GermanySimple Moving to and living in Germany

Find your route

3 quick steps

Change your route

Choose another situation to get a new action plan

Your situation

Extend your residence permit

Selected criteria

  1. I already live in Germany
  2. Residence permits, documents and citizenship
  3. Extend my residence permit

Start extending your residence permit by checking your current card, passport and the basis on which you live in Germany. This scenario helps you create a practical plan: understand what to prove to the authorities, prepare documents and respond calmly to requests. First, compare your actual circumstances with the conditions of your status—work, studies, family circumstances or another purpose of stay. Then gather up-to-date proof of your address, insurance, income and the basis for your stay. Submit your application and monitor messages from the Ausländerbehörde: the authority may request additional documents, which requires a careful response. If your card is close to expiry, a decision is delayed, you plan to travel or your circumstances change significantly, check the wording in your document and seek individual advice.

Plan overview

A practical route for preparing to extend your residence permit, managing documents and acting while awaiting a decision.

What to do step by step

  1. 1

    Check your current status and the basis for your permit

    Check the expiry date of your card and passport, and make sure the purpose of your stay and the supporting circumstances still apply.

    Articles for this step

    How to Keep Your Residence Permit in Germany: What the Ausländerbehörde Checks Residence Permit in Germany in 2026: Grounds, Documents, and Renewal
  2. 2

    Gather up-to-date evidence

    Prepare documents for your address, insurance, income and basis for stay; make sure the information does not conflict.

    Articles for this step

    Why Ausländerbehörde asks for additional residence permit documents What happens if you live in Germany without health insurance?
  3. 3

    Respond to requests from the authorities

    If the Ausländerbehörde requests additional documents, clarify exactly what to send and keep proof of submission.

    Articles for this step

    Why Ausländerbehörde asks for additional residence permit documents
  4. 4

    Clarify your status while awaiting a decision

    If your application is being processed, check separately whether you need a document confirming temporary status and what endorsements it contains.

    Articles for this step

    Fiktionsbescheinigung in Germany: Temporary Proof of Status under Section 81 AufenthG
  5. 5

    Document the wait and get help if it takes too long

    Keep proof of submission and correspondence; if there is no response for a long time, first check that your file is complete and assess next steps with a specialist.

    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
  6. 6

    Plan your next status separately if you have § 24

    If you are under temporary protection and want to stay long term, assess a possible switch to another status in advance.

    Articles for this step

    § 24 until 2027: what the extension of temporary protection in Germany means and why it is important to prepare your next status

Important notes

  • Before travelling or starting work with a temporary document, check its legal basis and all endorsements.
  • A request for additional documents does not by itself mean a refusal.
  • Check that your proof of insurance is current and suitable for your case.

Common mistakes

  • Treating a general document list as a guarantee
  • Treating a lawsuit as an automatic solution