Letter from the Ausländerbehörde: calculate the deadline and understand it
The immigration office writes to you about your residence: an appointment, missing documents or a decision.
How to recognise the letter
- The sender is the immigration office of the city or district.
- Typical: appointment, request for documents, decision on a residence permit.
- A decision has instructions on legal remedies: objection or court action.
Which deadline applies?
Objection or court action – as the letter's instructions say: one month after notification (§ 70 Abs. 1 VwGO bzw. § 74 Abs. 1 S. 2 VwGO). If the end falls on a Saturday, Sunday or public holiday, the deadline ends on the next working day (§ 31 Abs. 3 VwVfG / § 57 Abs. 2 VwGO i. V. m. § 222 Abs. 2 ZPO). The calculator on this page works out the exact day – step by step.
In states without an objection procedure (e.g. NRW) the remedy is court action within one month of notification. The instructions in the letter apply.
What happens if you do nothing?
Once the deadline has passed, a decision becomes final. If you miss an appointment or document request, your application may be decided without it.
Your options
- Send documents or ask for an appointment
- Ask for a certificate of provisional residence (Fiktionsbescheinigung) if needed
- If refused: get advice immediately – MBE or a migration lawyer
Who can help?
Migration counselling (MBE), specialist lawyer for migration law – always
Terms in this letter
Frequently asked questions
Objection or court action?
That depends on the federal state; some have abolished the objection procedure, so it is court action. What the letter's instructions say applies – the deadline is one month after notification either way (§ 70 Abs. 1 VwGO, § 74 Abs. 1 S. 2 VwGO).
Who helps for free?
Migration counselling for adults (MBE) and youth migration services. If an application is refused, always also a specialist lawyer for migration law.
How much time do I have?
One month after notification (§ 70 Abs. 1 VwGO bzw. § 74 Abs. 1 S. 2 VwGO). If the end falls on a Saturday, Sunday or public holiday, the deadline ends on the next working day (§ 31 Abs. 3 VwVfG / § 57 Abs. 2 VwGO i. V. m. § 222 Abs. 2 ZPO). The calculator above shows the exact day with every step.
Who can help me?
Migration counselling (MBE), specialist lawyer for migration law – always.
General information, not legal advice. Whether this decision is correct and what is right in your case is for an advice centre or a lawyer to say. Laws link to the official German text at gesetze-im-internet.de.