Hi everyone!

There are so many questions about what to expect at the foreigners office, so I will try to answer a few of them here.

Please drop me a line, if yours isn’t here and I’ll add it.

 

As usual: This article is just for giving you an overview, in case of doubt, please check on the website of the foreigners office or get in touch with them.

 

On which days can I come without an appointment?

Monday, Tuesday and Thursday

 

What time do they open?

7am on Mondays and Tuesdays, 10am on Thursdays

 

But when do I actually have to be there?

I recommend to be there as early as 4am on Mondays or Tuesdays and 6am on Thursdays.

 

My visa is running out now and my appointment is only two weeks after that, what do I do?

If you have any type of residence permit issued by the foreigners office in Berlin, it automatically extends to the day of your appointment. If you are on your 90 days Schengen visa or any other type of short term visa, you legally have to go before that ends. However, usually the people at the foreigners office don’t fine you, if you booked your appointment, before your current status expired. But there is no official legal base for that.

 

How long will I have to wait once I got my number?

That depends on the time of your arrival at the office. You’ll spend around an hour there, if you’re among the first ones in line and much more, if you are there later.

 

I have an appointment and I’m running late! What do I do?

Don’t be late. They will most likely not take you in on that day and your appointment will be lost.

 

I have an appointment! How early do I have to be there?

Usually the numbers aren’t called earlier, but that happened to me one time. Better be there 15 minutes earlier.

 

Which of the two offices do I go to?

That depends on what you need.

 

Keplerstraße:

• Working Holiday
• Language Course
• Study Preparation
• Jobseeker after graduating in Germany
• Internship
• Student
• Researcher
• School
• Blue Card

 

Friedrich-Krause-Ufer

• everything else (Freelance, work visa, spouse visa, jobseeker, family members, etc.)

 

If you have booked an appointment, you find the right office on the confirmation.

 

How do I know to which department I should go?

In front of the main gate at Friedrich-Krause-Ufer, there is a glass display, with a poster telling you about the departments. They are sorted by countries and not by visa purpose. The securities might give you a paper, which tells you where to go, once the doors open. Double check with the poster.