Applying for blue card renewal

Applying for blue card renewal? Here is how to do it right

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Have you already completed 3-4 years in Germany on a blue card and you are applying for a blue card renewal?

You will find a lot of resources online about how to apply for a Blue card in Germany.

But, what you should do when it comes to renewing your blue card? No one is really talking about it.

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I tried a lot of websites and resources to understand the procedure myself when I was applying for a blue card renewal but with no success.

So, here I am going to explain to you the steps and the documents required to renew your as well as your dependent’s blue card in Germany.

Get a blue card renewal appointment

This is the first step which is kind of the biggest blocker especially in cities like Berlin.

Getting an appointment for the renewal of your Blue card in a city like Berlin is one of the toughest things to do as an ex-pat.

The good news is – Even though it is tough to get an appointment for the blue card renewal, trust me it is not impossible.

Steps to book an appointment

Booking an appointment for your blue card renewal is different in Berlin and other cities of Germany.

Blue card renewal appointment in Berlin

  1. Visit the official website to book an appointment for your blue card renewal.
  2. Read through all the important informations and the list of documents required.
  3. Proceed to the appointment booking page and fill out the details.
  4. Proceed to the next page and you will most probably see an error message saying that “There are no appointment available at this moment. Please try again later.” or something similar.
  5. If no appointments are available, make sure to bookmark this page and retry as often as you can.
  6. If an appointment date is available, try to quickly select a date and time and confirm the selection and fill the other details as well.
  7. You will get an email confirming your appointment. Keep this email safe and print it as well.

Pro Tip:

* Make sure to turn off the auto-translation feature of your browser as it interferes with the appointment selection page elements and you might not see the option to select a time for your appointment.

* Always keep your Blue card details handy while booking an appointment.

Blue card renewal appointment anywhere else in Germany

If you are living in another city, you might not have an online appointment booking system, unlike Berlin.

In this case, you can get an appointment by directly reaching out to the officials at the Foreign Office (Ausländerbehörde).

Here is how you can ask for an appointment to apply for blue card renewal:

  1. Find the email id of the foreign office in your respective city (Google it).
  2. Write them an email with your passport number, blue card number and your name asking for an appointment to renew your blue card.
  3. Request them for an appointment in the upcoming days or weeks. Ideally you should write them atleast 5-6 months before your blue card expiry date.
  4. In 90% of the cases, you will either get an appointment or they will ask you for additional documents or information which you can send them via email.
  5. If you are among the unlucky 10% where the officials do not reply to the email, do not worry. Just give them a call or visit the office personally and ask for an appointment.

Prepare for the blue card renewal appointment

Congratulations! You’ve already passed the biggest hurdle in your blue card renewal journey.

Now, the next step is to prepare all the relevant and required documents for you and your dependents before you appear for your appointment.

Please visit the official website here and make sure that you have all the documents listed for the Blue card application.

There are a few documents that are needed only for the first-time application and are not required for the renewal. e.g: Your degree certificate.

You can have a look at this page to get the details about the optional and required documents for your blue card renewal.

Pro Tip:

* Keep your originals with you on the day of your appointment along with the copies of the same.

* Make sure that you have all your documents in English or German. In case any of your documents are in any other language, then get it apostilled.

On the day of your visa appointment

So, your blue card renewal appointment day is here.

The first thing I would do is to inform my employer about the appointment and ask for home office permission.

I will plan my travel a day before the actual appointment date. This will include preparing my office bag with all the documents, enough drinking water for 2-3 hours, enough cash, an ATM card, and so on.

Now, I will share my experience in the Berlin office on the day of my Blue card renewal appointment. It is going to be the same or almost similar in any other foreign office in Germany.

Blue card renewal experience in Berlin

I reached the office at least 15-20 minutes before my scheduled appointment time which was 8:00 am.

The security person at the entrance of the building asked me to visit the 2nd floor and sit in the waiting room there.

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The waiting room had around 10-12 chairs with two screens that were displaying the token numbers and the respective room.

My token number was displayed on the screen at around 8:10 am.

Pro Tip:

Make sure you don’t miss your number. Keep watching the screen all the time.

I along with my family went to the room which was on the same floor as the waiting room.

The official was a lady (in her 50s) who asked my wife and daughter to wait outside as only one person was allowed inside the room at a time due to the ongoing corona restrictions.

The lady was nice and the good thing was that she spoke with us in English.

