Non-EU citizen seeking permanent residency

Dear all,

the situation is the following: I hold a EU passport, so I can stay in Germany as long as I want without trouble. My partner, who holds a USA passport and lives currently in California is looking to move to Germany with me as soon as possible. We are trying to figure out what the requirements are for her to stay with me permanently (that is, longer than the 90 days allowed by tourist visas). In particular, we would like to know if getting married, or showing proof that we are in a long-term relationship, should be enough to get her a residence permit.

Thanks in advance for your answers

Holding an EU passport is not always enough to stay out of trouble. You still have to have the proper health insurance and you have to register your address and you should apply for a residence permit which is more of a formality but you do need to show that you have health insurance and either a job or looking for a job or student or something.

Regarding your partner, as far as I know, if you are married, she'll be able to stay but she'll need to pass a German test.

Thank you for the reply.

To be short, I meet all the requirements of health insurance, work permit, registration, and so on, so I'm fine in that respect. My question now would be, how much German does my partner need to speak? Grundstufe? Mittelstufe? I'll appreciate any answer, but the one I'd appreciate the best is a pointer towards where to get the official documentation, so that I can check things on my own

Incidentally, does it matter where we get married? We were planning on doing it during my next visit to California, because it's so easy there (just a matter of walking to the courthouse two blocks away from her home and paying $45).

Hi Everyone,
I am from an EU country(Italy) and would like to move to another EU country having lived in Italy for 7/8 years now.
My question is,will my years of stay (7/8years) count in another EU country?
Thank You.

That depends on what kind of residence permit you have. If it's Italy only, you'll start over here from scratch (if you get in at all).

No...
Actually,I have the long stay permit (CE),until like last year or two,it used to be indefinate but recently changed to a 5year stay which after expiration,it will be renewed but I have just only 2/3 years to qualify for the citizenship(which is 10 years),that was why I asked if my years of stay do count,thank you.

If you're asking about citizenship, then no, your years in Italy will not be taken into account for the German residency requirement (which makes sense if you think about it).

ok but is itpossible for me to come to Germany with my italian documents for example to live and to study without any visa stress since I live in the EU and how easy is it or what do I do?Thank you.

I don't think that an Italian residency permit will count for anything in Germany. Get the Italian citizenship, then you can go to Germany or anywhere in the EU.

If you are not married, your partner has to apply for a residence permit independently, and therefore fulfill one of the criteria under which Germany allows residence (e.g. work, or bringing 0.5 million euro in to the country). If you are married, it is a different story; as you are a non-German EU national, your partner would qualify for a residence permit under Section 30 of the Aufenthaltsgezetz. (English: http://www.en.bmi.bund.de/Internet/Content/Common/Anlagen/Gesetze/Gesetze__Sprachen/AufenthG__en,templateId=raw,property=publicationFile.pdf/AufenthG_en.pdf German:http://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/aufenthg_2004/index.html ) which requires that "the spouse is able to communicate in the German language on a basic level at least". If you got married, came to Germany, and your spouse applied for residence after arrival, he or she would only need to satisfy the interviewing immigration person that their language skills were adequate. If he or she applied for the residence permit from the German consulate in the USA, its more formal and he or she would have to pass the A1 language exam.

As always, I'm not an immigration officer, so best to double-check any advice with the German consulate in the USA.

Good luck!

OK, so here is a question to anyone with some insight. I am an American Soldier stationed in Germany. I am married to an American citizen. We have discussed that we would like to settle permanently in Germany after I retire. What will be our limitations? How long will citizenship take, etc. Anyone with info on this would be greatly appreciated.

You should probably ask this question in the military forum on Toytown, as you're much more likely to find someone who knows what they're talking about there.

I know many ex-military guys who have settled here after retiring and have had no problems obtaining residency (which is not citizenship - if you want German citizenship, you have to give up your American one), so I know it's possible.