Entry with a national visa

For longer stays, a national visa (Visa Category D) is required. This is issued before entry. The embassies and consulates general of the Federal Republic of Germany are responsible for issuing national visas.

Was your national visa issued for 90 days?
Was your national visa issued for more than 90 days?
Can you work with your visa?
Traveling in the Schengen area
Inclusion of the duration of your stay with a visa

Was your national visa (D-Visa) issued for 90 days?

Please apply for a residence permit or EU Blue Card during the term of validity of your visa.
Your application should be submitted 4 to 6 weeks before your visa is scheduled to expire.

The best thing is to book an appointment online in a timely manner.

Was your national visa (D-Visa) issued for more than 90 days?

A national visa can also be issued with a maximum term of validity of up to 12 months.

Holders of this sort of long-term D-Visa are issued with a different residence title (residence permit, EU Blue Card) six weeks before the visa expires at the earliest.
Your visa cannot be converted into a different residence title any earlier than this, even if you have already booked an appointment.

If you do not intend to stay for a longer period than the visa allows, you do not need to submit an application, or to come into the Berlin Immigration Office.

Can you work with your visa?

Your visa states whether and to what extent you are permitted to work.

You can start working immediately after your entry, to the extent permitted, even if you do not yet have a residence permit or EU Blue Card.

Holders of a one-year visa for study purposes are permitted to work in accordance with Section 16b paragraph 3 AufenthG. This means that, with this visa, you are permitted to work a maximum of 140 days per year as well as to undertake part-time student work.

Traveling in the Schengen area

With a valid national visa, you can travel to the following countries in the Schengen area for up to 90 days within a period of 180 days (after first entry):

Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain

Inclusion of the duration of your stay with a visa

The duration of your stay with a national visa counts towards the periods for which you are deemed to hold a residence permit, an EU Blue Card, a settlement permit or an EU long-term residence permit.

Therefore, if you wish to acquire a permanent residence title or to become naturalized, it does not matter when your national visa was converted into a different residence title.