As a graduate of a German university, you are legally entitled to a residence permit to look for a job.
The residence permit will be issued to you for a maximum of 18 months directly following your studies. If this maximum period was not used up when the permit was first issued, the residence permit can be extended accordingly. However, if you do not find a job during these 18 months, an extension is excluded and you are obliged to leave the federal territory.
This residence permit allows you to work without restriction.
More Information
Publisher
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
Last update or date of publication
Contact
The government service telephone number 115 – your point of contact for questions related to the federal, state and local.
Monday through Friday from 8:00 to 18:00 (and beyond these times in some regions).
Call 115 nowGovernment service telephone number calls are charged at local rates.
- Valid national passport
- Proof of secure means of subsistence (e.g. employment contract and payslips, bank statements, declaration of commitment by a third party)
- Proof of health insurance
- Degree certificate, transcript or certificate from your university confirming successful completion of your studies
- 1 current biometric photo
Please contact your local immigration office to find out whether you need to submit any further documents.
- Forms: Application for a residence permit
- Online procedure possible: no
- Written form required: no
- Personal appearance required: yes
Preconditions
You are in possession of a residence permit for the purpose of seeking employment after successfully completing your studies in Germany. The maximum period of 18 months has not yet been exhausted.
You also meet the general requirements for obtaining a residence permit. These are in particular
- a secure livelihood
- a clarified identity
- possession of a valid national passport.
EUR 93.00 - 96.00
Basis for legal action
§ Section 20 (3) no. 1 and (4) sentence 2 in conjunction with Section 8 of the Act on the Residence, Employment and Integration of Foreigners in the Federal Territory (Residence Act - AufenthG)
Legal Remedies
- Appeal
- Detailed information on how to lodge an appeal can be found in the decision rejecting your application.
- Administrative court action
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Procedure
You can only apply for an extension of a residence permit in person at the foreigners authority responsible for your place of residence.
- You must submit the required documents in the original and pay the application fee.
- The foreigners authority will check whether the requirements for issuing the permit have been met.
- If all requirements are met, the immigration authority will take your biometric data (photo, fingerprints) and order the electronic residence permit (eAT) from Bundesdruckerei GmbH.
- As soon as the eAT is ready, it will be issued to you by the Foreigners' Registration Office.
Deadlines
Application before the current residence permit expires. It is recommended that you apply 4 to 6 weeks before your current residence permit expires.
Processing time
Approximately 5 to 6 weeks, depending on the workload at the local immigration office.