How long you wait for an appointment depends heavily on your city or municipality — there is no nationwide figure. We therefore deliberately state only what is legally settled and mark everything else as practice (Praxis). For the full renewal overview, see Renewing your residence permit — the complete guide.
Regardless of the individual authority, renewal usually runs in these steps:
- Secure an appointment — depending on the municipality via an online portal, by email, or via a waiting list.
- File the application — complete the form and submit the documents (in person or, increasingly, digitally).
- Receive a fiction certificate if no decision has been made by the expiry date.
- Biometrics and card production — the electronic residence permit (eAT) is produced by the Bundesdruckerei.
- Collect the new permit.
The sections below explain each step. Note upfront: this sequence is lived practice, not a legally prescribed procedure — each authority organises its own process.
For many, booking the appointment is the hardest part. How it works differs by municipality — three routes are common:
- Online appointment portal: Many cities offer booking via a web portal. Slots are often taken quickly; checking at different times of day or on several days can help.
- Email or contact form: Some authorities accept renewals by email and reply with an appointment or the next steps.
- Waiting list / call-back system: Elsewhere you join a waiting list and are contacted once a slot opens up.
Practice, not law: Waiting times for an appointment vary widely from place to place and across the year. There is no nationwide figure — so do not rely on experiences from other cities, but on the information from your competent authority.
Precisely because of this uncertainty, it pays to act early. Legally, what counts is not the appointment itself but the application — and it must be on file before the permit expires (more below). Where an in-person appointment is only available late, many authorities accept a written application in advance to preserve the deadline; whether and how, it is best to clarify directly with the authority.
How to file a written application that preserves the deadline
A residence permit is issued only upon application (§ 81 (1) AufenthG: "A residence permit is issued to a foreigner only upon his application, unless otherwise provided." — own translation); via § 8 (1) AufenthG this applies to renewal as well. The law prescribes no particular form for this application. Where an in-person appointment only opens up after the expiry date, the application can therefore also be filed in writing in advance. So that the competent authority can assign it, such a letter usually contains:
- the date of the letter,
- name and date of birth,
- details of the previous residence permit (type of permit, validity, file reference if available),
- an explicit request for renewal,
- addressed to the competent immigration authority.
What matters is the point in time at which the application reaches the authority before expiry — the continuation fiction (Fortbestandsfiktion) under § 81 (4) sentence 1 AufenthG attaches to this filing time. Whether a written application suffices to preserve the deadline in the individual case, and what further details it expects, is examined and decided by the competent immigration authority. What the continuation fiction means is explained in Deadlines & Fiktionsbescheinigung.
At the appointment — or in writing beforehand — you file the renewal application and submit the documents. Essentially the same requirements apply to renewal as to first issuance; § 8 (1) AufenthG provides:
"The same provisions apply to the renewal of a residence permit as to its issuance." (own translation of "Auf die Verlängerung der Aufenthaltserlaubnis finden dieselben Vorschriften Anwendung wie auf die Erteilung.")
The appointment usually calls for a fixed core bundle:
- Completed application form of the competent immigration office
- Valid passport (original)
- Current biometric passport photo
- Registration certificate (Meldebescheinigung) / proof of residence
- Proof of secured livelihood (Lebensunterhaltssicherung)
- Health insurance proof
- Permit-specific proofs (depending on the purpose of residence)
Which documents are required in the individual case is set by the competent municipality — the list varies by permit and federal state. The overview grouped by situation is in the document checklist. A complete application speeds up processing and avoids follow-up requests.
If the application is filed on time but the authority has not yet decided by the expiry date, a fiction certificate (Fiktionsbescheinigung) bridges the gap. § 81 (5) AufenthG provides:
"The foreigner shall be issued a certificate of the effect of his application (fiction certificate)." (own translation)
This certificate documents that you remain lawfully resident in Germany while your application is processed. For its issuance, the Residence Ordinance (Aufenthaltsverordnung, AufenthV) sets a fee of €13 in § 47 (1) no. 8.
As a matter of practice, the fiction certificate ticks which fiction applies — the continuation fiction (Fortbestandsfiktion, § 81 (4) AufenthG) for an on-time application, or the permission fiction (Erlaubnisfiktion, § 81 (3) AufenthG). This distinction matters, for example for travel and work during processing. What each means is explained in detail in Deadlines & Fiktionsbescheinigung.
Once the authority has approved the renewal, the new permit is issued as an electronic residence permit (eAT) in credit-card format. For this — where not already done — biometric data (photo, fingerprints) are captured. The card itself is produced by the Bundesdruckerei (Federal Printing Office).
Practice, no fixed figure: After approval, card production usually takes several weeks. There is no legally guaranteed or nationwide-uniform processing time — so plan a buffer and ask the authority once the card should be ready.
Finally, you collect the finished eAT in person from the authority; often a further short appointment is needed. Bring your passport and — if issued — the fiction certificate to the collection. You often receive a PIN letter for the eAT's online ID function separately by post.
However much the appointment takes centre stage, legally what counts is the application before expiry. § 81 (4) sentence 1 AufenthG provides:
"If a foreigner applies before the expiry of his residence permit for its renewal or for a different residence permit, the previous residence permit is deemed to continue from the time of its expiry until the decision." (own translation)
This continuation fiction (Fortbestandsfiktion) applies by operation of law when the application is filed on time (before expiry) — even if the actual appointment only takes place weeks later. If, however, the application is filed only after expiry, this effect does not arise automatically; the authority may then order continuation only "to avoid undue hardship" (§ 81 (4) sentence 3 AufenthG) — a matter of discretion, not an entitlement. What applies to an already expired permit is covered in Residence permit expired — what to do?.
