Residence permit renewal: costs & fees 2026 (AufenthV)

The central provision is § 45 AufenthV. For renewing a residence permit, the ordinance distinguishes by how long the renewal runs for:

The point that surprises at first glance: a renewal of more than three months at €93 is cheaper than a renewal of up to three months at €96. This is not a suspected miscalculation — it is how the fee schedule is set. Which case applies to you is decided by the immigration office based on the period of validity granted.

Where a permit is not renewed but issued for the first time, the rates of § 45 AufenthV also apply:

First issuance at €100 is thus slightly more expensive than a plain renewal. Separate rates apply to the mobile ICT Card (issuance €80, renewal €70).

Two common ancillary fees arise in the renewal process — both set by § 47 (1) AufenthV:

The fiction certificate (€13) is the proof that your application has triggered a continuation or permission fiction and that you are lawfully resident in Germany while it is processed. When it is issued and what it does is explained in Deadlines & Fiktionsbescheinigung.

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The settlement permit (Niederlassungserlaubnis) is the unlimited residence title and therefore often the next step after several renewals. Its fees are set by § 44 AufenthV:

Which requirements apply to a settlement permit (§ 9 AufenthG) is explained in Settlement permit: requirements.

The residence title is issued as an electronic residence permit (elektronischer Aufenthaltstitel, eAT) on a chip card (§ 78 (1) AufenthG). This card has a technical validity period — with an unlimited title (settlement permit), it is the card that expires, not the title itself. Where the document has to be reissued even though the title continues, the fee is set by § 45c AufenthV:

Under the wording of § 45c (1) AufenthV, the €67 apply where the reissuance becomes necessary due to

• the expiry of the validity of the previous passport or passport-replacement document (no. 1),
• the expiry of the technical card validity period or another change to the data listed in § 78 (1) sentence 3 AufenthG (no. 2),
• the loss of the document (no. 3),
• the loss of the technical functionality of the chip (no. 4), or
• an application under § 105b sentence 2 AufenthG (no. 5).

For the defect case (no. 4), § 45c (2) AufenthV provides that the fee is waived "where the foreign national did not cause the defect through improper use or improper handling". This reissuance is distinct from the actual renewal of the title — it concerns the document alone. Whether a reissuance is required in an individual case, and which fee is set, is decided by the competent immigration authority. What to do if the card has already expired is explained in Permit expired.

For association-eligible Turkish nationals — derived from the EEC/Turkey association law (ARB 1/80) and the standstill clause — § 52a AufenthV provides for a reduced fee. For permits under §§ 44–45 AufenthV and others, only

"a fee at the level of the fee charged to Germans for issuing an identity card" (own translation of "eine Gebühr in Höhe der für die Ausstellung von Personalausweisen an Deutsche erhobenen Gebühr")

is levied; for people under 24, the correspondingly lower rate. In certain cases (e.g. § 45b (2) or § 47 (1) no. 11 AufenthV) the fee is €8. Association-eligible persons are even fully exempt from some fees — under § 52a (3) no. 2 AufenthV, among others from the fee for the Fiktionsbescheinigung (§ 47 (1) no. 8).

The amount is therefore tied to the current identity-card fee (Personalausweis) — not to a fixed euro figure in the AufenthV. The following rates currently apply to the German identity card (Identity Card Fees Ordinance, PAuswGebV):

Important: The €46 and €27.60 are the current fee for the identity card to which § 52a AufenthV refers — they are not a standalone AufenthV figure. If the legislator changes the identity-card fee, the amount decisive under § 52a changes too. Whether the requirements of § 52a apply in your case is decided conclusively by the competent immigration authority.

