Permanent settlement permit for persons entitled to subsidiary protection or holders of a residence permit with a federal approval for admission (service)
Niederlassungserlaubnis für subsidiär Schutzberechtigte oder Inhaber einer Aufenthaltserlaubnis mit Aufnahmezusage des Bundes beantragen
Official English page German-only parts machine-translated, 2026-09-15
Current notes on this service
Notice regarding a disruption to online processing
A technical fault occurred in the online application process for this service between 11 and 12 March 2026, and between 14 and 16 March 2026:
After entering all the data, the person was unable to submit the application digitally to the responsible specialist authorities at the end of the process. As a result, the affected customers cannot receive the administrative services they ordered.
The technical fault was resolved promptly.
Please check whether all of the following points apply to your order:
1. You applied for this service online from
Wednesday, 11.03.2026, 20:00 to Thursday, 12.03.2026, 8:30, or from
Saturday, 14.03.2026, 19:45 to Monday, 16.03.2026, 3:45.
2. You were unable to submit the application to order the service and received an error message.
3. You have not yet received the service or a Bescheid (official notice/decision) from the competent specialist authority.
If all three points apply to you, please apply for the administrative service again.
Book an appointment
Book an appointment (service.berlin.de)
Requirements
• You have reached the age of 18 and are therefore of legal age
• Possession of a residence permit for at least 5 years
• You hold a residence permit in accordance with either Section 23 (2) AufenthG or Section 25 (2) AufenthG (subsidiary protection / subsidiärer Schutz)
• Periods of asylum proceedings are generally recognised for up to 2 years.
• Periods in which only a temporary suspension of deportation status (Duldung) was issued cannot be taken into account.
• 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 have health insurance in Germany, either in the statutory health insurance system or a comparable private health insurance.
Foreign health insurance is not sufficient. For more information, please read the leaflet.
• Old-age provision
• You have paid contributions to the statutory pension insurance scheme for at least 60 months. Expenses for an entitlement to comparable benefits from a private insurance company or a pension institution are also accepted.
• Periods of absence from work due to childcare or care at home are taken into account accordingly if you were in gainful employment before or after this period.
• Self-employed persons can also prove that they have adequate private pension provision through their own assets or business assets.
• In the case of a domestic partnership in the context of a marriage or same-sex civil partnership, proof of old-age provision can also be provided by the spouse or civil partner.
• In certain cases: No proof of old-age provision required
• If you are age 67 or
• in the event of a physical, mental or psychological illness or disability as determined by a specialist
• No indications of a threat to public safety or order
• 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
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.
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.
• Basic knowledge of the German legal and social order and living conditions in Germany
Basic knowledge is assumed to be present in particular if
• an integration course or the orientation course “Living in Germany” has been successfully completed,
• a school or vocational qualification has been obtained in Germany or
• school or vocational training has been completed in Germany for at least one year.
These basic skills are not required if it is unreasonable to expect the applicant to acquire them due to a permanent physical, mental or psychological illness. A specialist medical certificate is required for this.
• Sufficient living space
You have sufficient living space for yourself and the family members living with you at home.
• 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.
Documents you need
• Application for a permanent settlement permit for persons recognized as entitled to asylum and recognized refugees (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.
• Copy of your current residence title
• 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)
• 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
• For pupils, trainees, students: certificates
• School certificate, training certificate or certificate of enrollment
• Training contract
• All school or vocational school certificates
• Proof of health 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 old-age provision
• Pension information from the German Pension Insurance or
• Proof of entitlement to comparable benefits from another insurance or pension institution
• Proof of income from own assets or business assets
• After vocational training or studies in Germany: Proof of the degree achieved
Certificates
• If you have NOT completed vocational training or a course of study in Germany: Proof of German language skills at level B1 of the CEFR
In particular, the following certificates are possible:
• German test for immigrants
• German certificate or another language diploma
• Final integration course test
• If available: Evidence of knowledge of the German legal and social order
If you have not completed any school or vocational training in Germany, the following proof in particular is possible:
• Final test of an integration course
• Final test of the "Living in Germany" orientation course
• Successfully completed naturalisation test
• In the case of physical, mental or psychological illness or disability: Medical certificate
Forms
• Audit report form (Prüfungsbericht) for self-employed and freelancers www.berlin.de/formularverzeichnis/?formular=/labo/zuwanderun
Fees
None
Legal basis
• Aufenthaltsgesetz (Residence Act, AufenthG) § 26 (4) www.gesetze-im-internet.de/aufenthg_2004/__26.html
Processing time
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.
Further information
• Health insurance leaflet (Berlin Immigration Office) www.berlin.de/einwanderung/_assets/merkblatt_zur_krankenvers
• Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) www.europaeischer-referenzrahmen.de/
• Permanent settlement permit - general (service) service.berlin.de/dienstleistung/121864/en/
• Permanent settlement permit for persons recognized as entitled to asylum and recognized refugees (service) service.berlin.de/dienstleistung/326554/en/
• Certification of tax-related matters (service) service.berlin.de/dienstleistung/324713/en/
Who is responsible
This service can only be used at the Landesamt für Einwanderung (LEA, State Office for Immigration) at the Friedrich-Krause-Ufer location.
Responsible for you
Choose a location; the appointment itself is booked on the original page.
- Landesamt für Einwanderung (LEA)
- LEA, Friedrich-Krause-Ufer
Original
German originalOfficial English page
Service number 352770 · same path as the original: service.berlin.de/dienstleistung/352770/