Settlement permit (Niederlassungserlaubnis): requirements under § 9 AufenthG (2026)

The starting point is in § 9 (1) AufenthG:

"The settlement permit is a permanent residence title. It may be attached with a secondary provision only in the cases expressly permitted by this Act." (own translation of "Die Niederlassungserlaubnis ist ein unbefristeter Aufenthaltstitel. Sie kann nur in den durch dieses Gesetz ausdrücklich zugelassenen Fällen mit einer Nebenbestimmung versehen werden.")

Unlike the temporary residence permit, the settlement permit is therefore no longer tied to a specific purpose such as study or a particular job, and it does not need to be renewed regularly. It generally entitles the holder to reside and to work without a time limit.

Exactly how the two titles differ for the five-year naturalisation clock — and why a settlement permit is not strictly required for § 10 StAG — is covered in the separate comparison Residence vs. settlement permit. This article focuses on the requirements of § 9 in detail.

The core is the catalogue in § 9 (2) AufenthG. A foreigner receives the settlement permit if (verbatim German quoted, own translation):

1. "he has held the residence permit for five years" ("er seit fünf Jahren die Aufenthaltserlaubnis besitzt"),
2. "his livelihood is secured" ("sein Lebensunterhalt gesichert ist"),
3. "he has paid at least 60 months of compulsory or voluntary contributions to the statutory pension insurance" ("er mindestens 60 Monate Pflichtbeiträge oder freiwillige Beiträge zur gesetzlichen Rentenversicherung geleistet hat") (…),
4. no grounds of public security or order stand in the way (keine Gründe der öffentlichen Sicherheit oder Ordnung entgegenstehen),
5. "employment is permitted to him, in so far as he is an employee" ("ihm die Beschäftigung erlaubt ist, sofern er Arbeitnehmer ist"),
6. "he holds the other permits required for a permanent pursuit of his economic activity" ("er im Besitz der sonstigen für eine dauernde Ausübung seiner Erwerbstätigkeit erforderlichen Erlaubnisse ist"),
7. "he has sufficient knowledge of the German language" ("er über ausreichende Kenntnisse der deutschen Sprache verfügt"),
8. "he has basic knowledge of the legal and social order and the living conditions … " ("er über Grundkenntnisse der Rechts- und Gesellschaftsordnung und der Lebensverhältnisse … verfügt"),
9. "he has sufficient living space for himself and his … family members" ("er über ausreichenden Wohnraum für sich und seine … Familienangehörigen verfügt").

These nine points fall into groups:

Prior residence and economic security (no. 1–3)

• No. 1 — five years of residence permit. A prior residence of five years on a residence permit is required. A continuous, promptly renewed residence permit is the basis for this — how renewal works is explained in Renewing your residence permit.
• No. 2 — secured livelihood. The livelihood must be secured, i.e. generally met without drawing public benefits. What "securing the livelihood" means is explored in Securing your livelihood.
• No. 3 — 60 months of pension contributions. At least 60 months of compulsory or voluntary contributions to the statutory pension insurance are required.

Public security and economic activity (no. 4–6)

• No. 4 — no grounds of public security or order may stand in the way.
• No. 5 — for employees, the employment must be permitted.
• No. 6 — any other permits required for a permanent economic activity must be held.

Integration and living space (no. 7–9)

• No. 7 — sufficient German language skills. "Sufficient" is a term defined by statute. § 2 (11) AufenthG states:

  "Sufficient German language skills correspond to level B 1 …" (own translation of "Ausreichende deutsche Sprachkenntnisse entsprechen dem Niveau B 1 …")

  For the settlement permit under § 9 (2) no. 7, the decisive level is therefore generally B1 of the Common European Framework of Reference. (For orientation: "simple" skills correspond to level A1 under § 2 (9), and "adequate" skills to level A2 under § 2 (10).)

• No. 8 — basic knowledge of the legal and social order and of living conditions in Germany.

• No. 9 — sufficient living space for the applicant and the family members living with them in the household.

Whether all of these requirements are met in a specific case is decided by the conclusive assessment by the competent immigration authority (die abschließende Prüfung durch die Behörde). This article describes the legal position in general and does not replace an individual assessment.

The path to naturalisation — the four stages at a glance →

For spouses living in a marital union, § 9 (3) AufenthG provides relief: it is sufficient if the requirements under no. 3 (60 months of pension contributions), no. 5 (permitted employment) and no. 6 (other permits) are met by one of the two spouses. This lets spouses benefit who cannot themselves show 60 months of pension contributions — for example because they cared for children — provided the other spouse covers those points. The remaining requirements (including language, livelihood, living space) still have to be met per person.

