Immigration office in Berlin (Ausländerbehörde)

Marle

Updated on Nov 05 • 4 minute read

The immigration office (Ausländerbehörde) in Berlin keeps its doors 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!

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.

Immigration office in Berlin (Ausländerbehörde) or Federal Foreign Office (Auswärtiges Amt), who's responsible for me?

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.

Here's what is done at the immigration office in Berlin

But what exactly can you get done at the immigration office in Berlin? 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.

1. Before you arrive in Germany

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

a. Apply for your visa

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.

2. Once you have arrived in Germany

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

a. Apply for your residence permit and Blue Card (EU)

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!

b. 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.

How to visit the immigration office in Berlin without an appointment

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.

Immigration office Berlin with an appointment

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:

Visit Berlin.de
Choose your concern and press "Make an Appointment"
Click on "Termin buchen" to make an appointment, "Termin ändern" to change it or "Termin löschen" to cancel your appointment.
If you click on "Termin buchen", choose your nationality ("Staatsangehörigkeit") from the drop-down menu in the next step.
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").
Select your request from the drop-down menu.
Go through the details and confirm that you meet the above requirements.
Fill in your personal details under "Antragsteller/in".
Choose your appointment.
Book an appointment.

Done!

Immigration Office Berlin without an appointment

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!