Getting an Appointment at the Immigration Office: How It Works in 2026

Appointments are organised by each municipality itself. How long you wait and through which channel you book therefore differs considerably from place to place and fluctuates over the year. There is no nationwide figure for waiting times. Do not rely on the experience of people in other cities, but on the information provided by your competent authority.

The immigration offices have subject-matter jurisdiction for measures under residence law. § 71 Abs. 1 AufenthG provides that the state governments, or the bodies they authorise, determine which authorities are competent. Which authority is responsible for you therefore depends on your place of residence and on the relevant state law.

These four steps have proven themselves in practice. They are recommendations, not a guarantee: whether and when an appointment becomes available is decided by the authority.

1. Identify the competent immigration office. Establish which authority is responsible for your place of residence (§ 71 Abs. 1 AufenthG). If you move, it usually changes — more on this below.
2. Use the online appointment portal. Many cities take bookings through a web portal. Available appointments are often gone quickly; check at different times of day and on several days, because new quotas are released at irregular intervals.
3. Enquire by email or contact form. If nothing is available via the portal, ask in writing how to proceed, stating your name, date of birth, details of your current permit and your request for an extension.
4. File a deadline-preserving written application before expiry. If an appointment only becomes available after the expiry date, submit the application in writing beforehand (see the next section).

Prepare your extension with civitas. →

This is the most important point: in legal terms, the application counts, not the appointment. A residence permit is granted only upon application. § 81 Abs. 1 AufenthG provides:

"A residence title shall be granted to a foreigner only upon his application, unless otherwise stipulated."

Via § 8 Abs. 1 AufenthG, the same applies to an extension. The law does not prescribe any particular form for the application. Where an in-person appointment only becomes available after the expiry date, the application can therefore also be filed in writing in advance. Such a letter usually contains:

• the date of the letter,
• name and date of birth,
• details of the current residence permit (type, validity, file reference where applicable),
• the express request for an extension,
• addressed to the competent immigration office.

What is decisive is the point in time at which the application reaches the authority before expiry. The continued-effect fiction attaches to this point in time. § 81 Abs. 4 Satz 1 AufenthG provides:

"If a foreigner applies for an extension of his residence title or for the granting of a different residence title before his residence title expires, the previous residence title shall be deemed to continue in effect from the time of its expiry until the decision of the immigration authority."

If the application has been filed in time, the previous permit is therefore deemed to continue in effect until a decision is made, even if the in-person appointment only takes place weeks later. Whether a written application suffices to preserve the deadline in an individual case, and which further details the authority expects, is decided by the competent immigration office. What the continued-effect fiction means and which Fiktionsbescheinigung you receive is explained in Deadlines & Fiktionsbescheinigung.

Practical recommendation (not a statutory rule): become active early, as soon as the expiry date is foreseeable. Many authorities advise attending to the matter a few weeks to around two or three months before expiry, because appointment allocation requires lead time. In legal terms, all that counts is that the application is filed before the expiry date.

Secure every step in writing: the booking confirmation for the appointment, the acknowledgement of receipt of your written application and, later, the Fiktionsbescheinigung. This evidence demonstrates that your application reached the authority in time, and thus the basis for the continued-effect fiction.

We do not allocate appointments. What we do: we guide you through the required details in a structured way, help you complete the application and compile the documents so that you can submit them in full and on time to your immigration office. The allocation of appointments and the decision rest with the authority.

Prepare your extension application with civitas. →

What do I do if I cannot get an appointment before expiry?

In legal terms, the application counts, not the appointment. Submit the extension application before expiry. Many authorities accept a deadline-preserving written application for this purpose. If the application is filed in time, your previous permit is deemed to continue in effect until a decision is made (§ 81 Abs. 4 Satz 1 AufenthG).

How do I get an appointment at the immigration office?

Depending on the municipality, via an online appointment portal, by email or contact form, or through a waiting list. Channels and waiting times differ considerably from place to place; what is authoritative is the information provided by your competent authority. There is no nationwide figure for waiting times.

What is a deadline-preserving written application?

An informal letter to the competent immigration office by which you expressly apply for an extension before your permit expires. Since the law does not prescribe any particular form for the application (§ 81 Abs. 1 AufenthG), it can also be filed in writing. What is decisive is that it reaches the authority before expiry. Whether it suffices to preserve the deadline in an individual case is decided by the authority.

Which immigration office is responsible for me?

The immigration offices have subject-matter jurisdiction; which authority has local jurisdiction is governed by state law (§ 71 Abs. 1 AufenthG). In principle, the authority at your habitual residence or domicile is responsible. After moving, it usually changes — see Competent authority after moving.

Does my residence permit lapse if the appointment is only after the expiry date?

No, provided your application was filed before expiry. In that case the previous permit is deemed to continue in effect until the authority decides (§ 81 Abs. 4 Satz 1 AufenthG), even if the in-person appointment takes place later. For the interim period you will usually receive a Fiktionsbescheinigung (§ 81 Abs. 5 AufenthG).

Can civitas. obtain an appointment for me?

No. The allocation of appointments rests solely with the competent immigration office. We help you prepare the application in full and submit it in time, including as a deadline-preserving written application.

What should I bring to the appointment?

As a rule, the application form, a valid passport, a biometric passport photograph, the registration certificate, evidence of secured subsistence, proof of health insurance and permit-specific evidence. The definitive list is determined by your immigration office. An overview is available in the document checklist.