§ 9 (4) AufenthG provides that certain earlier residence periods can be credited — for example periods of a preceding stay. However, upper limits apply to the crediting, and periods abroad have different effects. Because the exact crediting limits depend on the individual case, we deliberately state no fixed month figures here — the specific calculation is done by the competent immigration authority. Anyone who wants to know whether particular prior periods are credited should clarify this there.

Alongside the standard route of § 9, there are shorter deadlines for skilled workers. § 18c AufenthG contains its own settlement permits with reduced waiting periods:

On these routes too, the other requirements of § 9 (2) must generally be met (for example a secured livelihood). Which route applies in an individual case depends on qualification and title and is not a question this article answers for you — that is assessed by the immigration authority. An overview of the title categories is in Residence vs. settlement permit.

Fees are set by the Residence Ordinance (Aufenthaltsverordnung, AufenthV). For the settlement permit, § 44 AufenthV provides:

This authority fee is separate from any service costs for fill-in help.

A common misunderstanding: the settlement permit and naturalisation are not the same thing.

• The settlement permit is a permanent right of residence in Germany. But whoever holds it remains a national of their previous country and keeps their foreign passport. It is a residence title — not a change of status to citizenship.
• Naturalisation, by contrast, confers German citizenship with all its rights (including the right to vote, a German passport, and EU freedom of movement as a Union citizen). It is governed by the Nationality Act (Staatsangehörigkeitsgesetz, StAG), not the AufenthG.

The two are connected: the settlement permit is a stage on the path to naturalisation. § 10 (1) StAG requires, alongside five years of lawful habitual residence, a qualifying title — and expressly names a permanent right of residence (unbefristetes Aufenthaltsrecht):

"a permanent right of residence or, as a national of Switzerland … a residence permit on the basis of the Agreement of 21 June 1999 …" (own translation of "ein unbefristetes Aufenthaltsrecht oder als Staatsangehöriger der Schweiz … eine Aufenthaltserlaubnis auf Grund des Abkommens vom 21. Juni 1999 …")

A settlement permit satisfies this title requirement. But note: for the five-year clock of § 10 StAG, lawful habitual residence already suffices — a settlement permit is not required in every case. Which titles count for the naturalisation clock is covered in detail in Residence vs. settlement permit and in the naturalisation requirements. Whether, in an individual case, it makes sense to obtain the settlement permit first or to apply directly for naturalisation is assessed by the competent authority.

The settlement permit is applied for at the competent immigration authority (Ausländerbehörde), usually with an official form and the evidence for the requirements of § 9 (2) (pension record, B1 language certificate, proof of income and living space). Which documents are required in detail is set by the competent authority; the list varies by federal state and municipality. civitas. is a private service provider and not a public authority: we provide general information and help you complete and assemble the application — the conclusive assessment and decision rest with the immigration authority.

What is the settlement permit?

A permanent residence title under § 9 (1) AufenthG. It entitles the holder to permanent residence and economic activity and — unlike the temporary residence permit — does not have to be renewed.

Which requirements apply under § 9 AufenthG?

§ 9 (2) lists nine points: five years of residence permit, secured livelihood, 60 months of pension contributions, no grounds of public security/order, permitted employment, other required permits, sufficient German skills (B1), basic knowledge of the legal and social order, and sufficient living space. Whether they are met is assessed by the immigration authority.

Which language level do I need for the settlement permit?

Generally B1. § 9 (2) no. 7 requires "sufficient" German skills, and § 2 (11) AufenthG defines "sufficient German language skills" as level B 1.

Can the settlement permit be obtained faster than after five years?

For skilled workers, yes: § 18c AufenthG provides shorter deadlines — as a rule 36 months, or 24 months with vocational training/a degree completed in Germany; with an EU Blue Card 27 months, or 21 months with sufficient German skills (B1).

Is the settlement permit the same as naturalisation?

No. The settlement permit is a permanent right of residence; the person keeps their foreign passport. Naturalisation confers German citizenship under the StAG. The settlement permit can be a stage on the path towards it.

Do I need a settlement permit before naturalisation?

Not necessarily. For the five-year clock of § 10 StAG, lawful habitual residence counts; a permanent right of residence satisfies the title requirement under § 10 (1) no. 2, but is not a condition in every case. Details: Residence vs. settlement permit.

What does the settlement permit cost?

Under § 44 AufenthV, as a rule €113, €124 for self-employed persons and €147 for highly qualified persons. This authority fee is separate from any service costs.