I handed over the following documents to her:

  • Passport (Original)
  • Current blue card (Original)
  • The green slip that came along with the blue card. It is very important if you changed jobs. (Original)
  • City registration document or Anmeldung document (Original)
  • House contract (Original or copy)
  • Health insurance card with your photo on it (Original)
  • Confirmation letter from the Health insurance (Copy)
  • Biometric photo (Recent photo – One copy). We got this one day before from a nearby DM for 8 euros.

She didn’t ask for the Marriage certificate, Degree certificate, or the Birth certificate of my daughter. Probably because it was a blue card renewal application.

After checking these documents, she asked me a few questions:

  • When did you come to Germany?
  • Did you switch your job in between?
  • When did you come to Berlin?
  • Where are you staying in Berlin?

Finally, she printed two forms and asked me to fill and sign these forms. One was for me and the other one was for my wife. You can download a sample of this form below:

Sample blue card renewal spouse declaration formDownload

She also asked to wait outside in the waiting room after filling the form until she calls me back using the same number.

I translated this form and figured that the form basically was a declaration that we (me and my wife) stay together in the mentioned address.

We both filled the form, signed it, and waited for our number to be displayed on the screen.

Even after 30 minutes, we didn’t see our number on the screen. So, I decided to go back to the same room with a question 😛

I went there and asked her if she can check the form and let me know if something is missing?

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She checked the form quickly and said everything looks fine and asked me to sit there.

After another 10 minutes, she printed a paper with my basic details on it. I was asked to double-check the details.

She also asked me to confirm the eye color and height of my Daughter. This gets printed on the blue card.

This was repeated for all three of us.

Payment for blue card renewal application

After another 5-10 minutes, she gave me a credit card-sized card and asked me to make the payment.

She asked me to pay 232.50 Euros in total. This was the fee for the blue card renewal for me, my wife, and my daughter (4.5).

I had to visit a payment machine, which was on the same floor. This machine looked more like an ATM.

I had to put that card into the machine and topped it up using my bank debit card. It was a simple process that took just 1 minute.

Pro-tip:

Instead of using your debit card, you can also top up using cash.

Once the card was charged with the specified amount, I got a confirmation slip from this machine. I took that slip and gave it back to the lady.

Confirmation letters for the blue card renewal

She asked me to call my wife and daughter as well to review and sign the final set of documents.

She printed out three confirmation letters. One for each of us.

We were asked to review these letters to confirm the details and address.

The letter was basically proof that we have applied for the extension or renewal of our blue card and the same is under process.

It also stated that we can use this letter as proof for the next three months and the new blue card will arrive within the next 4-6 weeks.

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There was also a mention that the new blue card will have a 4-year validity which is more than the 3+ year validity of my current blue card.

Finally, I was asked to sign a form that took our consent for delivering the new blue card to our home address in Berlin.

Once this was signed, she gave us all the original and photocopies of the documents that we had submitted initially.

We checked if everything was in order and if we received back all the originals (Passport, current blue card, Anmeldung certificate, etc)

That was it. The whole process took approximately 1.5 hours and we were free by 9.30 am.

Thanks for reading the post and feel free to add your feedback or general queries in the comments section below.

Good luck!

53 thoughts on “Applying for blue card renewal? Here is how to do it right”

  1. Thank you very much for sharing your experience Anoop. May I ask you how much time you went there before the due date of your blue card?

    My blue card’s due date is June and I’m wondering if I can go earlier or I have to set my appointment only to June.

    Thank you.

    • Oh, I’ve just read that you can apply at the earliest date of 8 weeks prior the expiration 🙂

      • Yes, But in my case, I still had 3 months for the existing blue card to expire. I got the appointment 2 months before the card expiry.

        So, you could go even before 8 weeks for the appointment. In my case, it was 10-12 weeks before.

  2. Hello Anoop ;
    Thank you very much for the comperhensive explanaition about regaring the renwal of the blue card.
    I appriciate if you can answer my questions:
    1. How did they submitt the new Blue card, did they send it to you by post or did you revist the officials at the Foreign Office (Ausländerbehörde) to collect it?
    2. what kind of Confirmation letter from the Health insurance did they ask for?

    Thank you
    Khairi

    • Hi Khairi

      1. It was sent via post to my registered address.
      2. They checked my health insurance card and also the insurance confirmation letter. You can request your Health insurance provider to send you the insurance certificate. Both AOK and TK were really fast in this case.

      I hope this helps.
      Thanks!

  3. Hi Anoop,
    Thanks for sharing your experiences, extremely helpful.
    In some websites they say Blue Card is only valid for 4 years. As I understand, you were reaching your 4th year and they extended it to an additional +4 years, right?
    I’m reaching my 4th year, and need to extend some months if possible.

