Our employees only speak German in the office and on the phone.

Apply for an extension of your residence permit to attend a general education school

Do you have a residence permit to attend school in Germany, and is that residence permit about to expire even though you haven't finished school yet? If so, you can apply for an extension.

  • Basic information

    If you have already been granted a residence permit to attend school in Germany, you must apply to have it renewed well in advance of its expiration date.

    To extend your residence permit, you must generally meet the same requirements as when it was first issued. In particular, you must generally be able to support yourself without relying on public assistance and have adequate health insurance.

    The residence permit will be granted to you for no longer than the remaining duration of your schooling.

    If you are a minor, your parents or legal guardians must consent to the renewal application.

    You are not permitted to work part-time while holding the residence permit.

    Requirements

    • You hold a residence permit
    • Your livelihood is secure, and you have adequate health insurance coverage.
    • Your identity and nationality have been verified.
    • There are no grounds for deportation or entry ban against you.
    • You comply with the passport requirement.
    • You entered the country with the required visa. Your stay is lawful.
    • Your primary residence is in the city of Bremen

  • Procedure
    • The application and the required documents can be submitted to us by email or mail. 
    • If necessary, the Immigration Office will request additional documents.
    • If your application is approved, you will receive an appointment to come in for an interview.

    More information

    • While you are in the country to attend school, you will generally receive a residence permit for another purpose only if you have a legal entitlement to do so, such as for family reunification or to pursue higher education. This also applies to the period after you have completed your schooling.

    Due to the complexity of residency law, this description is provided for informational purposes only and is not legally binding.

    Passport photos are now accepted only in digital form. The passport photo must be taken using a registration system on-site at the immigration office, at a photo studio, or by a photo service provider. You cannot submit a digital passport photo from your cell phone. Further information is available on our website. For infants and toddlers, limited exceptions to the biometric requirements are permitted.

    A residence permit can only be issued for the duration of your national passport’s validity. Please apply for a renewal well in advance of your national passport’s expiration date.

    If you do not have a valid national passport, you must provide evidence of your efforts to obtain one (for example: written confirmation from the embassy, reasons for any delays).

    Legal Remedies:

    • Appeal
    • Lawsuit

  • Necessary Documents
    • National Passport / Proof of Identity
    • A current biometric passport photo
    • Proof of language course completion:
      • Proof of financial resources (e.g., blocked account, letter of financial commitment, etc.)
      • Proof of health insurance
      • Confirmation of enrollment and duration of the language course
      • Language certificates already obtained
    • Proof of school attendance:
      • Proof of financial support (e.g., restricted account, letter of financial commitment, scholarship, etc.)
      • School certificate stating the period of attendance and, if applicable, the intended school-leaving qualification
      • Proof of health insurance
      • Rental agreement specifying the square meters for the student in question
      • Consent from a parent or legal guardian, if you are under 18 years of age

  • Forms

  • Fees / Costs

    96,00 EUR for extensions of up to 3 months
    93,00 EUR if extended by more than 3 months
    6,00 EUR in addition, for taking a digital passport photo at the on-site self-service kiosk.

  • Deadlines & processing time

    What deadlines must be paid attention to?

    8 weeks You should apply for an extension with the Office of Immigration no later than 8 weeks before your current residence permit expires.

    How long does it take to process

    Once we receive your application, we will need some time to process and review it. Once the review is complete, we will get back to you.

  • Legal Bases

  • More Information

This page has been automatically translated by DeepL. We cannot guarantee that the translation is correct.

The official information in German is complete and correct.

Updated on 20.08.2026

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