Applying for an extension of the residence permit for children born in Germany

• You must submit an application to the Foreigners’ Registration Office to extend the residence permit of your child, who was born in Germany, in good time before the current permit expires.
• Find out whether the relevant immigration authority allows applications to be submitted online or provides a specific application form.
• If applications can only be made in person, please book an appointment at the Immigration Office. If you are applying online, the Immigration Office will contact you once your application has been received to arrange an appointment.
• During the appointment, your identity and that of your child, as well as your documents, will be checked (please bring all documents with you to the appointment, preferably the originals).
• If your application is approved, the child’s fingerprints will be taken to issue the new residence permit in the form of an electronic residence permit (eAT card for short). No fingerprints are taken from children under the age of six.
• The Foreigners’ Registration Office commissions the Bundesdruckerei to produce the eAT card. Once it has been produced, you will be notified and can collect the eAT card from the relevant office. As a general rule, the eAT card must be collected in person.
• If your application is rejected, you will receive a rejection notice.

The immigration authority responsible for the applicant’s place of residence.

In principle, the same requirements must be met for the extension of the residence permit as for the initial issue of the residence permit. This means

• Both parents with parental responsibility are third-country nationals, meaning they hold the nationality of a country outside the EU, the EEA or Switzerland.
• The child is a minor and, having been born in Germany, holds a residence permit under Section 33 of the Residence Act.
• At least one parent with parental responsibility must hold a valid residence permit, settlement permit or EU long-term residence permit.
• At least one parent with parental responsibility lives with the child as part of a family unit in Germany.

In principle, the same documents must be submitted for the renewal of a residence permit as for the initial grant. These are:

• A residence permit, settlement permit or EU long-term residence permit held by one or both parents
• A recognised and valid identity document (for example, a passport or passport substitute) for one or both parents and the child
• A recent biometric photograph of the child in passport format (45 x 35 mm)

In individual cases, the Immigration Authority may require less or more supporting documentation.

• Section 45(2) of the Residence Ordinance (AufenthV)
• Section 50(1) of the Residence Regulation (AufenthV)

• Section 33 of the Residence Act (AufenthG)
• Section 34 of the Residence Act (AufenthG)
• § Section 8 (1) Residence Act (AufenthG)

• Appeal against the decision of the Immigration Authority
• Action before the court named in the notice of objection if the objection is not upheld

Informal application possible: Yes

Personal appearance required: Yes

• It is sufficient for one parent to hold the right of residence described. It is irrelevant whether the child’s parents are married.
• If the parents’ residence permits expire, the child’s residence permit may also be revoked.
• Children who have reached the age of 16 may, under certain conditions, be granted a permanent right of residence in the form of a settlement permit (see the administrative service ‘Granting of a settlement permit to minor children’).
• At the latest upon reaching the age of majority, the residence permit granted to a child becomes an independent right of residence, separate from family reunification.
• All information provided to the Immigration Office should be correct and complete to the best of your knowledge and belief so that the request can be processed without major delays.
• Incorrect or incomplete information can slow down the procedure and be detrimental to the person concerned. In serious cases, incorrect or incomplete information that is not completed or corrected in good time vis-à-vis the immigration authority can result in the cancellation of residence rights that have already been granted, a fine, a prison sentence of up to three years or expulsion from the federal territory.
• Due to the complexity of residence law, this description is for information purposes only and is not legally binding.