From March 2025, the State Office for Immigration (LEA) in Berlin will require a certificate of completed integration course when applying for a settlement permit. The immigration authorities in Berlin are thus saying goodbye to the previous liberal practice and adopting the requirements that many other immigration authorities in Germany also impose on the application for a permanent residence permit.
Integration course for permanent residence in Berlin
According to the Residence Act, foreigners who apply for a settlement permit must " have basic knowledge of the legal and social order and living conditions in the federal territory" (Section 9, Paragraph 2, No. 8 of the Residence Act). This knowledge is proven if an integration course has been successfully completed and a corresponding certificate can be presented. A naturalization test may also exempt you from the integration course requirement. An exception only exists if integration is proven in another way, for example by a German school leaving certificate.
Previous practice in Berlin
Until now, this requirement has been handled very generously by the State Office for Immigration (LEA). According to the administrative instructions on residence law in Berlin (VAB), basic knowledge of the social order should be tested in an everyday conversation during the interview (p. 96 of the VAB dated December 30, 2024). In practice, this meant that the integration course for the settlement permit was effectively not tested. Almost no clerk at the LEA actually checked basic knowledge of the legal and social order.
New LEA guidelines from March 2025
This long-standing practice has now been changed. The head of the LEA, Mr Mazanke, has instructed the clerks to check proof of the integration course when applying for a settlement permit. The administrative instructions on the right of residence in Berlin (VAB) will be updated accordingly.
What does this mean for applicants?
In practice, this means that applicants in Berlin can no longer rely on receiving a settlement permit without an integration course certificate. The integration course is thus gaining importance again after it was almost meaningless in the past. The State Office for Immigration is thus following the practice of other immigration authorities in Germany. In southern Germany, particularly at the District Administration Office (KVR) in Munich, the presentation of an integration course certificate has long been common administrative practice.
What exceptions are there?
Despite the new requirements, there are still legal exceptions to the obligation to apply for the integration course before applying for a permanent residence permit:
German school or university qualifications : These can also serve as proof of integration.
Illness or disability : Persons who cannot complete the integration course due to a physical, mental or psychological illness or disability are exempt from this requirement.
Recognized university degree with professional activity : According to the Integration Course Ordinance (IntV), the integration course can be waived if the applicant has a recognized university degree and is working in a corresponding profession. However, this exception does not apply if the settlement permit is applied for on the basis of the EU Blue Card (i.e. after 21 or 27 months).
Conclusion
With the new regulation, the Berlin State Office for Immigration (LEA) is adapting to the administrative practice of other immigration authorities and ending its previously very liberal approach. However, it remains to be seen how strictly the regulation will actually be implemented. In many cases, there are alternative ways of proving integration. In practice, highly qualified applicants such as academic specialists in particular will often benefit from the legal exceptions. Applicants should find out early on whether they need an integration course certificate or whether alternative proof is sufficient.
You can find further information on the settlement permit in Berlin in our VISAGUARD guide to applying for permanent residence .
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