Germany EU free movement

EU, EEA and Swiss citizens may live and work in Germany without a visa or residence permit; the address must be registered within 2 weeks of moving in. ^{1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16}

Requirements

• Citizens of EU and EEA states and of Switzerland may live in Germany under EU free movement rules. ^{11 15 1 8 9}
• Stays of up to 3 months need only a valid national ID card or passport. ^{1 14}
• Jobseekers may stay up to 6 months and longer only while they show they are still seeking work with real prospects. ¹¹
• Beyond 3 months, workers and self-employed persons may stay while they work. ^{11 4}
• Beyond 3 months, persons not working need sufficient resources and comprehensive health insurance. ^{12 3}
• A valid national ID card or passport is needed. ²
• Proof of work, training, self-employment, or of sufficient health insurance and means of subsistence, may be requested. ^{12 14}
• Register your address at the local registration office within 2 weeks of moving into a flat. ¹⁶
• The foreigners authority can ask you to show the conditions of your right of residence 3 months after entry. ¹⁴
• The registration office can accept these proofs at registration and pass them to the foreigners authority. ¹⁴
• A residence card is issued to non-EU family members; EU citizens get a certificate of permanent residence on request. ¹⁴
• A permanent right of residence arises after 5 years of continuous lawful residence, whatever the original grounds. ^{13 5}
• The permanent right of residence is certified on request without delay. ¹⁴

Stay

• No time limit while the conditions are met; register the address at the registration office within 2 weeks of moving in.
• First 3 months up to 3 months: Valid ID card or passport only.
• After 3 months: Worker, self-employed person, student, or person with sufficient resources and comprehensive health insurance.

Nationality

Citizens of the 27 EU states, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. Open to: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland.

Work

EU citizens may work as employees or self-employed persons without a work permit; some public-authority posts may be reserved for nationals.

Family

Family members who accompany or join the EU citizen have the right to reside; non-EU family members receive a residence card valid 5 years, issued within 6 months.

Checked 2026-10-10

Official sources

1. Residence rights when living abroad in the EU · European Union - Your Europe · checked 2026-10-10
2. Registering residence abroad after the first 3 months · European Union - Your Europe · checked 2026-10-10
3. Residence rights for economically inactive EU citizens · European Union - Your Europe · checked 2026-10-10
4. Workers: residence rights · European Union - Your Europe · checked 2026-10-10
5. Permanent residence (after 5 years) for EU nationals · European Union - Your Europe · checked 2026-10-10
6. Working abroad · European Union - Your Europe · checked 2026-10-10
7. Work in the public sector abroad · European Union - Your Europe · checked 2026-10-10
8. Free movement of EU nationals · European Commission, Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion · checked 2026-10-10
9. Free movement of persons (Switzerland and the EU) · Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs · checked 2026-10-10
10. Your non-EU spouse and children's residence rights in the EU · European Union - Your Europe · checked 2026-10-10
11. Freedom of Movement Act/EU (FreizügG/EU), section 2: right of entry and residence (German text) · Federal Ministry of Justice (gesetze-im-internet.de) · checked 2026-10-10
12. Freedom of Movement Act/EU (FreizügG/EU), section 4: persons not working (German text) · Federal Ministry of Justice (gesetze-im-internet.de) · checked 2026-10-10
13. Freedom of Movement Act/EU (FreizügG/EU), section 4a: permanent right of residence (German text) · Federal Ministry of Justice (gesetze-im-internet.de) · checked 2026-10-10
14. Freedom of Movement Act/EU (FreizügG/EU), section 5: residence cards and certificate of permanent residence (German text) · Federal Ministry of Justice (gesetze-im-internet.de) · checked 2026-10-10
15. Freedom of Movement Act/EU (FreizügG/EU), section 12: nationals of EEA states (German text) · Federal Ministry of Justice (gesetze-im-internet.de) · checked 2026-10-10
16. Federal Registration Act (BMG), section 17: registration and deregistration (German text) · Federal Ministry of Justice (gesetze-im-internet.de) · checked 2026-10-10