Got my German Residence Permit!

Well, after a confusing almost three months here trying to figure out how German bureaucracy works, we finally figured it out. The key to figuring it out: find a very nice research-loving German boyfriend. ;-)

So the process started before I got to Germany, of course but I was still pretty confused by the time I arrived. I wish I had studied a lot more German before I came, but how would I have known that I would end up in Germany to study one day. :-D Anyway I had to depend a lot on Ben's patience as he made some phone calls and explained to me some of the official German websites' information.

As I made some new friends, I figured out that most of them are married to Germans and that makes the whole residence permit process a little more straight-forward. However, that didn't help Ben and I much. I do believe that things happen for a reason and that you meet the right people at the right time. For example, I ran into a lady at a University seminar/event that gave me her number and told me to contact her if I ever wanted help or had questions. I barely knew her, but it felt good to know that someone who had gone through a similar process was so willing to help.

So, besides writing this post to update my family, (although I think some of them don't even know about my blog) I thought that it would also be nice to outline the process that I went through to get the residence permit (without being married) so that it might help others going through the process. (If I this would actually pop up on a Google search :-D)

1. When I first arrived, I had to go to the student housing office to be officially put on the lease. To be honest, I can't remember what really happened. Could possibly be because I spoke almost zero German...or maybe because I was jet-lagged. I do however remember the result: we got this sheet of paper which had my and Ben's names on it, our address, signatures and a very official looking stamp on it. This was actually not sufficient enough for the permit. We have to draw up an actual contract.
2. I had to make an appointment at the Bürgerservice (Residency Registration). This is the place that all Germans must go to to register themselves at their current address. The German government likes to keep tabs on everyone's location. (Does that sound creepy?) I suppose it's just like how Americans update their mail address so that their bills get to the right spot. We googled "Bürgerservice Jena" and (Ben) made an appointment (Termin). We arrived early and waited until my name flashed on the monitor screen telling us which station to go to. I brought the officially stamped lease agreement plus my passport and was registered in the computers (probably took 15 minutes). And the lady was very nice. :-)
3. I then had to be enrolled in some sort of German language course. I came in the middle of the University semester so it was too late for me to enroll. If you do enroll in University, you just need to present your acceptance letter. The one important condition for the language course is that it has to have 20, 45 minute lessons per week. So 20 x 45 = 900 minutes per week (15 hours). This is considered full-time. I found out that these can really only be found at a government-certified Sprachschule (IBI, IIK...). For example, my German course is 3.25 hours each day, 5 days a week. Then I have time to practice my German with friends outside of class, do my German homework, work (soon), etc. --Anyway, I went to the office of one of these Sprachschulen and received a bill (you do have to pay a little) and another piece of paper with an official stamp on it. (Are you starting to get an idea of how Germans make things official?)
4. The government also needs proof that you can support yourself whether through your parents, a scholarship, or your own personal finances. They require that you have at least €9.000 in a German bank account to sustain you for one year. You can open an account on an online or a physical bank. Most of them are free. However, you do need to be able to transfer your funds from your home country and exchange the money. This might be better done from your home country.
5. Also, health insurance. This is another requirement. I have learned that Germans love their insurance. They seem to have one for almost every situation. I used to think this was a joke until I actually got into a discussion about it with Ben. Thankfully, the only one that's required for the permit is health insurance. If you're not a University student, you will have to go through a private company, which usually is a bit more expensive. Most Germans go through a public insurance company, unlike in the U.S. I got an intro rate through a private insurance company. I will switch over to a public one once I'm enrolled in University.
6. Passport photos (biometric photos): I spent €12 on ugly photos of myself (pretty sure even the lady that took them agreed that they were ugly). Can't say it's the best thing I could've spent €12 on but it's necessary and really €12 isn't that bad. I heard that you can get them at a photo booth, which is supposed to be the cheaper way, but we couldn't find one so I got mine done at a photo shop. The quality was better anyway.
7. Last but not least, I made an appointment with the Ausländerbehörde (Alien/Foreigner Office) in Jena. This is something that I wish I would've done sooner. The next open appointment slot was 1.5 months away and I could only stay for 3 months on my U.S. travel visa. (Depending on the country, you either have to get a Visa before arriving or you can just enter and then apply for a residence permit.) Thankfully, the moment that you book an appointment, you are already given the status of "currently applying." This means that you won't have any problems, supposedly, if your 3 months are up before you get to your appointment.The site gives you a list of things that you're supposed to bring with you to your appointment.

• Apartment lease contract
• Sprachschule enrollment form OR letter of admittance to a University
• Health Insurance
• Proof of sufficient finances
• Passport photo
• Application form filled out and signed (found on the Ausländerbehörde site)

So we went to our appointment. We had to sign in on an electronic machine and then wait for my name to pop up on the monitor to tell me which room to go to. I was nervous and sweating more than I would've liked. The lady helping us with the process was scary and very intimidating. Good thing Ben was there. He wasn't at all phased. But then after paying and answering some questions, I got my temporary card!

Within the next month I'll have my expensive plastic card with an ugly photo of myself on it to carry around with me for the next two years. YAY!!!

Thank goodness for calm and patient boyfriends. :-)