Apply for an extension of your residence permit to participate in a training program
Has the process to have your foreign professional qualification recognized not yet been completed? If so, you may be able to apply for an extension of your residence permit under certain conditions.
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Basic information
The residence permit for participating in a vocational training program is a temporary residence permit.
If you have not yet completed your training program and your residence permit is about to expire, you can apply for an extension. Reasons for not yet having completed your training program include, for example, if:
- you have to wait a long time for exams
- you have to retake an exam
The same requirements apply to the extension of the residence permit as to its initial issuance. In particular, you must have sufficient means to support yourself for the duration of your studies.
Your residence permit can be extended for 12 months. In total, your residence permit for participating in qualification programs may not exceed 3 years.
An extension is not possible if the Foreigners’ Registration Office has already ruled this out at the time of issuance or during the most recent extension.
With your residence permit, you may engage in employment unrelated to the qualification program for up to 20 hours per week.
Requirements
- You have a residence permit
- You have a secure source of income and adequate health insurance coverage.
- Your identity and nationality have been verified.
- There are no grounds for deportation or an entry ban against you.
- You meet the passport requirement.
- You entered the country with the required visa. Your stay is lawful.
- Approval from the Federal Employment Agency
- You have sufficient knowledge of German (at least B1 level)
- You hold a qualification that is state-recognized by the country in which it was obtained and that required at least two years of training, or
- You hold a college degree that is officially recognized by the country in which it was earned.
- Your primary residence is in the city of Bremen
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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
Due to the complexity of residence 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 Office of Migration, at a photo studio, or at a photo service provider. You cannot submit a digital passport photo from your cell phone. For more information, please visit our website. Limited exceptions to the biometric requirements are permitted for infants and toddlers.
A residence permit can only be issued for the duration of the 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
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Necessary Documents
- National Passport / Proof of Identity
- A current biometric passport photo
- Proof of qualifications and employment:
- Proof of qualification (certificate of completion of vocational training or degree, with a translation if necessary)
- Certificate confirming the necessary steps for the recognition of your professional qualifications
- Statement regarding employment status (completed by the employer)
- Employment or internship contract, or a confirmation from the employer stating your personal information, salary, and the duration of the employment relationship. Any information not required may be redacted in the employment contract.
- Registration for a language course, including the expected duration
- Proof of proper completion of the educational program in the event of an extension
- Proof of health insurance
- Proof of financial support (e.g., blocked account, letter of financial commitment, scholarship, etc.)
- Certificate or documentation of completion of the program and recognition or equivalence of the professional qualification
- Medical license or license to practice, if required
- If available:
- School certificate
- Registration for the adaptation course or proficiency exam
- Continuing education plan
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Competent Department
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Residence Aufenthalt
- +49 421 361-88630 (montags bis donnerstags von 08.00 Uhr bis 12.00 Uhr)
- Stresemannstraße 48, 28207 Bremen
- office
@migrationsamt. bremen. de
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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 terminal. -
Deadlines & processing time
What deadlines must be paid attention to?
8 weeks Apply for an extension of your residence permit 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, you will hear back from us.
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Legal Bases
- § 8 Absatz 1 Gesetz über den Aufenthalt, die Erwerbstätigkeit und die Integration von Ausländern im Bundesgebiet (Aufenthaltsgesetz - AufenthG)
- § 16d Absatz 1 Gesetz über den Aufenthalt, die Erwerbstätigkeit und die Integration von Ausländern im Bundesgebiet (Aufenthaltsgesetz - AufenthG)
- § 45 Aufenthaltsverordnung (AufenthV)
- Section 8(1) of the Act on the Residence, Employment and Integration of Foreign Nationals in Germany (Residence Act – AufenthG)
- Section 16d(1) of the Act on the Residence, Employment and Integration of Foreign Nationals in the Federal Territory (Residence Act – AufenthG)
- Section 45 of the Residence Regulation (AufenthV)
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More Information
- Informationen für Fachkräfte aus dem Ausland auf dem Portal "Make it in Germany" der Bundesregierung
- Informationen zum Visum zur Anerkennung ausländischer Berufsqualifikationen auf dem Portal "Make it in Germany" der Bundesregierung
- Informationen der Zentralen Stelle für die Anerkennung der Berufsqualifikation in Deutschland auf der Internetseite des Bundesministeriums für Bildung und Forschung
- Informationen zur Anerkennung ausländischer Berufsqualifikationen in Deutschland auf der Internetseite des Bundesinstituts für Berufsbildung
- Information on the visa for the recognition of foreign professional qualifications on the German Government’s ‘Make it in Germany’ portal
- Information from the Central Office for the Recognition of Professional Qualifications in Germany on the website of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research
- Information for skilled workers from abroad on the German Government’s ‘Make it in Germany’ portal
- Information on the recognition of foreign professional qualifications in Germany on the website of the Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training
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 05.09.2026