Study/Job seekers residence permit

As a non-EU/non-EEA national, you may be eligible to apply for a residence permit ONCE you are physically present in Germany and if you fulfil all the pre-requisites.

A residence permit should be applied for at the local immigration office responsible for your registered address in Germany. Since your study campus is located in Berlin, we recommend that you try and find an accommodation in Berlin, complete the city registration (Anmeldung) in Berlin, and if possible, also try and search for internships or work in Berlin while holding a valid student status.

In cases where you plan or have to apply for a residence permit in another city, please follow the procedures and documentation requirements of the responsible local immigration office.

  • Which residence permit should you apply for?

    There are different types of residence permits one can apply for. However, it majorly depends upon the main purpose of your stay in Germany.

    Students enrolled in a full-time study programme, must apply for a Residence Permit for Study Purposes (§16b of the residence act). This permit is usually issued for the current semester or for the entire planned duration of stay in Germany. It differs from a case to case basis.

    Students who have completed their studies, and have received a 'Study completion' letter from the Post Study Affairs team in Berlin and their final transcripts, can apply for a Residence Permit for the purpose of seeking a job (§20 of the residence act). This permit is usually issued for a period of 18 months starting from the official date of study completion.

  • Who needs to apply for a German residence permit?

    • Students whose German visa/residence permit does not cover the entire duration of stay in Germany
    • Students who entered on the basis of a valid Schengen student residence permit and plan to stay longer than 90 days and/or engage in employment
    • Students who entered on the basis of a visa-free-90-days allowance as per section 41 and plan to stay longer than 90 days and/or engage in employment

  • When can you apply for the residence permit?

    In Berlin, you can usually apply for the residence permit four months in advance.

  • How can you apply for the residence permit?

    As an enrolled student at ESCP Berlin campus, you will have two options to apply for the residence permit.

    Option 1: Submit an online application yourself on the Berlin Immigration Office website

    OR

    Option 2: Sign up for the 'Hochschulservice' provided by the visa support office of the Student Experience team in Berlin

    If you are interested in option 2, then we have prepared a detailed Hochschulservice guide to assist you with your application.

    If the residence permit requirement applies to you, then please refer to the guide for additional information.

  • What is the current residence permit application procedure in Berlin?

    At the moment, students can submit an application for a study or job seekers residence permit online/digitally (refer to option 1 & option 2 as stated in the previous section).

    Note that it is not possible to schedule an appointment with the Berlin immigration office in advance.

    You will have to first submit your application documents to them, and then await a response/update on your particular case. If all the documents are accepted, you shall receive information that an appointment has been scheduled for you. Since these appointments are quite limited, and generally, not possible to reschedule (unless there is a proven emergency situation), it is strongly advised that you remain in Berlin until you have attended your appointment in-person at the Berlin immigration office.

  • What happens if your visa/residence permit has expired while waiting for your extended residence permit?

    In such cases, it is not possible to re-enter Germany using an expired visa or a residence permit.

    Your stay in Germany is however, considered legal as long as you have submitted an application to Berlin immigration office BEFORE the expiry date and have saved the confirmation of application submission letter (Antragsbestätigung und Fiktionswirkung). Your legal stay and rights are officially confirmed if you have saved this letter.

  • General documents required for a residence permit (study and/or job seekers purposes)

    You may refer to the official website of the Berlin immigration office or refer to our detailed Hochschulservice guide to understand the general documents needed.

    You will also learn how to fill out the residence permit application form from the guide.

    Note: You can apply for the residence permit in the city where your current city registration (Anmeldung) is performed. If your city registration is outside of Berlin, then please refer to the local immigration office responsible for your current registered address in Germany. Use BAMF-NAvI to find the responsible authority further.

  • Fiction certificate requests

    A fictional certificate (Fiktionsbescheinigung) in Berlin cannot be applied for. The general procedure is that you need to apply for a German residence permit in advance and before your current visa or permit expires.

    A fictional certificate can generally only be requested once your current visa or residence permit has expired while your residence permit application is still being processed. It cannot be issued while your visa or permit remains valid. In 'emergency' cases where you need to travel outside Germany and return during this processing period, you may be able to request one.

    For example: an urgent need to travel abroad for a family emergency OR the risk of losing a job - could be considered as an 'emergency' situation. You might have to present relevant proof or documents to support your request.

  • What are the general processing times?

    Please note that processing times at the Berlin Immigration Office vary from case to case. They largely depend on the office’s current workload, staffing capacity, public holidays, and holiday periods.

    It may take at least 8–12 weeks to receive an update on an application submitted online or through the Hochschulservice. We strongly advise against sending status enquiries directly to the Berlin Immigration Office or submitting multiple applications. Duplicate applications may cause further delays!