Niederlassungserlaubnis für Inhaber einer Blauen Karte EU beantragen

Do you have an EU Blue Card and have been subject to compulsory insurance in Germany for 33 months? Then you can apply for a permanent settlement permit.

If you have an EU Blue Card, you can apply for a permanent settlement permit. To do so, you must

• have been working with compulsory insurance for at least 33 months and
• have a basic knowledge of German.

The time limit is only 21 months if you have sufficient knowledge of German.

• valid passport
• 1 current biometric passport photo
• Proof of income
• Proof of pension provision
• Proof of health insurance cover
• Rental agreement or purchase contract with details of living space
• Proof of receipt of other benefits (e.g. child benefit, parental allowance, etc.)
• Proof of basic or sufficient knowledge of German
• Successful completion of the "Living in Germany" test

Please note that further proof may be requested in individual cases.

The requirements for a settlement permit for holders of an EU Blue Card are

• written application to the responsible immigration authority
• Valid passport or passport substitute and clarified identity
• Possession of a valid EU Blue Card
• at least 33 months of employment and basic German language skills (level A1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages)

or

• at least 21 months of employment and sufficient German language skills (level B1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages)
• Pension provision (at least 33 or 21 months of compulsory contributions to statutory pension insurance or expenses for an entitlement to comparable benefits)
• secure livelihood through own income
• Sufficient health insurance and adequate living space
• No criminal offenses

Processing can take several weeks, as other authorities are also involved in the procedure.

Since September 1, 2011, you will receive a settlement permit in the form of a check card with additional electronic functions. You can find more information on this at:

You must apply for a settlement permit in writing to the foreigners authority at your main place of residence. Depending on where you live, the foreigners authority is the city administration or the district administration.