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Your situation

Change the basis of your residence permit

Selected criteria

  1. I already live in Germany
  2. Residence permits, documents and citizenship
  3. Change the purpose of my residence permit

Changing the basis of your residence permit requires not only choosing a new option but also checking how it fits with your current status and documents. This page helps you prepare the transition step by step: describe your goal, compare suitable bases, collect evidence and contact the Ausländerbehörde in time. It includes guidance for different starting situations: temporary protection, the Chancenkarte and other current residence permits. Options for self-employment and residence based on financial independence are considered separately, so you do not need to choose them all at once. Use only the cards that match your plan. Before applying, check that documents are current, the conditions of the chosen basis and the notes in documents issued to you. If the situation depends on the expiry of your current status, family circumstances or an authority decision, individual advice can be useful.

Plan overview

Identify a suitable new basis, prepare documents and monitor your status until the authority decides.

What to do step by step

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3

    Collect a consistent document package

    Check whether your documents support your address, insurance, income, qualifications and chosen purpose of residence.

    Articles for this step

    Why Ausländerbehörde asks for additional residence permit documents
  4. 4

    Apply and keep confirmations

    Monitor the expiry of your current status, keep proof of submission and read notes in documents issued by the authority carefully.

    Articles for this step

    Fiktionsbescheinigung in Germany: Temporary Proof of Status under Section 81 AufenthG How You Can Lose a German Residence Permit: Reasons, Deadlines, and a Checklist for Protecting Your Status
  5. 5

    Request the case status in writing if it is delayed

    If there is no decision for a long time, collect proof of submission and check whether the authority has requested additional documents.

    Articles for this step

    No response regarding a German residence permit or citizenship: what to do and when an action for failure to act is possible

Important notes

  • A new status does not arise automatically: it is assessed based on the chosen basis and your document package.
  • An extension of temporary protection does not replace preparing your next status.
  • Check the specific notes in your Fiktionsbescheinigung before working or travelling.

Common mistakes

  • Treat a general document list as a guarantee
  • Delay preparing the transition
  • Treat a lawsuit as a way to obtain a residence permit automatically