    Best
    Semra

    • Hi Semra

      Your Blue card validity is mentioned on the card itself. Please look for the valid till date on your card.

      You should apply for a renewal at least 8 weeks before this date. If you still hold a job that meets the blue card minimum criteria, then you will be granted a new card with another 4 years of validity.

      You are free to switch jobs without having any limitations after getting this new card.

      I hope this helps
      Thanks!

  4. Hello Anup,
    Really good overview … was “Erklärung zum Beschäftigungsverhältnis” document from current employer required for extension?

    • Hi Nikhil

      Thanks for the feedback.

      Yes, a letter from the employer stating my current employment, role and salary was provided by the HR which I had to submit during the renewal appointment. I do not recall the German name for this document.

      Thanks!

      • Hi
        H r u plz guide me my Blue passport of Germany expire in Feb 2023 i have 4 months when i book my opoinment plz guide me and charges of new passport thanks

  6. Hi Anoop!

    Did you get a new green slip ?
    I lost mine , but I do not know if it is worth getting a copy before applying for the blue card extension or if I should just wait until the extension appointment to get a new one .

    Thanks !

    • Hi Cesar

      I think you should apply for the green slip (If that’s possible). I am saying this because, on my Blue card renewal date, they did ask for the green slip.

      Also, there is no green slip with the new Blue card (as far as I remember) because it is not tied to an employer anymore and I am free to change the employer without any obligations.

      I hope this helps.

      • Hi Anoop,

        Any idea how can I apply for a new green slip, I lost mine as well.

        Thank you for answering 🙂

  7. Hi
    Thanks a lot for your detailed explanation.
    My case is a little different. I got approved de blue card from abroad.
    The German embassy in my country approved my blue card and stamped in my passport in one page (it says “supplementary sheet” , and in the next page stamped a visa class D.
    The supplementary sheet (blue card ) does not mention the expiration day, but the visa class D does. The expiration day is in August 2022.
    My employer hired a third party group to take care of the renewal process (I am not sure it it is renewal or issuing a new one ) , and I contacted these third party group asking about this process and they just told me that before the expiration of the visa the immigration authorities will issue an appointment to me.
    My concern is that this group seems to be very relaxed, and as far as I know , if the visa gets expired , I need to leave the country.
    Should I look for the appointment from now ?
    Is this in my passport already a blue card ?
    Please, any suggestions would be very appreciated
    Thanks

    • Hi Alfred

      I understand your concern.
      I would suggest you look for an appointment yourself and let the agency also do it for you. If you find the appointment, you can let them know and if they find it, then its all good.

      Meanwhile, you can also send them (foreigners’ office) an email asking for an appointment. As soon as you send the email, you will get an automated reply that says that you can continue to stay and work in Germany for some duration even after your visa expires. Please send that email and check the response yourself.

      Good luck

  8. Hi Anoop,

    How long did it take between attending your blue card appointment and receiving the physical blue card?

    I had my blue card extension appointment 5 weeks before my blue card expiry and it is now 7 weeks after that appointment but I am yet to receive the blue card. Although, I did receive a confirmation letter

    Any clue or advise on what I should do?

    Ola

  9. My passport will expire in few months and my blue card has a validity till that time even though I am eligible for staying up to 4 years.Now it’s been months only reached Germany. So wen I renew my passport, I have to renew by blue card as well right. Then will my Blue card also get 4 years validity?

    • Hi Amal

      Yes, you need to apply for renewal once you have the new passport.
      Your Blue card will also have an extended date i.e 4 years from now.

  10. Thanks for info. I am wondering why you did not apply for permanent recidency, any specific reason?

    • I didn’t want to risk it as I was not eligible for the PR when I applied for the blue card renewal. I had to wait for another 3-4 months before I could apply for a PR.

      So, I first renewed my Blue card and after about 6-8 months, I applied for the PR.

  11. Hi Anoop,
    Thanks for the detailed vlog. It helps.

    I am based in Munich, and my Blue Card expires this December. I wrote to Munich Foreigners Office and he replied back with this general link: ‘https://www.muenchen.de/rathaus/Stadtverwaltung/Kreisverwaltungsreferat/Auslaenderwesen/Online-Service.html’

    I thought there would be some different process for renewal than applying it for the first time.

    • Hi Rohan

      The process is usually the same. They need all the same documents that you would need when you apply for the first time. Also, a new card is printed and sent to your address even when you renew. Maybe that’s why they sent you the same link to start your blue card renewal process.

  12. Hi

    What happens to blue card if someone lost his passport or renewed passport in India ?

