How does the immigration office in Berlin work?

The immigration office in Berlin is on hand to deal with your visa and valid residence permit.

Marle

10 minute read

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Updated on 16 Sep 2026

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Living

The immigration office in Berlin — officially the Landesamt für Einwanderung (LEA), still widely called the Ausländerbehörde — is where non-EU citizens book an appointment to get or renew a German residence permit, student visa, or work visa. The immigration office (Ausländerbehörde) in Berlin is where you can easily get a German residence permit or renew your student or work visa. It's your lynchpin as a non-EU citizen to getting settled in Germany!

While you get settled, it’s a smart move to check the cost of living in Berlin so you can budget for rent, deposits, and everyday expenses while waiting for your paperwork.

But how exactly do things work at the immigration office in Berlin? And much more than that, how do you make an appointment there? So many questions to which we got the answers.

• For students: book your residence permit appointment online at service.berlin.de as early as possible — slots fill up fast, especially before semester start.
• For young professionals and expats: bring your employment contract, proof of health insurance, and Anmeldebestätigung (registration confirmation) to every appointment — missing documents are the top reason for delays.
• For everyone: you can visit without an appointment early Monday, Tuesday, or Thursday morning, but expect long queues and no guarantee of being seen.
• The immigration office (Ausländerbehörde/LEA) decides on your residence status; the Federal Foreign Office (Auswärtiges Amt) does not influence that decision.
• Processing times vary widely — from a few weeks to several months — so apply for extensions well before your current permit expires.
• Non-German speakers can request English-language support, but bring a translator or translated documents for anything not issued in English or German.

Two terms that are so similar and yet have different functions. The immigration office is in charge of the decisions relating to your stay in Germany. They issue your residence permit, decide on your settlement permit and, in extreme cases, are also responsible for expulsion or deportation.

Apart from that, immigration offices are no subordinate offices of the Federal Foreign Office. This means that the Federal Foreign Office has no influence on the decision of the immigration office. As a matter of fact, the immigration authorities of the various federal states are always subordinate to the technical supervision of the interior ministries and senators of the federal states.

The immigration office in Berlin finds answers to a number of your concerns, such as your immigration, departure, residence, extension of residence permits, employment, possible problem situations such as lost or stolen passports, delayed departure due to illness and similar.

Before you arrive in Germany: apply for your visa

Before you arrive in Germany, you need to take some steps at the foreign mission in your home country:

• Short stay (max. 90 days): Nationals of some countries are required to have a visa for a short stay, in which case you can apply for a Schengen visa (visa category C) at the Germany embassy or consolate in your home country. If you aren't coming from any of the countries listed, you don't need a short-stay visa.
• Longer stay (more than 90 days): Nationals of the listed countries need a national visa (visa category D) to enter Germany, for which you apply at the German embassy or consulate in your home country.

If you're coming from Andorra, Australia, Brazil, El Salvador, Honduras, Israel, Japan, Canada, Monaco, New Zealand, Republic of Korea (South Korea), San Marino or the US, you can apply for a residence permit without a visa. This is because your home country has an "visa waiver" agreement with Germany.

Once you've arrived: apply for your residence permit and Blue Card (EU)

So you've finally moved to Berlin? Once you have arrived, you can apply for your residence permit at the immigration office in Berlin.

You:

• immigrated to Germany and now live in Berlin?
• your stay is longer than 3 months?
• not from the EU or Iceland, Liechtenstein or Norway?

Was your answer to all "yes"? Then it's time for you to apply for a residence permit!

When locking down your new address for registration at the Bürgeramt, it’s helpful to compare the best neighborhoods to live in Berlin — factors like commute, budget, and vibe make a big difference to your settling-in experience.

Where to live in Berlin?

If you want to stay close to admin services or government offices, you can discover what it’s like to live in Berlin-Mitte — a popular choice for newcomers. Or, if you’re looking for a more creative scene, explore Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg and see if it fits your day-to-day.

Applying for a permanent residence permit

Once you've had a temporary residence permit for several years, you can switch to an unlimited residence permit, i.e. a settlement permit or permanent residence permit. The good thing about it is that you can pursue any occupation! And your residence title isn't limited to time or place. What a relief!

There are 3 steps you need to take before applying for a residence title: 1. Book your appointment in good time at the State Immigration Office 2. Register in Berlin at the Bürgeramt Berlin. 3. Take all your necessary documents with you to your appointment.

This also applies, if you want to extend your residence permit.

You can go to the immigration office in Berlin either with or without an appointment. Our advice? Make an appointment, it saves you time and stress.

