Visa / residence permit for research
Residency route facts
Identity
| Official name (local) | Aufenthaltserlaubnis zum Zweck der Forschung (§ 18d AufenthG) as of 2026-08-08[3] |
|---|---|
| Official name (English) | Visa / residence permit for research as of 2026-08-08[15] |
| Legal basis | Aufenthaltsgesetz (AufenthG) § 18d (Richtlinie (EU) 2016/801) as of 2026-08-08[3] |
| Instrument type | residence permit as of 2026-08-08[3] |
Who can apply
Permit terms
| Initial duration | at least 1 year as of 2026-08-08[3][15] |
|---|---|
| Renewable | Yes as of 2026-08-08[15] |
| Work rights | own activity only as of 2026-08-08[3] Research at the institution named in the hosting agreement plus teaching activities (sec. 18d(5)); changes within the research project do not affect the entitlement. |
Permanent residence and citizenship
Requirements
| Job offer required | Yes as of 2026-08-08[3][15] A hosting agreement (Aufnahmevereinbarung) or corresponding contract with a research institution, not an ordinary job offer; the institution generally commits to cover post-stay public costs for up to six months (waived where predominantly publicly funded, sec. 18d(2)). |
|---|---|
| Labour-market test | No as of 2026-08-08[3] Issued without Federal Employment Agency approval. |
| Qualification requirement | degree as of 2026-08-08[15] Researcher per art. 3 of Directive (EU) 2016/801: doctorate or a qualification giving access to doctoral programmes. |
| Employer sponsorship | Yes as of 2026-08-08[3] The research institution is the sponsoring party via the hosting agreement and the cost-commitment declaration. |
| Job-search route | No as of 2026-08-08[3] |
Process
| Where to apply from | either as of 2026-08-08[10][15] Default is a national D visa; sec. 41 AufenthV nationals may apply in-country after visa-free entry. |
|---|---|
| Statutory processing time | 60 days as of 2026-08-08[3] Sixty-day issuance clock where the hosting agreement is with a research institution recognised for the special admission procedure (sec. 18d(1) s.2). |
| Fees |
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Physical presence
| maximum consecutive absence | 6 months · to keep the permit as of 2026-08-08[9] Sec. 51(1) no. 7 AufenthG: the permit lapses if the holder leaves Germany and does not re-enter within six months (or a longer period set by the foreigners authority); it also lapses on departure for a reason that is not temporary by nature (no. 6). |
|---|
Family inclusion
| Family members may be included | Yes as of 2026-08-08[4][5][6][7][14] Spouse (sec. 30) and minor children (sec. 32) may join. Spouses of holders of a Blue Card, ICT Card or a permit under secs. 18a/18b/18d/19c/21 are exempt from the pre-entry A1 German requirement (sec. 30(1) s.3 no.5). Parents and parents-in-law of skilled workers whose first qualifying title was issued on or after 2024-03-01 may be granted reunification at discretion, livelihood secured (sec. 36(3)). |
|---|---|
| Eligible relations | spouse, minor child, parent as of 2026-08-08[5][6][7] |
| Family members' work rights | full as of 2026-08-08[8] |
Your next step
Read the requirements above considering your own situation: the income multiple, the absence limits, who you can bring. Check the country record for the reference figure those amounts are calculated from, and for anything that has changed recently.
The next step is your own case. That assessment is legal work. Create profile for our assistance in this.
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Verification
| Sources cited | 15 |
|---|---|
| of which official (tier 1) | 15 |
| Oldest as-of date | 2026-08-08 |
| Newest as-of date | 2026-08-08 |
| Reviewed on | 2026-08-11 |
| Schema version | 1.1 |
Sources
- [1] Aufenthaltsgesetz (AufenthG) § 1 – Zweck des Gesetzes; Anwendungsbereich (consolidated)
Bundesministerium der Justiz / juris (gesetze-im-internet.de) · statute · Tier 1 · Accessed 2026-08-08 - [2] Aufenthaltsgesetz (AufenthG) § 18c – Niederlassungserlaubnis für Fachkräfte (consolidated)
Bundesministerium der Justiz / juris (gesetze-im-internet.de) · statute · Tier 1 · Accessed 2026-08-08 - [3] Aufenthaltsgesetz (AufenthG) § 18d – Forschung (consolidated)
Bundesministerium der Justiz / juris (gesetze-im-internet.de) · statute · Tier 1 · Accessed 2026-08-08 - [4] Aufenthaltsgesetz (AufenthG) § 29 – Familiennachzug zu Ausländern (consolidated)
Bundesministerium der Justiz / juris (gesetze-im-internet.de) · statute · Tier 1 · Accessed 2026-08-08 - [5] Aufenthaltsgesetz (AufenthG) § 30 – Ehegattennachzug (consolidated)
Bundesministerium der Justiz / juris (gesetze-im-internet.de) · statute · Tier 1 · Accessed 2026-08-08 - [6] Aufenthaltsgesetz (AufenthG) § 32 – Kindernachzug (consolidated)
Bundesministerium der Justiz / juris (gesetze-im-internet.de) · statute · Tier 1 · Accessed 2026-08-08 - [7] Aufenthaltsgesetz (AufenthG) § 36 – Nachzug der Eltern und sonstiger Familienangehöriger (consolidated)
Bundesministerium der Justiz / juris (gesetze-im-internet.de) · statute · Tier 1 · Accessed 2026-08-08 - [8] Aufenthaltsgesetz (AufenthG) § 4a – Zugang zur Erwerbstätigkeit (consolidated)
Bundesministerium der Justiz / juris (gesetze-im-internet.de) · statute · Tier 1 · Accessed 2026-08-08 - [9] Aufenthaltsgesetz (AufenthG) § 51 – Beendigung der Rechtmäßigkeit des Aufenthalts (consolidated)
Bundesministerium der Justiz / juris (gesetze-im-internet.de) · statute · Tier 1 · Accessed 2026-08-08 - [10] Aufenthaltsverordnung (AufenthV) § 41 – Vergünstigung für bestimmte Staatsangehörige (consolidated)
Bundesministerium der Justiz / juris (gesetze-im-internet.de) · statute · Tier 1 · Accessed 2026-08-08 - [11] Aufenthaltsverordnung (AufenthV) § 45 – Gebühren Aufenthaltserlaubnis (consolidated)
Bundesministerium der Justiz / juris (gesetze-im-internet.de) · fee schedule · Tier 1 · Accessed 2026-08-08 · Archived copy - [12] Aufenthaltsverordnung (AufenthV) § 46 – Gebühren Visum (consolidated)
Bundesministerium der Justiz / juris (gesetze-im-internet.de) · fee schedule · Tier 1 · Accessed 2026-08-08 - [13] Freizügigkeitsgesetz/EU (FreizügG/EU) § 1 – Anwendungsbereich (consolidated)
Bundesministerium der Justiz / juris (gesetze-im-internet.de) · statute · Tier 1 · Accessed 2026-08-08 - [14] Spouses joining citizens of non-EU countries
Make it in Germany (Federal Government portal for skilled workers) · official portal · Tier 1 · Accessed 2026-08-08 - [15] Visa for research
Make it in Germany (Federal Government portal for skilled workers) · official portal · Tier 1 · Accessed 2026-08-08