Costs at a glance
Official fees
| Item | Fee | Source |
|---|---|---|
| National visa (type D) | €75, minors €37.50 (paid in Kenyan shillings at the Embassy) | § 46, § 50 AufenthV; Embassy page |
| Residence permit, Blue Card: first issue | €100 | § 45 Nr. 1 |
| Extension (more than 3 months) | €93 (up to 3 months: €96) | § 45 Nr. 2 |
| Change of purpose | €98 | § 45 Nr. 3 |
| Settlement permit | €113; self-employed €124; highly qualified €147 | § 44 |
| Express processing | plus €35 | § 45a |
All at AufenthV. TLScontact service fees and the ZAB fee (€200 reported) should be confirmed on their sites.
Document checks
Embassy document checks cost €150 to €500 per document, depending on document and county, charged to the requesting German authority or a cost commitment: Documents.
Money you must show
| Route | Amount |
|---|---|
| Study (§ 16b), blocked account | €992 a month (€11,904 a year), 2026 value, check for 2027 |
| Training-place search (§ 17) | €1,091 a month (§ 2 (3) S. 6) |
| Opportunity Card (§ 20a) | €1,091 a month (practice, not a statutory figure) |
| Ausbildung (§ 16a) | €959 a month (BAnz AT 29.08.2025 B1) |
| Blue Card | €50,700 a year; €45,934.20 lower threshold |
Amounts are reviewed every January and in autumn; check before paying in.
If a decision goes against you
You can sue at the Administrative Court of Berlin within one month after notification (§ 74 VwGO) or within one year if the notice had no instructions on legal remedy (§ 58 (2) VwGO). For visa decisions there is no objection procedure (§ 68 (1) S. 2 Nr. 1 VwGO) and the remonstration at the missions was abolished on 1 July 2025: only the action at the Administrative Court of Berlin remains. For decisions of the Berlin immigration office, read the instructions in the notice. Get legal advice quickly.
A question this page does not answer? Contact us. Free orientation only, no legal advice for individual cases.