Explanation of the difference: residence permit or residence title?

Until the Residence Act came into force in 2005, German immigration law regularly referred to the term " residence permit ." This referred to the official permission for a foreigner to legally reside in Germany for a specific period of time. However, with the entry into force of the Residence Act (AufenthG), this term was superseded and replaced by the now authoritative term "residence title ." This change was not merely a linguistic adjustment, but part of a comprehensive reform process. The goal was to structure residence law more systematically and align it more closely with European standards.

Legal development and differentiation of residence permits

With the introduction of the term "residence permit," the legal categorization also became more differentiated. Today, there are various types of residence permits , such as the residence permit , the EU Blue Card , the ICT card for intra-company transfers, or the EU long-term residence permit . This diversity reflects the increasing specialization of residence law, which is now oriented toward a variety of objectives: from family reunification to studies and training to targeted skilled immigration.

New regulation of employment in the Residence Act

An important step was the separation of employment regulations from the previous regulatory system. The Skilled Immigration Act (FEG) introduced Section 4a , which now more clearly regulates the requirements for employment of foreign nationals in Germany. The background to this is the political goal of making Germany a more attractive and legally predictable immigration country for skilled workers . The previous conflation of residence and work permits has thus been systematically separated.

Conclusion

The term "residence permit" has been discontinued in current law since 2005 and has been completely replaced by the term "residence title." This change represents a fundamental reform and Europeanization of German residence law. Current legislation distinguishes between different types of residence permits, depending on the purpose of residence, duration, and legal entitlement. Anyone seeking to navigate German residence law—whether as a person affected by the permit or as an advisor—should not rely on outdated terms. Only those familiar with the current terminology and system can act with legal certainty and provide competent advice.