People who wish to stay in Germany beyond 90 days or 3 months, and do not belong to European Union nations will invariably need to apply for a residence permit in Germany. This is a permit that people who wish to live, study and work in Germany need to necessarily have with them; else they will not be allowed to stay in Germany.

With a residence permit in Germany, one can settle in the country. Hence, this permit is also called the Settlement Permit or Niederlassungserlaubnis.

The permanent residence permit in Germany requirements are as follows:

• Eligible people would need to have a temporary German residence permit or an EU blue card.

• The number of years that the person needs to have worked for is at least five years and the job needs to be approved by the National Employment Agency. The employer needs to give a letter or a certification of employment.

• One also needs to be proficient in the German language – it is a pre-requisite to have cleared the B1 level in foreign language.

• Candidates need to have a Health Insurance in Germany and of course be a qualified passport holder from their native country.

The other pre-requisite for a residence permit in Germany is that the candidate does not have a criminal background, has a proven health certificate and is of course backed by a strong financial stability.

How to renew residence permit in Germany?

In order to renew their residence permit in Germany, one should ensure that the process of renewal is started at least a month or so prior to the expiry date. It is important to note here that since the foreign office will not send you an intimation about the expiry of your current permit – it means that one needs to keep it as a reminder and start the process in advance. Foreign nationals need to remember that if they continue to stay back on German lands after expiry of their permanent residence in Germany, they may be illegally deported back to their country of origin and will be banned to enter Germany again.

One important thing to note here is if you wish to live and work in Germany, you are no longer required to apply for two separate permits. Now, a single uniform permit is enough for both purposes. However, having a permanent residence in Germany is not an assurance that one can work here too or indulge in a commercial activity.