Costs at a glance
Official fees
| Item | Fee | Source |
|---|---|---|
| National visa (type D) | €75, minors €37.50 | § 46 (2), § 50 AufenthV |
| 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 |
| Minors | half of the fees above | § 50 (1) |
| Express processing | plus €35 | § 45a |
All at AufenthV. Reductions: § 52 (1) waives the visa fee only for spouses, partners and minor children of Germans and parents of minor Germans. We found no waiver or reduction for US citizens as such, and no association-law reduction (as for Turkish nationals) applies. The ZAB fee for a Statement of Comparability (€200 was reported) should be confirmed on the ZAB site.
Money you must show
| Route | Amount |
|---|---|
| Study (§ 16b), blocked account | €992 a month (€11,904 a year) |
| Language course (§ 16f), study-place or training-place search (§ 17), Opportunity Card (§ 20a) | €1,091 a month |
| Ausbildung (dual / school-based) | €822 net or €1,048 gross / €959 |
| Blue Card | €50,700 a year; €45,934.20 lower threshold |
Details: Study, Ausbildung, Skilled worker, Opportunity Card. 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). Whether an objection must come first: 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.