Registration and extension of visa/Permit of residence

Application and Visa/ Residence Permit

Registration at the Local Residents' Registry Office

If you are staying in Berlin for more than three months, you must register your address at a local residents' registry office within 7 days of your arrival. You need proof of registration to apply for a residence permit, to open a German bank account or, in some cases, to sign up for a mobile phone number.

For the registration you need:

  1. Passport with permit of residence or visa plus copy of passport and visa
  2. A completed application form (available from Carl Duisberg Centren)
  3. Carl Duisberg Centren rental contract, if you have booked accommodation through Carl Duisberg Centren (or your landlord’s name and address, if you have rented an apartment privately)
  4. For married couples: marriage certificate or domestic partner document and a translation by a state certified translator or a translator recognized by a German embassy
  5. For parents bringing their minor children to Germany: birth certificate or excerpt from the register of births + translation by a state certified translator or a translator recognized by a German embassy

You can register at any local registry office in Berlin. It is best to make an appointment online: https://service.berlin.de/dienstleistung

Opening Hours for all Citizens’ Centers (Bürgerämter):

Monday, 8 am – 3 pm
Tuesday, 9 am – 6 pm
Wednesday, 8 am – 3 pm
Thursday, 9 am – 3 pm
Friday, 8 am – 1 pm

VISA - before you travel to Germany

You are responsible for applying for a visa on time. Please observe German entry requirements.

Citizens from EU countries do not need a visa to enter Germany. Citizen of certain countries can stay up to three months without a visa or with a tourist visa. Citizens of many non-European countries can only enter Germany if they have a visa. If you want to stay longer than three months, you may also need a special visa to attend a language course or a visa for study purposes.

Here is an overview of countries that require a visa for entering Germany: https://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/en/einreiseundaufenthalt

Please contact the German Embassy or a German consulate in your home country well ahead of your visit to find out about the visa regulations that apply to you. You will also find all relevant information on the website of the German Foreign Office: https://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/en/einreiseundaufenthalt/uebersicht

Visa Extension/Residence Permit

Please note that you cannot extend a visitor visa or tourist visa (C-visa) for a language course or for study purposes.

A national visa (D-visa) for study purposes or to attend a language course can be extended if you fulfill certain conditions. For more information, visit the Berlin city page: https://www.berlin.de/labo/auslaender/dienstleistungen/studium

How to extend your visa:

Please extend your visa or existing residence permit in time and before it expires, especially if you will be staying in Germany and at the Carl Duisberg Training Center longer than 90 days.

For an extension of the visa or for an initial application for a residence permit, you will need:

  • Passport with valid visa for Germany (D-visa)
  • A completed application form (which you can also get at the Carl Duisberg Training Center; our staff will assist you in completing the form)
  • Confirmation of residential registration from the City Berlin
  • Carl Duisberg Centren rental contract, if you have booked accommodation through Carl Duisberg Centren (or your landlord’s name and address, if you have rented an apartment privately)
  • Course certificate from Carl Duisberg Centren
  • 1 biometric passport photo, size 45mm x 35mm
  • Proof of adequate health insurance coverage (e.g. health insurance from Carl Duisberg Centren or DAAD)
  • Evidence that you are capable of supporting yourself:
    • Proof that you have a blocked account at a bank ("Sperrkonto") in Germany during the period of your stay in Germany
    • Declaration of commitment to the German Residency Act (§ 68 Aufenthaltsgesetz) 
    • A scholarship (example: DAAD scholarship)
    • Enrolment certificate (only if you are enrolled in a degree program)

Visa extensions or applications for a residence permit may be submitted at the Berlin Immigration Office (Ausländerbehörde, LABO). Our course participants can also apply for their residence permit at the Student Service at the Carl Duisberg Training Center.
Just ask us!

Berlin Immigration Office (Ausländerbehörde)

Opening Hours:
Monday, 7 am – 2 pm
Tuesday, 7 am – 2 pm
Wednesday, closed
Thursday, 10 am – 6 pm
Friday, closed

Address:

Landesamt für Bürger- und Ordnungsangelegenheiten
Ausländerbehörde (Abteilung IV)
Friedrich-Krause-Ufer 24
13353 Berlin

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