What are the standard requirements to apply for a German permanent residence permit?

The standard option to apply for a German permanent residence permit is to prove that the applicant has successfully worked and solidly settled in Germany.

The standard requirements to apply for a German permanent residence permit (PR) are defined in § 9 AufenthG.

The minimum criteria can be summarized as follows:

• Applicant to be holding a German residence permit for at least 5 years;
• Applicant to live in financial stability;
• Applicant to have paid for a period of 60 months into the German pension fund system or to have build up similar pension fund coverage;
• Applicant to have some German language knowledge;
• Applicant to have sufficient living space in Germany.

An additional requirement is that the applicant confirms to accept the German constitutional values.

Alternative ways to apply for a German permanent residence permit are:

1. Application from Blue Card;
2. Accelerated application for highly qualified employees;
3. Application from self-employment;
4. Special application by a holder of a German university degree (§ 19 Abs. 2a AufenthG);
5. Application for a permanent residence permit EU (Daueraufenthaltstitel EU).