Visas and registration – moving to the Nuremberg Metropolitan Region
First steps: Residents’ registration office and citizens’ office
Anyone who moves to the Nuremberg Metropolitan Region from within Germany or comes here from abroad must register their new home with the relevant city or municipality within two weeks of moving in. The registration process is dealt with at the residents’ registration office (Einwohnermeldeamt) and the citizens’ office (Bürgeramt). Online registration is also possible in some offices.
To successfully register, you will need a registration form, an original national passport or identity card, and confirmation of residence (known as a Wohnungsgeberbestätigung). The registration form is provided in the office or online and usually has to be completed and signed by the individual concerned. An entire family can be registered by an adult family member.
Please find out in advance about waiting times and the option of making online appointments.
Templates and contact points for registration
Templates and contact points for registration can be found by visiting Free State of Bavaria, umziehen.de, or Melderegister-Auskunft.de. If you are coming here as a third-country national, you will receive an electronic residence permit in credit card format from the immigration office (Ausländerbehörde).
In addition to personal details, this documents the type of residence permit that has been issued to you (e.g. EU Blue Card, permanent settlement permit) and provides opportunities for communicating online with authorities and administrations. If you are an EU citizen, your valid passport or identity card is sufficient.
Further information is available from the immigration authorities in the respective towns, cities, and districts as well as from central migrant advisory centers.
Many cities and municipalities also have their own welcome platforms that make it easier for you to get started in the metropolitan region!
For university graduates and highly qualified workers
EU Blue Card
If you want to enter the country or move to it from outside the EU, you can find general information about your visa at the Federal Foreign Office. For those who possess a university degree or have completed vocational training and would like to come to the Nuremberg Metropolitan Region from a country outside the European Union, the “EU Blue Card” represents another option for obtaining the residence permit.
University graduates and highly qualified workers can apply for this at a German diplomatic mission in their home country as soon as they can produce an employment contract with a company in Germany or provide evidence of a firm job offer. The prerequisite for this is that your annual salary in your new job does not fall below a specified minimum salary threshold.
If you are an expert in the fields of mathematics, IT, natural sciences, or technology, or if you are a doctor, a lower annual salary will be accepted in exceptional cases. Detailed information on “EU Blue Card” requirements and minimum salary thresholds can be found on the website of the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF).
If you enter Germany with the “EU Blue Card,” you will be issued with a permanent settlement permit after 33 months. This can also be issued after 21 months to those who are able to demonstrate a good level of German.
Is the “EU Blue Card” an option?
List of professions
For third-country nationals who come here with qualifications gained from vocational training, other immigration channels may be open in certain cases. The Federal Government identifies certain professional groups where there is a considerable shortage of skilled workers. Within these groups, individuals from non-EU countries are also allowed to work in Germany. These include nurses, doctors, IT specialists, engineers, transport specialists, and people who pursue skilled trades.
Is my profession on the list? Here you will find an overview of professions that are particularly in demand in Germany.
Citizens of Australia, the USA, Israel, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, and the Republic of Korea can also apply for their residence permit after entering Germany. EU citizens are exempt from visa requirements. If you cannot secure a job before you arrive, you have six months to search for one while you are in the country. There is a requirement for you to be able to earn your own living during this time.
Search for a job
International Placement Services of the Federal Employment Agency
E-mail: workingermanyarbeitsagentur..de
Phone: +49 (0)228 7131313
More information about visas, working and living in Germany: www.make-it-in-germany.com
