What do you need to get a settlement permit (Niederlassungserlaubnis) in Germany?

Checked on 2026-10-25

Under Germany's Residence Act, you get the unlimited settlement permit after holding a residence permit for five years, if your living costs are covered, you paid at least 60 months of pension contributions, speak German at B1 level, know the basics of German law and society, have adequate housing and raise no public-safety concerns.

Key facts

What	The law says	Source
What it is	An unlimited (permanent) residence title	AufenthG § 9(1)
Time required	You have held a residence permit (Aufenthaltserlaubnis) for five years	AufenthG § 9(2) sentence 1 no. 1
Money	Your livelihood is secured	AufenthG § 9(2) sentence 1 no. 2
Pension	At least 60 months of compulsory or voluntary contributions to the statutory pension insurance, or proof of payments for comparable benefits from an insurance or pension institution; career breaks for childcare or home care are counted	AufenthG § 9(2) sentence 1 no. 3
Work	If you are an employee, you are allowed to work; you hold any other permits your work permanently requires	AufenthG § 9(2) sentence 1 nos. 5–6
German	Sufficient knowledge of German, which the law defines as CEFR level B1	AufenthG § 9(2) sentence 1 no. 7; § 2(11)
Civic knowledge	Basic knowledge of the legal and social order and living conditions in Germany	AufenthG § 9(2) sentence 1 no. 8
Housing	Adequate living space for you and the family members living with you	AufenthG § 9(2) sentence 1 no. 9
Public safety	No reasons of public safety or order stand against it	AufenthG § 9(2) sentence 1 no. 4

The five-year count

The law counts these periods towards the five years (§ 9(4)):

Time in Germany for study or vocational training counts at half.
Each stay outside Germany that did not make your residence permit expire counts for at most six months.
If you held a settlement permit before and left, earlier time with a residence or settlement permit counts, minus the time abroad that ended it, up to four years.

Proving German and civic knowledge

The law says that a successfully completed integration course proves both the B1 German and the basic civic knowledge. These two requirements are waived if you can’t meet them because of a physical, mental or psychological illness or disability, and can be waived to avoid hardship (§ 9(2) sentences 2–4).

Married couples

If you live together as spouses, it is enough when one of you meets the pension, work-permission and other-permits requirements. The pension requirement is also waived while you are in education leading to a recognised school, vocational or university qualification (§ 9(3)).

The spouse of someone who holds a settlement permit under § 18c gets one after three years with a residence permit if they work at least 20 hours a week and meet the other conditions (AufenthG § 9(3a)).

Sources

Change history

2026-10-25: Page created

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