Going to the immigration office in Berlin with an appointment will save you a lot of time. In fact, you can be confident that your turn will come! That's what you have to do:

1. Visit Berlin.de
2. Choose your concern and press "Make an Appointment"
3. Click on "Termin buchen" to make an appointment, "Termin ändern" to change it or "Termin löschen" to cancel your appointment.
4. If you click on "Termin buchen", choose your nationality ("Staatsangehörigkeit") from the drop-down menu in the next step.
5. Select in the drop-down menu whether you live in Berlin with a family member with the above-mentioned nationalities (Yes "Ja" or No "Nein").
6. Select your request from the drop-down menu.
7. Go through the details and confirm that you meet the above requirements.
8. Fill in your personal details under "Antragsteller/in".
9. Choose your appointment.
10. Book an appointment.

Done! One tip worth knowing: slots at the LEA get booked out weeks or even months ahead, especially around the start of the semester. Book the moment you know your move-in date, and check back regularly for cancellations if the calendar looks full.

If you’re handling paperwork online or want to track your application, it’s smart to bookmark these helpful German websites for admin, forms, and everyday life.

Missing paperwork is the single biggest cause of delays at the Ausländerbehörde, so pack your folder the day before. For most residence permit appointments, bring:

• Your valid passport (plus copies of the data page and any prior visa or residence title).
• A completed application form ("Antrag auf Erteilung eines Aufenthaltstitels"), available on service.berlin.de.
• Your appointment confirmation, printed or on your phone.
• A biometric passport photo.
• Proof of registration in Berlin ("Anmeldebestätigung") or, if you're not registered yet, your lease and a "Wohnungsgeberbestätigung" from your landlord.
• Proof of health insurance — your electronic health card (front and back) if you have statutory insurance, or a certificate from your provider if you have private insurance.
• Proof of financial means: a blocked account statement, scholarship letter, employment contract, or a formal declaration of support, depending on your situation.
• For students: your university enrolment certificate.
• For employees: your signed employment contract.
• The application fee (check the current amount on service.berlin.de — payment methods vary by office).

If you want to learn about job options after your permit is approved, you can learn what it’s like working in Germany as a next step.

Bring one extra copy of everything. If a caseworker asks for something you don't have, they'll usually let you submit it later by post or email, but having it on hand avoids a second appointment altogether.

If you’re a student, you may also want to see how studying and working in Germany works — knowing your rights can help you plan part-time work.

You've got a lot of patience, don't you? Well, sometimes you find out a little too late that your visa really does need to be renewed. Make your way to the immigration office early in the morning on Monday, Tuesday or Thursday (yes, even before the opening at 7 a.m.) and wait in line. With a bit of luck, you'll get an appointment on the same day!

Walk-ins work best for straightforward requests, like picking up a decision letter or handing in a document you were asked to submit. For a first-time residence permit or an extension, an online appointment is still your safest bet, since walk-in slots are limited and not guaranteed.

The main Berlin immigration office is at Friedrich-Krause-Ufer 24, 13353 Berlin (Moabit), reachable at (030) 90269-4000. Some services are handled at a second location on Keplerstraße, so double-check which address your specific appointment confirmation lists before you head out.

The closest station is S+U Westhafen, about a 12-minute walk away, and several buses (including line 147) stop nearby. Google Maps or the BVG route planner will give you the fastest connection from your address.

Here are the opening hours at the Ausländerbehörde without an appointment:

Processing times depend on your case: a straightforward student residence permit renewal can take a few weeks, while a first-time application, a work visa, or a settlement permit can take several months.

Apply for an extension before your current permit expires, not after. If your appointment falls after your permit's expiry date, German law lets you stay and, in most cases, keep working or studying while the decision is pending — but always confirm this with your caseworker and keep your appointment confirmation as proof of legal stay.

Some caseworkers speak English, but it's not guaranteed at every desk. Bring a German-speaking friend, a professional translator, or at minimum have your documents translated if they're not in German or English.

Application forms are usually only available in German, though the online booking portal at service.berlin.de has an English toggle. If your German is limited, prepare key phrases in advance ("Ich habe einen Termin" — "I have an appointment") and ask directly for clarification if you don't understand a request — it's better to ask twice than to submit the wrong document.

Go back to Berlin.de, select your original request, and click "Termin ändern" to change your appointment or "Termin löschen" to cancel it.

You'll need the confirmation code from your original booking email. If you miss your appointment without cancelling, book a new one as soon as possible — it won't cancel your case, but it will add to your waiting time.

Most rejections come down to incomplete paperwork, insufficient proof of financial means, or missing health insurance coverage — not the merits of your case itself.

Double-check your financial proof matches the current minimum requirement for your permit type, make sure your health insurance certificate is current and correctly formatted, and confirm your Anmeldebestätigung matches the address on your other documents. If you're rejected, ask for the decision in writing — it will state the reason and your options to appeal or reapply.

Some services, like extending certain permits or updating personal details, can be started online through service.berlin.de without an in-person visit.

If your assigned office is fully booked out, check whether your case can be handled by the Keplerstraße location or submitted by post — the contact form on the LEA's service page lists which requests qualify.

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