How to deal with the Ausländerbehörde in Germany

Which office is yours and how to get in

Your Ausländerbehörde depends on your registered address. That means a city office (Berlin LEA, KVR Munich, Hamburg Amt für Migration) or a district office (Landratsamt) in smaller places. Register your address first. See our Anmeldung guide. Many cities have a separate service team for skilled workers and Blue Card holders, such as the Business Immigration Service in Berlin and the Welcome Center in Hamburg. Ask HR whether you qualify.

Booking depends on the office:

• Online application first: you upload documents, the office checks them and sends you an appointment. This is now the norm in Berlin and many large cities.
• Online calendar: slots are released at set times. Check early in the morning.
• Email or contact form: common in smaller offices. One clear email with all PDFs gets a faster reply than several short ones.

Emails that get answers. Write in German if you can, or in simple English. Our letter templates include ready-made German versions. Put everything in the subject line:

Antrag auf Verlängerung – Blaue Karte EU – [Surname, First name] – geb. [DD.MM.YYYY] – Ablauf [DD.MM.YYYY]

• First line: your file number (Aktenzeichen), if you have one.
• Say clearly what you want: an extension, settlement permit, Fiktionsbescheinigung or appointment.
• Attach all documents as a few named PDFs, not dozens of phone photos.
• Send one follow-up after two to three weeks, quoting your first email. Do not open new threads every few days.

Berlin LEA specifics

Berlin's Landesamt für Einwanderung (LEA) has permanently switched off its old online appointment calendar. For most services you now submit an online application on berlin.de/einwanderung. The responsible team reviews it and invites you to an appointment. Where no online form exists, you use the LEA contact form to ask for an appointment.

If your permit is about to expire and you cannot get an appointment, use the online application or contact form before the expiry date, and save the confirmation email or PDF. That proves you applied in time. A Fiktionsbescheinigung is issued only when an application is pending and the office cannot decide at the visit, and only while your stay is still lawful. It is not available to people on a Schengen (C) visa.

Blue Card and skilled-worker cases in Berlin go to the Business Immigration Service. Your employer can also start the §81a fast-track procedure there before you arrive.

Fiktionsbescheinigung: your safety net

If you apply for an extension or a new permit before your current one expires, §81(4) AufenthG treats your old permit as continuing until the office decides. Your right to work continues on the same terms. The Fiktionsbescheinigung is the paper that proves this. It costs €13.

• Ask for it if your card expires before your appointment or decision.
• Check which box is ticked. The §81(4) version continues your old permit. The §81(3) version only allows a temporary stay and does not cover travel.
• Show it to your employer's HR. Without it, payroll may stop paying you after your card expires.
• If you travel, carry it with your passport and old card. Re-entry with the §81(4) version is generally possible, but check with your office before flying.

What to bring to any appointment

• Passport and current residence card (or visa)
• One biometric photo, 35×45 mm, not older than six months
• Completed application form, signed
• Anmeldung certificate and rental contract
• Employment contract, recent employer certificate and last three payslips
• Health insurance certificate
• Degree and recognition proof (anabin printout or ZAB statement) for Blue Card or §18b
• Marriage and birth certificates for family members
• EC card or cash for fees. Some offices accept card only

Bring originals and copies. Staff often keep copies but must see originals. Our checklist generator lists extras by permit type.

Getting your eAT card

Most permits are issued as an electronic residence card (eAT). Your fingerprints and photo are taken at the appointment. The card is produced by the Bundesdruckerei. You receive a PIN letter by post, and the office tells you when to collect the card. Munich advises booking pickup at least 5 weeks later, and Stuttgart 6 weeks if you gave no email address. Bring your passport, any old card and the PIN letter. If the PIN letter never arrives, you must collect in person. A representative can collect with a written power of attorney. Until then, the office can put a temporary paper confirmation in your passport.

Changing address, job or family situation

• New address: register at the Bürgeramt within 14 days. In many cities the address on your eAT is updated there too. If you move to another district, your file moves to the new Ausländerbehörde.
• New job on a Blue Card: in the first 12 months, notify the office before you switch. It can suspend the change for up to 30 days to check the new job meets Blue Card rules. After 12 months no approval is needed, but report changes your permit depends on. If your job ends, see what to do after losing a job.
• Other work permits (§18a/§18b): check the conditions printed on your card. Some name a specific employer, and a change needs approval first.
• Marriage, birth, divorce: tell the office and apply for permits for family members in good time.

Refusals, remonstration and appeals

If something looks wrong, such as a missing document request or a misunderstanding, write a polite remonstration (informal objection) first. Explain and attach proof. This often fixes things without a formal procedure.

A formal refusal (Bescheid) ends with instructions on how to challenge it (Rechtsbehelfsbelehrung). Depending on the state, it is either an objection (Widerspruch) to the office or a lawsuit (Klage) at the administrative court (Verwaltungsgericht). The deadline is usually one month from delivery. If your status depends on it, contact a migration lawyer or advice centre immediately. Court action in urgent cases often needs an emergency application too. Our legal awareness page lists free advice options.

If the office simply does not decide, you may be able to sue for inaction (Untätigkeitsklage) after three months, under §75 of the administrative court code. Use this as a last resort.

Common mistakes

• Letting a card expire before applying. You lose the §81(4) protection, and your stay can become unlawful.
• Only phoning. Calls leave no record. Always follow up in writing, or use the online form.
• Starting a new job too early. Check whether your permit is tied to an employer and whether a notification period applies.
• Ignoring a letter's deadline. Missing documents requested by a date can lead to refusal. Reply even if you need more time.
• Travelling on the wrong Fiktionsbescheinigung. The §81(3) version does not cover re-entry.

Step by step

1. Find your officeCheck which Ausländerbehörde covers your registered address, and whether a skilled-worker service team handles your case.
2. Apply before expirySubmit the online application or email 6–8 weeks before your permit ends and save the confirmation.
3. Prepare a complete fileScan passport, card, contract, payslips, insurance, Anmeldung and recognition documents into clearly named PDFs.
4. Ask for a FiktionsbescheinigungIf your card will expire before a decision, request the §81(4) certificate for €13.
5. Attend the appointmentBring originals, copies, a biometric photo and payment for the fee.
6. Collect your eATWait for the PIN letter and pickup notice, then collect the card with your passport.
7. Report changesRegister a move within 14 days and notify the office of job or family changes your permit depends on.

Questions people ask

Official sources

• §81 AufenthG – Application for a residence title
• §45 AufenthV – Fees for residence permits
• §44 AufenthV – Fees for settlement permits
• Berlin LEA – Fiktionsbescheinigung
• Landesamt für Einwanderung Berlin
• Make it in Germany – Residence permit
• §75 VwGO – Action for failure to act

Checked against these sources on 14 October 2026. Rules and fees change; confirm with the authority before you apply.