Entry with a residence title of another Schengen country

• Issuance of a residence title
• Exceptions for certain countries
• Economic activity
• Traveling in the Schengen area

Issuance of a residence title

If you have a residence title of another Schengen country ¹, you can be issued with a German residence title after your entry.
However, this applies only if you have a right to a residence title pursuant to the German Residence Act (Aufenthaltsgesetz).

In particular, you have a right to a residence title in the following cases:

• You have an EU long-term residence permit ²
• Issuance of a EU Blue Card
• You have immigrated to join your German relatives
• You have immigrated to join your spouse or same-sex life partner

In particular, you do not have a right in the following cases:

• You start education or training
• You intend to start an economic activity (except within the framework of an EU Blue Card)

¹ Schengen visas, temporary residence permits for asylum seekers (Aufenthaltsgestattungen) and temporary suspensions of deportation (Duldungen) of other Schengen countries are not residence titles in this sense.

² EU long-term residence permits of these countries are not included: Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Great Britain, Ireland and Romania

Exceptions for certain countries

Special privileges apply to certain countries. You can apply for any residence title in the federal territory without needing to have a right to this title.

This applies to the following countries:

• Andorra ³
• Australia
• Brazil^3^
• Canada
• El Salvador ³
• Honduras ³
• Israel
• Japan
• Monaco ³
• New Zealand
• San Marino ³
• South Korea
• United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
• United States of America

³ Residence titles for the purpose of economic activity are excluded. To obtain the latter, nationals of these countries must enter Germany with a national visa.

Economic activity

You are not permitted to work in Germany with a residence title of another Schengen country.

Traveling in the Schengen area

With a residence title of another Schengen country, you can travel to the following countries in the Schengen area for no more than 90 days within a period of 180 days:

Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain