Guidance

Residence documentation for UK nationals in Germany

Updated 31 December 2020

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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/germany-residency/residence-documentation-for-uk-nationals-in-germany

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If you were legally resident in Germany before 1 January 2021, your rights will be protected by the Withdrawal Agreement.

Get a residence document

If you were legally resident in Germany by 1 January 2021, you should obtain a new residence document (Aufenthaltsdokument-GB). To get this document you must report your residence to your local Foreigners Authority (usually called Ausländerbehörde) by 30 June 2021.

Your rights under the Withdrawal Agreement will not be affected if you do not meet the deadline. However, we recommend that you obtain your new card as soon as possible.

You will need a valid UK passport when you request your new residence document. Check with your local Foreigners Authority if they have a minimum passport validity requirement. Find out how to renew your UK passport from Germany.

There are over 600 Foreigners Authorities issuing residence documents throughout Germany, so processes may differ from town to town. In some areas, Foreigners Authorities have written to UK nationals. If you have received a letter, you should follow its instructions.

You should contact your local Foreigners Authority to find out how to obtain your residence document. You can also check links listed on this page to see if your Foreigners Authority has published guidance for UK nationals.

Register as a frontier worker

If you regularly commuted from another EU or EFTA country to work in Germany before 1 January you must apply for a new frontier worker document (Aufenthaltsdokument für Grenzgänger-GB) at the local Foreigners Authority for your workplace.

Find more information on residence documents and other topics if you live in Germany:

Guidance for UK nationals from Foreigners Authorities

The list in alphabetical order of town/county (Stadt/Landkreis)

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