Residence permit

New service center on campus

On 01 September 2026 a new service point of the Saarland Immigration Office has opened at Saarland University. International students and international researchers at Saarland University can book an appointment in this new service point to apply for or renew a residence permit. 

The opening hours of the new service point are: 
Monday to Friday: 8.00 am to 12.00 pm, and additionally Monday to Thursday: 1.00 pm to 3.30 pm.
Important: this service point  is initially only available to international students and employees and researchers

  • who are studying at Saarland University or have an employment, research or other formal service relationship with Saarland University,
  • and whose registered place of residence is in Saarland, and
  • and who entered Germany without a visa, or hold a visa or residence permit under Section 16b, 18b, 18d, 18g or 19c of the German Residence Act.

Applications at the new service point will be primarily processed by prior appointment. Appointments can either still be requested directly by email from the Immigration Office (zab-campus@lava.saarland.de) or arranged via the Welcome Center as described below.

Please also note: you can only apply for or renew a residence permit if you have all the necessary documents available at the appointment. Please therefore take note of the information listed here and bring all the required documents with you. A list of these documents will also be provided to you with the appointment letter.
In individual cases, applicants may still need to submit their application to the Saarland Immigration Office in Lebach.

Residence permit at the Immigration Office

While a visa will allow you to enter Germany and stay for a period of up to 90 days, a temporary residence permit is required if you are planning to stay for longer than three months. If you are not an EU national, you will need to apply to the Immigration Office (Ausländerbehörde) for a temporary residence permit. Selected few countries allow students from non-EU countries to enter without a visa and then to apply for a residence permit within 90 days. If you are unsure whether you need a visa, please contact the Welcome Center.

Important: if you are entering Germany to take up employment, please always enter the country with a visa, even if you are arriving from a so-called privileged country! It is only possible to start working right after your arrival if you came with a visa (including the work permission). If you have entered Germany without a visa, you must first wait until you have had your appointment with the Immigration Office before you can begin your job.

It is best to make an appointment to apply for or to extend your residence title in Saarland six to eight weeks before your visa expires. In the case of visa-free entry, it is best to apply for the title immediately after entry. In both cases, please make an appointment for this at the Immigration Office in Saarland. It is not possible to visit the Immigration Office without an appointment.
Together with your appointment, you will receive a list of documents that you must bring with you.

You did not yet receive an appointment?

Please note: The Welcome Center of Saarland University has no influence on the allocation of appointments at the Immigration Office!
However, we are of course happy to help students and employees of the university with any questions they may have. You can also contact us if you do not hear back from the Immigration Office for a longer period of time. The Welcome Center can then send a request to the Immigration Office on your behalf. To do this, we need the following documents from you as a scan by email (welcome@uni-saarland.de):

  • Passport
  • Current visa or residence permit (in case of visa free entry: entry stamp)
  • Certificate of registration from the city hall (Bürgeramt)
  • Proof of health insurance
  • Proof of financing (e.g. blocked account)
  • for students: certificate of enrolment

Please copy the following sentence into your email so that we have permission to contact the Immigration Office on your behalf: "I hereby authorise the Welcome Center of Saarland University to forward my request and documents, including my email address, to the Immigration Office."

This request by the Welcome Center is an additional service of the University, as an assistance for our international students and staff. However, we cannot guarantee that a request through us will be processed faster by the Immigration Office.

Important information on the proof of financing!

To obtain a residence permit in Germany, you must prove to the immigration office that you can cover your living expenses. It is not enough to simply submit any documents, there are specific types of financial proof that are acceptable. In general, you must show that you have at least 992 € per month (11,904 € per year) available.

There are the four official options for providing proof of finances that are usually accepted:

  • a blocked account ("Sperrkonto") in Germany with the required restriction
  • a declaration of commitment by a third person
  • a scholarship
  • an employment contract that states the duration, salary, and weekly hours as well as payslips for the last 3 months (if applicable)

In some cases, a combination may be necessary (e.g. employment contract plus blocked account) if one single proof does not cover the required amount.