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Ausländerbehörde prep

German phrases for extending a residence permit

A practical sheet for the Ausländerbehörde: asking to extend, giving your expiry date, the digital photo, and the Fiktionsbescheinigung while your new card is made.

By HalloKit Editorial Team · Published · Updated · Awaiting editorial review. Check the official sources below.

Interactive practice

Rehearse this conversation with choices, feedback, and grammar notes, not just the phrase sheet.

Preview scenario

Answer first

In short

A practical sheet for the Ausländerbehörde: asking to extend, giving your expiry date, the digital photo, and the Fiktionsbescheinigung while your new card is made.

Have ready
Passport and your current residence card; Everything listed in your appointment letter; lists differ by authority and permit type
You may hear
Was kann ich für Sie tun? · Wann läuft Ihre Aufenthaltserlaubnis ab?
Start with
Guten Tag. Ich habe einen Termin.

Checked against Federal Ministry of Justice, Federal Ministry of the Interior. Full references appear below.

Bring

  • Passport and your current residence card
  • Everything listed in your appointment letter; lists differ by authority and permit type
  • Often: employment contract, recent payslips, rental contract, and health insurance proof
  • The code from a certified photo studio, or plan to have the digital photo taken at the authority

Expect

  • Was kann ich für Sie tun?
  • Wann läuft Ihre Aufenthaltserlaubnis ab?
  • Arbeiten Sie noch beim selben Arbeitgeber?
  • Wir brauchen ein digitales Foto und Ihre Fingerabdrücke.
  • Die Karte wird zentral hergestellt. Das dauert einige Wochen.
Useful phrases

Keep your status safe at the counter

Apply before your permit expires. If you do, the permit counts as continuing until the authority decides, and you receive a Fiktionsbescheinigung as proof.

Conversation map

Follow the real sequence, then play each line before saying it yourself.

  1. 01

    Open

    Guten Tag. Ich habe einen Termin.

  2. 02

    Documents

    Hier sind mein Pass, mein Aufenthaltstitel und mein Arbeitsvertrag.

  3. 03

    Your situation

    Meine Aufenthaltserlaubnis läuft am 15. November ab.

  4. 04

    Photo and fingerprints

    Kann ich das Foto hier machen lassen?

  5. 05

    While you wait

    Meine Karte läuft vorher ab. Bekomme ich eine Fiktionsbescheinigung?

  6. 06

    Finish

    Was muss ich zur Abholung mitbringen?

Open

  • Guten Tag. Ich habe einen Termin.

    Good day. I have an appointment.

  • Ich möchte meine Aufenthaltserlaubnis verlängern.

    I would like to extend my residence permit.

Documents

  • Hier sind mein Pass, mein Aufenthaltstitel und mein Arbeitsvertrag.

    Here are my passport, my residence title, and my employment contract.

  • Kann ich die fehlenden Unterlagen nachreichen? Bis wann?

    Can I submit the missing documents later? By when?

Your situation

  • Meine Aufenthaltserlaubnis läuft am 15. November ab.

    My residence permit expires on November 15.

  • Ich arbeite seit zwei Jahren bei der Muster GmbH.

    I have worked at Muster GmbH for two years.

Photo and fingerprints

  • Kann ich das Foto hier machen lassen?

    Can I have the photo taken here?

  • Ich war beim Fotostudio. Hier ist der Code für das digitale Foto.

    I went to a photo studio. Here is the code for the digital photo.

While you wait

  • Meine Karte läuft vorher ab. Bekomme ich eine Fiktionsbescheinigung?

    My card expires before then. Will I get a Fiktionsbescheinigung?

Finish

  • Was muss ich zur Abholung mitbringen?

    What do I need to bring for the pickup?

  • Können Sie mir bitte aufschreiben, was ich noch nachreichen muss?

    Could you please write down what I still need to submit?

Rescue phrases
  • Können Sie das bitte langsamer sagen?
  • Können Sie mir das bitte aufschreiben?
  • Was bedeutet dieses Wort?
Preview scenario
Complete dialogue

Hear the full conversation before you rehearse it

Read both sides once, then cover the English and say your lines aloud. The real appointment may use different wording, but the sequence is predictable.

