# Temporary Residence Permit



## JennaB

My husband and I are both Canadian citizens and we read that we can come to Germany and apply for a temporary residence permit while there. We would like to apply for (up to) one year visa to see if we want to retire in Germany. We are able to fund our stay there ourselves.

All the visa categories we see are for work, study, or family reunion and since we are not looking to work we are not sure how to apply.

Can someone help us understand the following:

1. What visa type do we apply for?
2. How long does it take to get it?
3. We see a requirement for an address but we are planning to rent an AirBnB. How do we deal with this?

Any other info or links on how to set up an appointment would be greatly appreciated! 

Jenna


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## proud.to.be.EUROPEAN

There is no retirement visa for DE, like some countries have.
You will need temp residence permit, which you can get in consulate or apply in DE after arrival (no visa req) and before 90 days expire.

Afterwards, you need to apply to settlement permit. Speak to DE consulate.

https://www.make-it-in-germany.com/en/visa/living-permanently-in-germany/settlement-permit/

I hope you have had proper tax advice about moving to DE and researched cost of living.


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## ALKB

JennaB said:


> My husband and I are both Canadian citizens and we read that we can come to Germany and apply for a temporary residence permit while there. We would like to apply for (up to) one year visa to see if we want to retire in Germany. We are able to fund our stay there ourselves.
> 
> All the visa categories we see are for work, study, or family reunion and since we are not looking to work we are not sure how to apply.
> 
> Can someone help us understand the following:
> 
> 1. What visa type do we apply for?
> 2. How long does it take to get it?
> 3. We see a requirement for an address but we are planning to rent an AirBnB. How do we deal with this?
> 
> Any other info or links on how to set up an appointment would be greatly appreciated!
> 
> Jenna


You usually need a reason to be in Germany, whether the authorities will grant a residence permit for an extended visit is up to them and not guaranteed.

Permits are often issued on the spot (the tricky bit is often to get an appointment). 

You, as every resident including German nationals, will have to register your address with the local municipality. If the AirBnB host is not willing to give you the required paperwork, they might be doing business with their flat without knowledge and permission of the owner. It might be better (and cheaper) to look for 'Wohnen auf Zeit' = renting someone's flat while they are on secondment abroad, on sabbatical, etc.

Once you are registered, you will need to have comprehensive health insurance, either within the German system or equivalent. You will also be tax resident.

Does either of you have recent European ancestry?


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## JennaB

Thank you. Can you let me know what you mean by "recent" European ancestry?


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## ALKB

JennaB said:


> Thank you. Can you let me know what you mean by "recent" European ancestry?


That depends on the individual country. Most cut off claims to citizenship at grandparents but Italy and I think Lithuania for instance are more generous than that, although at least in Italy there is talk about limiting rights to Italian citizenship generation-wise, but that is only talk as of now.

If one of you could claim an EU or EEA nationality, things would be considerably less complicated.

Might be worth looking at your family tree and checking legislation as to whether you have an ancestor close enough for you to get a passport.


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## JennaB

Thank you!


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## Nononymous

As others have said, there is no actual retirement visa for Germany. You need a reason to be there, and that generally has to be either work or study. However, individual officials have a certain amount of discretion and you might be able to talk your way into a one-year residence permit. (Or not, in which case you'd be on your way home within 90 days of arrival.) After that, you might be able to talk your way into a renewal. And so on.

These are all post-COVID plans, I assume. I think right now you would have great difficulty getting an appointment at the Ausländerbehörde. On that note, do you speak German at all?

Be aware that your health insurance costs as retirees with no previous history of working in Germany would not be cheap. It's a public-private system, nothing like Canada. 

Tax is potentially complicated if you have a bunch of Canadian assets. Technically you'd be tax resident in Germany as soon as you make a "permanent" move, but if you're staying only 12 months and not working it's probably safe to let that particular sleeping dog lie.

There are other ways to manage a European retirement. You could do some "Schengen-hopping" by coming in and out every 90 days, either returning to Canada or going to the US or non-Schengen countries when it's time to leave. This is probably expensive and exhausting and after a while the authorities may notice and take a dim view if you are always returning to the same fixed base in Germany or elsewhere. Or if you've got the cash you could look at some of the "golden visa" options in Portugal or elsewhere that will give you EU residency in exchange for real estate investment.


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## JennaB

Thank you so much for your all your advice. Is being fluent in German a necessity to apply for the visa?


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## NickZ

ALKB said:


> That depends on the individual country. Most cut off claims to citizenship at grandparents but Italy and I think Lithuania for instance are more generous than that, although at least in Italy there is talk about limiting rights to Italian citizenship generation-wise, but that is only talk as of now.
> .



That's not correct. A child needs at least one parent to be a citizen. No skipping generations in Italy. When people go back multiple generations they need to show each and every generation was a citizen. 

It's easier to naturalize but that requires IIRC three years of residency.


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## ALKB

NickZ said:


> That's not correct. A child needs at least one parent to be a citizen. No skipping generations in Italy. When people go back multiple generations they need to show each and every generation was a citizen.
> 
> It's easier to naturalize but that requires IIRC three years of residency.


That's why I said to check individual country's legislation. I think for Italy it is required that nobody in the ancestral chain renounced Italian citizenship before the next generation was born and of course one would need documentary evidence. 

I didn't say it's quick or easy but it's worth looking into. We don't know anything about OP's ancestry or any documents they might have or not have.


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## Nononymous

JennaB said:


> Thank you so much for your all your advice. Is being fluent in German a necessity to apply for the visa?


No. But having German greatly improves your enjoyment of life and may help you negotiate the bureaucracy. 

Small technical point: A visa is something you request from a consulate before entering a country. For Canadians, a visa is not necessary in Germany. If intending to stay, you enter as a tourist and have 90 days to obtain a residence permit (which may include permission to work if the purpose of your stay is employment) from the dreaded Ausländerbehörde (foreigner's office).


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## sohailafzal12

from where you guys are buy german resident permite online ? any trusted seller?


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## *Sunshine*

Germany doesn't sell resident permits. If you have the necessary funds you can buy a permit directly from the Portuguese government.


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