    • When a passport is renewed, you should apply for the renewal of the blue card as well. This is because the blue card is linked to your passport and if you lose your passport and get a new one, it should reflect on your Blue card as well.

      The process of renewing the Blue card is simple and straightforward.
      It might take 6-8 weeks to get the new Blue card delivered to your address in Germany.

  13. Hi,

    Thanks for your article. It is really helpful. I have a different question from the ones that are asked already.
    After applying for renewal, you get a document that tells your renewal application is under process. So, with this document can I visit other EU country while my previous Blue card is expired?

    I really need this answer because I have planned a holiday during the time when I will not have my new card but the document only, with expired existing card.

    Hoping to hearing from you.

    Best,
    Sarah

    • Hi Sarah

      That’s a good question.
      Unfortunately, I don’t exactly remember that. I was not planning to travel at that time.
      I think you can simply translate the document and read it. It should be mentioned in the document whether you can travel with it or not.

      Also, if you are yet to attend the appointment for the renewal, you should definitely ask the person dealing with your appointment.

      Good luck!
      Thanks!

  14. Hi Anoop,

    Very helpful article! One question: Would you mind sharing why felt it was a risk / that you were not eligible for the PR when you applied for the blue card renewal? I am exactly in the position of choosing whether I should apply for PR or for blue card renewal, and just want to ensure I understand the risk fully.

    Thanks in advance!

    • Hi Juan

      Thanks for the feedback.
      For me, the risk of going with the PR was mainly the uncertainty. I was not sure if I can easily get a PR and what would be the timeline for the whole process.

      To me, renewing blue card was much easier and hence I went ahead with that process. It also gave me additional time to apply for the PR as the new blue card had another 4 years validity.

      So, if you are eligible for a PR, I don’t see a problem in applying for that directly as the process of getting a PR was much smoother than what I anticipated. You can read about my experience of getting a PR here – https://germanyiscalling.com/how-to-apply-for-a-pr-in-germany/

      I hope this helps.

  15. Hi Anoop,

    Thanks for the writeup!
    Its almost impossible to get an appointment online in Berlin right now and I am not getting any replies to my emails asking for an appointment. My Blue card is expiring on 31st Dec.
    I am planning to send another email with all the required documents.
    I have one confusion however. The website states that the below form is optional. Did they ask this document from you?

    Form “Antrag auf Erteilung eines Aufenthaltstitels” (filled out)
    only required on first application

    Also do i need to get the below document from my employer?
    For the approval of the Federal Employment Agency: additional form
    Form “Erklärung zum Beschäftigungsverhältnis” (filled out by your employer)

    Thanks,
    Siddharth

    • Hi Siddharth

      Thanks for the feedback.
      Yes, I know that finding an appointment is really hard. Keep trying.

      1. Form “Antrag auf Erteilung eines Aufenthaltstitels” (filled out) – No, they didn’t ask me for this document.
      2. Erklärung zum Beschäftigungsverhältnis – Yes, you need to bring this on the date of your appointment. The document should not be older than 14 days.

      I hope this helps.
      Thanks!

  16. Hi , I need to exchange my bluecard due to passport change. Do you give them back the old card (that would still be valid for couple of months) awaiting to get the new one ? I‘m asking because I don‘t want to be blocked from travelling during the process

    • Hi Mounir

      No, you don’t have to give back the existing Blue card while applying for a new one or while renewing.

      You should ideally give the old one back during your next appointment with the Auslanderbehoerde

      I hope this helps.

  17. Hi Anoop,

    Thanks so much for this extremely useful article! My current blue card will expire this October, and my current work contract will end this August. I’m currently discussing with my employer about extending my work contract, but it’s not likely gonna be another whole year, probably just a few months or half a year. Do you think that’s a problem for getting the renewal? Would you mind sharing your experience? Thank you so much!

    Best,
    Jake

    • Hi Jake

      As long as you are eligible for a blue card and your employment contract is not ending before the blue card expiry date, you should be able to renew the blue card for another 4 years. That’s what I know from my past experiences.

      To be sure, you may contact the auslanderbehoerde of your city via email.

      Thanks!

    • Hi Gabrial

      I am not aware of any such website but you can try to google e.g “ Ausländerbehörde” and you should be able to find the relevant links.

      I hope this helps.
      Thanks!

