Citizens of the European Union (EU) and the European Economic Area (EEA: Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein) do not generally require a residence permit to enter and stay in Germany.

If you are an EU or EEA citizen and have resided legally in Germany for a period of five years, you can acquire a permanent right of residence. The right of permanent residence arises directly by law. You can apply to the Foreigners' Registration Office for a certificate of permanent residence.

Under certain conditions, you can acquire a permanent right of residence before five years have passed, for example if you:

• have resided permanently in Germany for at least three years, have been gainfully employed in Germany or in another member state of the European Union during the last twelve months and have since retired from working life due to your age (reaching the age of 65) or due to an early retirement scheme;
• have given up your profession in Germany or in another member state of the European Union as a result of a full reduction in earning capacity caused by an accident at work or an occupational disease and which entitles you to a pension in Germany;
• have given up your profession in Germany or in another member state of the European Union as a result of a full reduction in earning capacity after having lived in Germany continuously for at least two years, or
• have been continuously employed in Germany for three years and are now gainfully employed in another Member State of the European Union, but still have a place of residence in Germany to which you return at least once a week.

The certificate of permanent residence is issued by the Foreigners' Registration Office after it has checked whether you have completed the required period of residence in Germany. It is not necessary for you to have resided in Germany continuously for the required period. Certain absences from the federal territory are irrelevant for the acquisition of the right of permanent residence. For example, leaving the federal territory for a total of six months per year, to perform military service or alternative service or for good cause once for up to twelve consecutive months (e.g. due to a serious illness, studies, vocational training) can also be assumed to be permanent residence. Periods of serving a prison sentence that have not been suspended are not taken into account for the acquisition of the right of permanent residence.

If you have interrupted your stay in Germany for a longer period of time, it is not possible to add up previous and subsequent periods in order to reach the minimum length of stay required to acquire the right of permanent residence.

If necessary, the immigration authority can also check the legality of your residence, i.e. whether you have fulfilled the requirements of the right to freedom of movement for the entire period.

Acquiring the right of permanent residence gives you an improved ("solidified") legal status, regardless of your nationality. The right of permanent residence is independent of the continued existence of the conditions for freedom of movement. In addition, your protection against deportation is increased. However, if you leave the federal territory for more than two consecutive years, this may result in the loss of your permanent right of residence.

The certificate is issued for an unlimited period of time and confirms and documents that you have acquired the right of permanent residence. The document is not an identity document, i.e. you cannot prove your identity with the certificate. Therefore, it does not bear a photograph, nor is there any obligation to update the information in the document in the event of changes (for example, you do not have to have the certificate updated if you have a new passport or ID card issued or if your address changes).

If you have not yet reached the age of 18, your legal representative (e.g. the person authorized to take care of you) must consent to the planned stay.person with custody) must agree to the planned stay.