Practical recommendation (not law): Many immigration offices advise arranging the appointment or application a few weeks to around two or three months before expiry, because scheduling takes lead time. Legally, all that counts is that the application is filed before the expiry date.
The following notes are experience from day-to-day dealings with authorities — recommendations, not law:
- Act early. Secure the appointment as soon as the expiry date is foreseeable. If no appointment is available, submit the application in writing to preserve the deadline and ask about the next steps.
- Appear complete. A gap-free application with all proofs avoids follow-up requests and a second appointment.
- Bring copies and originals. Many authorities want to see originals and keep copies.
- Keep confirmations. Booking confirmation, receipt confirmation and fiction certificate all evidence your timely application.
- Arrange language support if needed — some authorities expect you to bring an accompanying person yourself.
civitas. is a private application-assistance service — not a public authority and not a law firm. We provide no legal advice. What we do: we guide you through the details in a structured way, help you complete the application and assemble the document checklist so you can submit completely and on time to your immigration office. The final assessment rests with the authority.
How do I get an appointment at the immigration office?
Depending on the municipality, via an online appointment portal, by email/contact form, or via a waiting list. The routes and waiting times vary widely from place to place — the information from your competent authority is decisive. There is no nationwide figure for waiting times.
Which immigration authority is responsible for me?
The immigration authorities (Ausländerbehörden) have subject-matter competence for residence- and passport-related measures (§ 71 (1) AufenthG). Local competence generally lies with the authority at your habitual residence or place of residence; the specific local competence is governed by state law (Landesrecht) — under § 71 (1) AufenthG, the state governments or the bodies they designate determine which authorities are responsible. If you move to another area of competence, the responsible immigration authority therefore usually changes. Which authority is responsible in your case is communicated to you by the respective municipality.
What if I cannot get an appointment before expiry?
Legally, the application counts, not the appointment. Submit the renewal application before expiry — many authorities accept a written application to preserve the deadline. If the application is filed on time, the continuation fiction under § 81 (4) sentence 1 AufenthG applies.
How long does eAT card production take?
Usually several weeks after approval; the card is produced by the Bundesdruckerei. There is no legally guaranteed or nationwide-uniform deadline — this is a practical figure.
When do I receive a fiction certificate?
When you applied on time but the authority has not yet decided by the expiry date. It documents the effect of your application (§ 81 (5) AufenthG); the fee is €13 (§ 47 (1) no. 8 AufenthV). Details in Deadlines & Fiktionsbescheinigung.
May I work and travel with the fiction certificate?
That depends on which fiction is ticked on the certificate. With the continuation fiction (Fortbestandsfiktion, an on-time renewal application, § 81 (4) sentence 1 AufenthG), your previous residence permit is deemed to continue until the decision — with its existing ancillary provisions, so generally including the employment you were previously allowed to take up. The permission fiction (Erlaubnisfiktion, § 81 (3) AufenthG), by contrast, only secures your lawful stay and does not attach to a continuing permit. Whether and to what extent you may work is stated on the fiction certificate itself (§ 81 (5) AufenthG) — what governs is the entry there, which the competent authority makes. For travel and re-entry, a fiction certificate is not a full residence title; whether a trip is possible depends on the individual case and is decided by the competent authority. What the two fictions mean in detail is explained in Deadlines & Fiktionsbescheinigung.
What do I need to bring to the appointment?
Usually the application form, a valid passport, a biometric passport photo, a registration certificate, proof of secured livelihood, health insurance proof and permit-specific proofs. The final list is set by the competent immigration office — see the document checklist.
Do I have to appear in person for the appointment?
As a rule, yes. The new permit is issued as an electronic residence permit (eAT) — an independent document with an electronic storage and processing medium (§ 78 (1) AufenthG). For this, biometric features are captured: a photo and — from the completed sixth year of age — fingerprints (Art. 4b of Regulation (EC) No 1030/2002 as amended, uniform format for residence permits). Taking these requires appearing in person. Whether and to what extent individual steps (such as filing the application itself) can be done in writing or digitally in advance is set by the competent immigration authority.
Can I handle the renewal online?
Authorities increasingly offer digital routes (online appointment portal, digital application). Whether and to what extent is decided by the individual municipality — there is no nationwide-uniform online procedure.
What does renewal cost?
The fee is set by the Residence Ordinance (AufenthV). The full overview is in Costs & fees. The authority fee is separate from any service costs.
Quellen & Methodik anzeigen
- Residence Act (AufenthG) — § 8 (1) (renewal, same provisions as issuance), § 81 (1) (application requirement; no statutory form prescribed), § 71 (1) (subject-matter competence of the immigration authorities; local competence governed by state law), § 78 (1) (eAT as an independent document with an electronic storage and processing medium — in-person appearance for biometric capture), § 81 (3) (permission fiction), § 81 (4) sentences 1 and 3 (continuation fiction, undue hardship), § 81 (5) (fiction certificate)
- Residence Ordinance (AufenthV) — § 47 (1) no. 8 (fiction-certificate fee)
- Regulation (EC) No 1030/2002 (uniform format for residence permits), Art. 4b as amended — biometric features (photo, fingerprints from the completed sixth year of age)
- Appointment scheduling, processing and card-production times are practice — they vary by municipality and are not stated here as fixed nationwide figures.
- Full statutory texts: gesetze-im-internet.de
As of July 2026. This article does not replace individual legal advice. Appointment scheduling, the process and processing times rest with the competent immigration authority.