  19. Hi , My case is different. I am medical doctor now Working with Blue card Visa that going to expire. My blue card visa was issuded only for two years because i got the profesional permit( Berufserlaubnis, Temporary medical license) to work for two years. i cannot extent my work contract because my Berufserlaubnis was issued only for two years. i am on the way my qualification Recognisation process. in this case can i extent my blue card residence without job contract till my qualification recognised?
    Please let me know the information if you have the same experience

    • Hi Ravi

      When it comes to the medical domain, I have very little knowledge of the process.
      But as far as I know, to get or renew a Blue card, you should have a valid job contract.

      What you can do until you get a valid job contract is to request a visa extension which is a temporary setup that allows you to stay in Germany until your qualification recognition is completed and you find a new job.

      I hope this helps.

  20. Hello Anoop,
    I saw this post by chance. I only got 7-month permit (Blue card) as my previous passport expires in 7 months. I am now having to renew my residence permit with my new passport, however, the immigration office in my city insists on asking for German language certificate and integration course proof. Did you ever hear about this?
    Any suggestion on what I shall do?
    I have only been in Germany 7 months, and just started learning the language, and no way for me to provide any certificates at this moment. Thanks for suggestion in advance.

    • If you are a blue card holder, you are not required to show any language proficiency by law for the renewal of your Blue card as long as you have a valid job contract.
      Please contact an immigration lawyer for support in this matter.

  21. Thank you Anoop for replying to my message earlier. It was greatly useful! I’m based in Hamburg and I had submitted my online application for the renewal on 05 May, so fingers crossed I can hear back from them and get an appointment. I have extended my work contract (I work as a postdoc researcher in academia) until 31 December of this year. So yeah it’s a short extension…my current blue card is valid until 31 October which is 3 months after my present work contract. I hope my renewal can be smooth but who knows. I’m starting to get anxious as it’s been more than a month and I’ve not heard from them.

    By the way, I’m also thinking about applying for the permenant residency because I’ve been in Germany > 33 months. But I guess I probably should get the blue card renewed first before making another application. Looking forward to hearing your thoughts on this, Anoop:)

    • Hi Jake

      Good to hear from you.
      Your plan of renewing the blue card first sounds fine to me. In my case, the blue card renewal and the PR eligibility were almost at the same time and hence I decided to first extend the blue card and then apply for a PR. In your case, if you have already passed the PR eligibility, it might be a good idea to also apply for it and if you get an appointment before the blue card one, you can. cancel the blue card appointment. If you get it after the blue card appointment, it should be still fine.

  22. Hello Anoop,

    I am in a really complicated situation.

    I need to renew my blue card as my passport has expired and the expiry date is 28 August. However, I have to go to Turkey for my wedding on 6 September. If my new physical blue card does not arrive on time, is it possible for me to go to Turkey with any documents or with a different status? Or can someone I authorise get my blue card for me (I can physically request it from someone coming to Turkey)? It is a very troublesome situation and I don’t know what to do.

    • Hi Gokhan

      1. You can travel to Turkey with the temporary renewal confirmation letter that you will get when you apply for the Blue card renewal. Please get this confirmed with the case officer.
      2. You can nominate another person to collect your blue card and then you can collect it from Turkey. I personally did something similar for an Indian friend back in 2018. You can also handover your postbox key to your friend who can get it once the Blue card arrives in your post box (if you opt for the blue card to get delivered to your home address).

  23. Hi Anoop,

    Can I stay in Germany and continue working while renewing my Blue Card. I still have one month but the process will take more to be done. Any idea if I can stay?

    Best,

    • Hi Malek

      yes, you can stay once you have the appointment for the Blue card renewal. They will give you the fiktionsbescheinigung that allows you to continue your stay for another three months.

  24. Hi Anoop,

    My husband requested to renew his blue card and has an appointment for himself! For some reason, the person that helped him make the appointment made it just for him. Not sure exactly why… if he goes by himself for the appointment how does it affect my blue card status as his wife. We also have a 6 month old and a 2 year old that were born here. How will the renewal affect them? Is it better to wait to get a multiple person appointment to renew the blue card or go for permanent residency (we are eligible for it)?

    Do you have any experience requesting dropping the employer from the blue card? We have been here for more than 3 years already. Do we have to make an appointment for that? Thank you in advance!

    • Hi Ely

      If your husband has an appointment to renew the blue card, I think you can accompany him (the whole family) and get yours renewed too. I just do not recall if I had booked a family appointment or just a normal appointment for the whole family.

      Yes, I had switched my employer after two years of getting a Blue card and it was a very simple process in Augsburg where I just had to email the job contract and they sent me the additional green leaflet (Zusatzblatt) via Post. I am not sure how this is in Berlin but I assume it needs an appointment. Try first by sending an email to the officials and see if it works!

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