  1. 01

    Case worker

    Guten Tag. Was kann ich für Sie tun?

    Good day. What can I do for you?

  2. 02

    You

    Guten Tag. Ich habe einen Termin. Ich möchte meine Aufenthaltserlaubnis verlängern.

    Good day. I have an appointment. I would like to extend my residence permit.

  3. 03

    Case worker

    Wann läuft Ihre jetzige Aufenthaltserlaubnis ab?

    When does your current residence permit expire?

  4. 04

    You

    Sie läuft am 15. November ab. Hier sind mein Pass und meine Unterlagen.

    It expires on November 15. Here are my passport and my documents.

  5. 05

    Case worker

    Für die neue Karte brauchen wir ein digitales Foto und Ihre Fingerabdrücke.

    For the new card we need a digital photo and your fingerprints.

  6. 06

    You

    Kann ich das Foto hier machen lassen?

    Can I have the photo taken here?

  7. 07

    Case worker

    Ja. Die Karte wird danach zentral hergestellt. Das dauert einige Wochen.

    Yes. The card is then produced centrally. That takes a few weeks.

  8. 08

    You

    Meine Karte läuft vorher ab. Bekomme ich eine Fiktionsbescheinigung?

    My card expires before then. Will I get a Fiktionsbescheinigung?

  9. 09

    Case worker

    Ja, Sie haben rechtzeitig beantragt. Wenn die Karte fertig ist, bekommen Sie Post.

    Yes, you applied in time. When the card is ready, you will get a letter.

  10. 10

    You

    Vielen Dank. Was muss ich zur Abholung mitbringen?

    Thank you very much. What do I need to bring for the pickup?

Useful vocabulary

Words you are likely to hear

Learn the noun with its article and notice the short grammar pattern attached to it.

die Aufenthaltserlaubnis
residence permit
What you extend inside Germany. A Visum is applied for abroad.
verlängern
to extend
Ich möchte meine Aufenthaltserlaubnis verlängern.
ablaufen
to expire
Separable: sie läuft am 15. November ab.
die Fiktionsbescheinigung
certificate of continued status
Proof that your permit continues until the decision after a timely application.
nachreichen
to submit later
Kann ich die Unterlagen nachreichen?
die Abholung
pickup, collection
You collect the finished card in person.
der Fingerabdruck
fingerprint
Two fingerprints are stored on the electronic residence card.
Common mistakes

Small fixes that make the conversation clearer

  • Asking for a new Visum

    Inside Germany you extend an Aufenthaltserlaubnis. Asking for a Visum sounds like you want to apply from abroad.

  • Bringing a printed photo

    Paper photos are no longer accepted for the electronic residence card. Have it taken at the authority or bring the code from a certified studio.

  • Leaving without the Fiktionsbescheinigung

    If your card expires before the new one is ready, ask for the certificate by name. Your employer may need to see it.

Common questions

FAQ

Short answers for the questions people ask before this appointment.

When should I apply to extend my residence permit?+

Before it expires. An extension applied for before expiry keeps your permit in force until the authority decides (§ 81 (4) AufenthG). Many authorities are booked weeks ahead, so request the appointment early.

What is a Fiktionsbescheinigung?+

A certificate the Ausländerbehörde issues after a timely application. It shows that your previous permit continues to apply until the decision (§ 81 (5) AufenthG). Keep it with your passport while you wait for the new card.

Can I bring a printed passport photo?+

No. Since 1 May 2025 the photo for an electronic residence card must be digital: taken at the authority or sent by a certified photo studio through a secure cloud service.

Which documents do I need?+

It depends on your permit type and your local authority. Use the list in your appointment letter. Ask whether you can submit anything missing later, and by when.

Take it with you

This phrase guide stays open so you can study the lines. The pocket card is the short version you take into the room. It is part of the Germany Pack.

See the pocket card
Keep preparing

Related German practice

The phrase guide is the key sheet for what to say. Use the checklist and rehearsal to practice it, then continue to the next situation.

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Help us keep phrases aligned with real appointments in Germany.

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Sources and references

Authoritative references used to verify the preparation details in this guide. Local requirements can still differ.