as the Bürgergeld citizen's allowance or social assistance). • In the case of a domestic partnership in the context of a marriage or same-sex civil partnership, proof of income can also be provided by the spouse or civil partner. • With the Quick Check (under “Do it online now”) you can check free of charge whether your income currently covers your living expenses. • This requirement is waived if you are permanently unable to secure your livelihood due to physical, mental or psychological illness. A specialist medical certificate is required for this. • Adequate health insurance You and the family members living with you are insured against the risk of illness, either in the statutory health insurance or in a comparable private health insurance. Foreign health insurance is not sufficient. For more information, please read the leaflet. • No interest in expulsion • Fines alone can prevent the granting of a permanent settlement permit. • An application for a permanent settlement permit may not be processed while investigation proceedings are ongoing. • You pose no threat to the free democratic basic order or the security of the Federal Republic of Germany. • You are not involved in acts of violence in pursuit of political or religious goals, do not publicly call for the use of violence and do not threaten to do so. • Sufficient command of German www.europaeischer-referenzrahmen.de/sprachniveau.php • Sufficient German language skills corresponding to level B 1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). • The fulfilment of this requirement can be proven in particular by successful completion of an integration course. • Did you already have a residence permit before 06.09.2013 due to your German family member? Then, you only need basic knowledge of the German language (level A 1 of the CEFR). • Proof of language proficiency is not required if learning German is unreasonable due to a permanent physical, mental or psychological illness. A specialist medical certificate is required for this. • Main residence in Berlin You live in Berlin. A second residence in Berlin is not sufficient. • Current email adress The Berlin Immigration Office will contact you via your current email address. Please also check your spam folder regularly. • For the online application: Consent to the electronic payment process The following methods of payment are available to you: • Credit card (Visa, Mastercard) • Paypal

• Application for a permanent settlement permit for family members of German citizens (with Quick-Check) • only possible online • You will receive a PDF document to confirm your application. This document will certify that your current residence title remains valid in the federal territory beyond the previous validity date. (This does not apply if you hold a Schengen visa (C visa) for a short-term stay). • Please therefore make sure to save this document and print a copy if possible. • In the case of an application being filed by an authorised representative: power of attorney stating the subject matter of the procedure • Passport copies (in color) Copies of the data pages of your passport or passport replacement (with your photo and personal data) are required. • If you are married: Copy of the personnel document of your spouse/life partner For example passport or identity card • Copy of your current residence title • If you are married: copy of the marriage certificate • If you are the parent of a minor German child: copy of the birth certificate • If you or your spouse/life partner are employed: Proof of livelihood • Employment contract, • Proof of net salary for the last 6 months (wage slips, bank statements), • current certificate from the employer (not older than 14 days) and • Pension insurance history • If you or your spouse/life partner work self-employed or freelance: Proof of livelihood • last tax assessment statement • completed audit report form (Prüfungsbericht) together with the documents specified therein (the audit report must be completed by a tax consultant, auditor or tax agent) and • certificate in tax matters from the tax office (see section "Further information") and • For self-employed persons: extract from the commercial register or business registration (if no entry in the commercial register is required) • For freelancers: Registration as a freelancer with the tax office and chamber of commerce entry (if required) • If you are not gainfully employed: Proof of livelihood For example: • Assessment notice for Unemployment Benefit I (Arbeitslosengeld I) • Pension assessment notice • Proof of assets • Notification of receipt of citizen's allowance (Bürgergeld) or social assistance • Receipt of BAföG or vocational training allowance (Sozialhilfe) • In the event of incapacity to work or reduced earning capacity due to a permanent physical, mental or psychological illness • Assessment notification of pension due to disability or reduced earning capacity or • Current expert opinion of the German Federal Employment Agency or • Informative medical certificate from a specialist • Proof of other benefits Depending on your life situation, you may need to upload further proof for the online application, for example: Parental allowance, child benefit, housing benefit, child supplement, orphan's pension, integration bonus (Einstiegsgeld), proof of maintenance payments • Proof of health and long-term care insurance in Germany • If you have statutory health insurance: electronic health card (copy front and back) or a current confirmation from the health insurance company • In the case of private health insurance: certificate from the insurer regarding the scope and costs of the insurance in accordance with § 257 Para. 2a SGB V. Please point out to your insurer that you need the certificate for a permanent residence title. • Proof of the size and cost of the living space The floor space and the monthly rent or housing costs of your own property (house or apartment) must be demonstrated as follows. In the case of a rental property: • Tenancy agreement (without house rules or other annexes) and • Proof of the current monthly costs (rent with utility costs included – “Warmmiete”), e.g. bank statements In the case of an owned property: • extract from the land register, third section, • costs of the home-owner charges and • possible monthly loan costs for the property • Proof of German language skills at level B 1 of the CEFR In particular, the following proof is possible: • German test for immigrants • German certificate or another language diploma • Final test of an integration course

• Audit report form (Prüfungsbericht) for self-employed and freelancers www.berlin.de/formularverzeichnis/?formular=/labo/zuwanderun

• 56.50 Euro: Processing fee (for the online application) • 56.50 Euro: Issuing fee (for in-person appointments) For Turkish nationals up to the age of 24 • 13.80 Euro: Processing fee (for the online application) • 13.80 Euro: Issuing fee (for in-person appointments) For Turkish nationals as from the age of 24 • 23.00 Euro: Processing fee (for the online application) • 23.00 Euro: Issuing fee (for in-person appointments) Note: A refund of the processing fee is not possible in the event that the application is withdrawn if we have already begun to process the application (by examining the required residence time and/or the documents you sent or sending you an appointment for an in-person interview).

• Aufenthaltsgesetz (Residence Act, AufenthG) § 28 (2) www.gesetze-im-internet.de/aufenthg_2004/__28.html

You will receive an appointment for an interview if your application is reviewed positively. At the appointment, you will receive written confirmation of lawful residence until issue of the appointed residence title. Following the appointment, it will take at least 4 weeks until the permanent settlement permit is issued as a electronic residence title and can be picked up.

• Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) www.europaeischer-referenzrahmen.de/ • Health insurance leaflet (Berlin Immigration Office) www.berlin.de/einwanderung/_assets/merkblatt_zur_krankenvers

This service can only be used at the Landesamt für Einwanderung (LEA, State Office for Immigration) at the Friedrich-Krause-Ufer location.