Immigration Authority

County Administration Kaiserslautern

Opening hours:
Monday, Tuesday: 8 a.m. – 12 p.m. and 1.30 p.m. – 4 p.m.
Wednesday, Friday: 8 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Thursday: 8 a.m. – 12 p.m. and 1.30 p.m. – 6 p.m.

Responsibility:
If you reside in the County of Kaiserslautern, the immigration authority of the County Administration of Kaiserslautern is responsible for your concern. If you live elsewhere, you should contact the immigration authority responsible for you.

Some links can be found here:
City of Kaiserslautern
Kusel County
Birkenfeld County
Südwestpfalz County
The Federal State of Saarland

Entry and residence:

Citizens of the United States of America may enter Germany without a visa for short stays not to exceed three months within a period of six months from the date of first entry into a “Schengen State” (Germany, Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Austria, Poland, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Czech Republic and Hungary have joined the Schengen Agreement and therefore comprise the "Schengen States" - this listing is current as of 15 August 2011). For a longer stay or to take up work in Germany, a permit is required. This can be requested from the competent immigration authority.

Always, the following documents need to be presented:

• Application for a residence permit; an application form can be obtained at the time of registration of residence at the citizen’s registration office (Meldebehörde) of the municipality administration (Verbandsgemeindeverwaltung). The registration office confirms the registration on the application form
• Registration card; only required if the application form does not include the registration confirmation from the registration office
• Passport
• Biometric passport photo
• Proof of security of livelihood: income/assets, and health insurance coverage, usually the last 3 Earning Statements, pension or social security records, etc.
• Proof of Housing; for example, by presentation of a rental agreement, or in the event of real property ownership, by presentation of the purchase agreement or an excerpt from the land register entry (Grundbuchauszug)

Depending on the intended purpose of stay additional documents are required:

• To take up work: job description, proposed employment agreement
• For family reunion for spouses/children: marriage certificate, birth certificate with translation
• For university study: enrollment certificate

We wish to inform you of the regular course of proceedings for obtaining a residence permit.

Please make your application in person during opening hours at the immigration authority. At the time of this meeting, you will be informed of the next steps and what additional documents may be required. The fees can be paid at our Information Desk (Bürgercenter).

Mainly these are the following fees:

• For the issuance of a certificate of fiction (Fiktionsbescheinigung) € 29 (required if the visa-free period of stay of 3 months will be exceeded before the residence permit that has been applied for can/will be issued)
• Residence permit € 100

If you apply for work, the immigration authority will send your documents to the Employment Agency in Bonn (Agentur für Arbeit, ZAV Bonn) for approval of the intended employment/occupation.

For a residence permit of more than 1 month validity fingerprints will have to be taken. Following the decision approving the intended stay by the immigration authority, the immigration authority will order from the Federal Printing Office (Bundesdruckerei) an electronic residence permit (eAT). It will take approximately three weeks for Bundesdruckerei to produce an eAT. The Immigration Authority will then hand your eAT to you. Click here for information on eAT.

If you propose to take up permanent residence in Germany and your stay is not intended to be merely temporary in nature, you will receive a certificate of entitlement to attend/or be required to attend an integration course. For example, you will be required to attend an integration course if you are not at least a mastery of basic German. For more information on the integration course, please go to the site of the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (integration course).

The requirements for the renewal of a residence permit are essentially identical as those for the initial issuance of the permit. Attendance of the integration course by the applicant is a factor considered when deciding whether to renew the permit.

For other nationalities:

• The rules that apply to nationals of the United States of America apply also to nationals of Australia, Israel, Japan, Canada, the Republic of Korea, and New Zealand.
• Nationals of third countries which are listed in Annex II of the EU-Visa Regulation (EU-VisumVO) do not require visas for stays of no more than three months.
• Nationals of third countries which are listed in Annex I of the EU-Visa Regulation (EU-VisumVO) need to be in possession of a visa when crossing external borders of EU Member States. The German Diplomatic Mission abroad, before issuing a visa, typically requires a Declaration of Commitment ("Invitation"). The Declaration of Commitment will be made by the person residing in Germany before the appropriate immigration authorities.

A list of countries whose nationals do not/whose nationals do require a visa can be found on the website of the Foreign Office (Listing of States).

Entry and stay of persons with NATO Status of Forces STATUS

Entry into and stay in Germany of members of the force, the civilian component and their dependents, who have NATO Status of Forces STATUS, is controlled solely by the NATO Status of Forces Agreement and related agreements and regulations (link to website military). The German Residence Act (Aufenthaltsrecht) does not apply and residence permits are not required.

Nationals with NATO Status of Forces STATUS who would normally require a visa (Listing of States) upon request may be issued, a "declaratory residence permit." This is intended to facilitate travel within the Schengen States’ area.

Persons with NATO Status of Forces STATUS do not require a work permit to take up work (§ 9 Nr. 13 ArGV). An application for a certificate of employment subject to limited income-tax liability form has to be applied for at the tax office competent for the business establishment.

Declaration of Commitment ("Invitation")

Nationals of third countries listed in Annex II of the EU VisumVO (Listing of States) require a visa to enter the Schengen States’ area. If Germany is the primary destination of the travel the Schengen visa should be sought from the competent German Diplomatic Mission abroad. If the person cannot secure his/her livelihood in Germany from his/her own income and/or assets, the submission to the German Diplomatic Mission abroad of a Declaration of Commitment, also called an "invitation," is required. The declaration can be made by the person (host) in Germany at the immigration authority having jurisdiction over his place of residence (jurisdiction).

To make your Declaration of Commitment, please come to the immigration authority during opening hours (Ms. Spengler or Mr. Müller). A representative with power of attorney is not acceptable. If two persons intend to make the declaration, for example both spouses, the appearance of both in person is required.

Please provide a self-disclosure and the following documents:

• Passport, ID card.
• Proof of your income and assets: For example, as an employee your wage or earning’s statement/salary slips for the last 3 months, or if self-employed, the most recent income tax return, or social security, pension or retirement benefits statements.

At the immigration authority you will also have to acknowledge by signature a statement of responsibility/liability arising from the Declaration of Commitment pledge (ABH/AV) prior to your actual signature of the Declaration of Commitment. Your financial circumstances will be checked and the result will be noted on the Declaration of Commitment. After your personal signature you will be handed the Declaration of Commitment to please send to your guest so he/she can submit it to the German Diplomatic Mission for his/her visa application.

The fee for issuing a Declaration of Commitment is 25 €.

• You are retiring? You’d like to continue to live in Germany legally?
• Who can extend a tourist stay?
• Data about yourself – information sheet to affidavit of support
• Statement by the signer of the formal obligation before the aliens authority
• Application for residence permit
• Application work permit
• Travel Visa - Deklaratorische Aufenthaltserlaubnis