The path from a work visa to a permanent settlement permit, and the conditions for bringing your spouse and children to Germany.
The three stages of residence documents
- Visa (Visum) — issued by the embassy, valid for a short period to allow entry.
- Residence permit (Aufenthaltserlaubnis) — issued by the immigration office after arrival, tied to your job or training programme.
- Settlement permit (Niederlassungserlaubnis) — unlimited, granted once you have lived in Germany long enough, paid into the pension insurance for long enough, reached the required language level and can support yourself.
Bringing your family over
Bringing a spouse and minor children to join you is a right under German law, but it comes with conditions: housing of sufficient size, an income that supports the whole family without benefits, and, as a rule, basic German for the family member joining you.
This means your income and housing situation in the first few years directly affect when your family can join you.
Note:Every year of pension contributions counts. That is one more reason to work under a proper contract and avoid undeclared work.
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