EU long-term residents moving to Germany must obtain German residence permission

Check the EU status and the intended activity

Non-EU nationals with EU long-term resident status in another member state need a German residence permit for a planned stay in Germany exceeding ninety days. Section 38a of Germany’s Residence Act provides this route; it is not the same as EU citizenship or unrestricted freedom to take any German job. The law excludes certain cross-border service, seasonal-work and frontier-worker situations.

The German permit’s employment conditions matter. Section 38a links employment to Federal Employment Agency approval and self-employment to the statutory business requirements. Study and training have their own conditions. The law limits certain employment restrictions to twelve months from the first employment authorisation under this permit; that does not make the foreign card itself a German work permit. For example, an offer from a German employer should be checked against the authorisation actually issued, rather than used as proof that work can begin immediately.

Berlin’s route-specific service page requires EU long-term resident status, normally shown by the relevant EU or EC long-term-residence wording. An ordinary national permanent card is generally insufficient. The page excludes permits issued by Ireland and Denmark.

Resolve the entry route before relying on an old country list

Section 39(6) of Germany’s Residence Ordinance permits an in-country application where the person holds another Schengen state’s residence title, is entitled to stay in Germany under it, and satisfies the requirements for an entitlement to a German title. Those conditions should be checked together. Possessing any foreign card and finding a German address does not establish that the statutory entitlement exists.

Berlin’s general Schengen-card entry guidance likewise distinguishes a possible application after entry from permission to work, explicitly saying that another Schengen state’s card does not authorise German employment. However, its footnote to the long-term-resident category lists several additional excluded countries, including former or newer EU/Schengen members, while the dedicated long-term-resident service names Ireland and Denmark. This discrepancy makes the general footnote unsafe as a complete current eligibility list. Ask the German mission or competent immigration authority to confirm the route for the issuing state and exact card before relocation; neither page establishes an individual right to start work while an application is pending.

Prepare the Berlin evidence and use the correct contact channel

For applicants whose main residence is Berlin, the service checklist asks for a valid passport and the other state’s EU long-term title, livelihood evidence, health insurance and documents supporting the purpose, such as an employment contract or enrolment confirmation. It also lists address registration or a lease with the landlord’s move-in confirmation. Depending on employment, the employer’s declaration concerning the working relationship may be required. Prepare evidence for the actual intended activity rather than a generic permanent-residence packet.

The immigration office’s contact guidance says first to check whether the service has an online application; if so, use it. Where no online route exists and an appointment is needed, use the responsible section’s contact form. Responsibility is generally organised by nationality, with separate arrangements for certain skilled-worker, study and other categories. Use the linked contact directory to identify the correct section. A contact-form message should not be assumed to have the legal effect of a completed residence application; obtain the authority’s filing instructions and keep the actual admission deadline in view.

Budget for the residence permit and arrange a digital photograph

Berlin publishes €100 for initial issue and €93 for an extension, with €50 and €46.50 respectively for minors. It lists different charges for Turkish nationals. Confirm the applicable category rather than paying an adult initial-issue amount for every family member.

The service asks for a biometric photograph, and the separately linked photo notice explains the current format. For appointments from 14 July 2025, Berlin no longer accepts ordinary printed biometric photographs for these electronic residence documents. A participating studio or shop can transmit the image securely and provide a QR code to bring to the appointment. Alternatively, the office’s self-service terminal can take the photograph for €6. A photograph stored on a phone is not the same as a securely transmitted image from that process.

The photo notice has exceptions for certain temporary-protection, tolerated-stay and asylum documents; those exceptions should not be borrowed for an EU long-term-resident application. Arrange the correct image before attending, while keeping the appointment, document submission and permission to work as separate steps. No guaranteed appointment date or individual decision deadline was established from these public resources.