Besides the special rule for association-eligible Turkish nationals (§ 52a), the AufenthV provides two further routes to reduced or waived fees:

• § 52 AufenthV — fee exemptions and reductions for certain groups. The provision exempts or relieves, among others, family members of Germans (such as spouses, civil partners and minor unmarried children of Germans), recognised beneficiaries of protection, scholarship holders, and certain pupils, students and researchers. Whether your situation falls under one of these case groups follows from the wording of § 52 AufenthV — the classification is made by the competent immigration authority.
• § 53 AufenthV — exemption and reduction on equitable grounds. Foreign nationals who can only cover their livelihood through social benefits are exempt from certain fees under § 53 (1) AufenthV. In addition, fees may be reduced or waived entirely under § 53 (2) AufenthV "where this is warranted with regard to the economic circumstances of the person liable to pay the fee in Germany". This is a case-by-case decision by the authority, not an automatic entitlement.

The AufenthV does not provide a blanket discount for children or minors on the renewal itself. Whether an exemption or reduction applies in an individual case is examined solely by the competent immigration authority under §§ 52, 53 AufenthV.

All the amounts named in this article are administrative fees of the immigration authority under the AufenthV. They are separate from any service costs — for example if you have your application assembled with help. What preparation with civitas. costs is set out transparently at civitas. pricing; the official fee is always paid directly to the authority.

civitas. is a private application-assistance service — not a public authority and not a law firm. We provide no legal advice and set no fees; we help you complete and assemble the application. The fee assessment and the decision rest solely with the immigration authority.

What does renewing a residence permit cost?

Under § 45 AufenthV, €93 for a renewal of more than 3 months and €96 for a renewal of up to 3 months. A change of purpose combined with the renewal costs €98.

Why is the shorter renewal more expensive?

That is how § 45 AufenthV is set: a renewal of up to three months costs €96, one of more than three months €93. Which case applies depends on the period of validity granted.

What does the fiction certificate cost?

€13 under § 47 (1) no. 8 AufenthV. It documents the effect of your application under § 81 (5) AufenthG.

Do I pay the €13 again for each new fiction certificate?

The fee under § 47 (1) no. 8 AufenthV is charged "for issuing a fiction certificate" — that is, per issuance. A fiction certificate is issued for a limited period; if processing the renewal application takes longer, the immigration authority may issue a new fiction certificate, for which the fee applies again. For association-eligible Turkish nationals the exemption already mentioned under § 52a (3) no. 2 AufenthV applies — they are exempt from the fiction-certificate fee. Whether and how often a fiction certificate is issued is decided by the competent immigration authority.

What does the settlement permit cost?

Under § 44 AufenthV, €113 in the other cases, €124 for the self-employed (§ 21 (4) AufenthG) and €147 for the highly qualified (§ 18c (3) AufenthG).

Do Turkish nationals pay less?

Association-eligible Turkish nationals pay only a fee at the level of the identity-card fee under § 52a AufenthV — currently €46, or €27.60 for those under 24 (under the Identity Card Fees Ordinance). Whether the requirements are met is decided by the immigration authority.

Do children or minors pay less?

The AufenthV does not provide a blanket discount for children or minors on the renewal itself. There are, however, targeted exemptions and reductions: § 52 AufenthV relieves certain groups (including minor unmarried children of Germans, beneficiaries of protection, scholarship holders), and § 53 AufenthV provides for exemption where livelihood depends on social benefits, as well as a reduction on equitable grounds. Whether one of these rules applies is examined by the competent immigration authority in the individual case.

What does it cost if my eAT is lost or the card expires?

Reissuing the eAT document costs €67 under § 45c (1) AufenthV — for example on loss, on expiry of the technical card validity period (the card expires while an unlimited title continues), or on a change of data. If the chip became defective without improper use, the fee is waived under § 45c (2) AufenthV. This reissuance concerns the document alone and is not a renewal of the title. The assessment in the individual case is made by the competent immigration authority.

Do I still have to pay the fee if my application is refused?

The administrative fee covers the processing of your application, not its success. Under § 69 (1) AufenthG, fees are levied for individually attributable public services under the Residence Act and the ordinances issued to implement it (i.e. the AufenthV) — the fee therefore compensates the official act itself and is generally due regardless of the outcome of the procedure. Whether, and at what level, a fee is set in an individual case is decided solely by the competent immigration authority.

Is the authority fee included in the civitas. price?

No. The official fee under the AufenthV is paid directly to the authority; it is separate from any service costs. Our pricing is at civitas. pricing.