Converting your visa to a Residence Permit

• Usually (not always!), after you check in with the local authorities, the Ausländerbehörde (Immigration Office) contacts you via snail mail within six months.

• However, we recommend that you be proactive and contact them ASAP after you are done with accommodation and registration.

Zentrale Ausländerbehörde Landesverwaltungsamt (Saarbrücken, St. Ingbert, etc.):
Dillinger Str. 67, 66822 Lebach
Phone: +49 681 501 00
Email: zab@lava.saarland.de

• In your email, please mention the following to avoid emailing back and forth, as the reply from the Immigration Office might take some time:

• Your name and date of birth.

• The reason you have come to Germany and how long you plan to stay, clearly stated.

• Proof of registration with the local authority (Meldebescheinigung).

• Your passport, the page containing your Type D visa (if you have one), and the date your visa expires.

• Afterwards, you will receive an email from a person who is assigned to you, and you will be requested to fill out a form and bring the documents and the amount of money listed in the reply email. Your appointment details (time, date, place) will also be there, along with a four-digit number.

• The email reply could be in German, even if you have written in English. In that case, do not hesitate to ask for help!

• The documents requested could be as follows. However, always pay attention to your individual email, as the documents might differ for each case!

• The Immigration Office is not in Saarbrücken. However, you can take the tram from Saarbrücken and get off at Lebach-Jabach station. You can use www.saarfahrplan.de to check public transportation.

• When you arrive, there could be a queue in front of the building. It is advised to print out your appointment confirmation email. When you enter the building, you will be directed to one of the machines in the waiting room. There is a screen in the waiting room that displays the four-digit number and room number. In case you are not sure where the room is, the staff there will be able to help you.

After the Appointment...

After your appointment is over, it might take up to 5 weeks to receive your residence card. You will be given another appointment to pick it up (either on site or via email). Don't forget to send a scan of your new residence card to the Human Resources Department. Sometimes (e.g., if your entry visa is about to expire), you could be given a "Fiktionsbescheinigung" while you wait for your new card, along with a confirmation. Please send a copy of them to our HR Department as well.