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Residence permit: Can residence permits/plastic cards be sent by post?
- Isabelle Manoli
- 2 hours ago
- 2 min read
Anyone applying for an electronic residence permit (eAT) in Germany knows the procedure: After approval comes the wait for the letter from the Federal Printing Office – and then usually the frustrating wait for an available appointment at the immigration office . Few people realize that this second trip to the authorities is often not legally required. German law actually provides a much more citizen-friendly option, which is consistently ignored in practice.
The theory: The legislator wanted it to be simple
A look at the Residence Ordinance reveals that the bureaucratic burden was deliberately reduced . According to Section 60a Paragraph 2 of the Residence Ordinance, the electronic residence permit (eAT) can be sent directly from the manufacturer to the applicant's registered address in Germany , along with the blocking password . The only requirement is that the person concerned possesses a valid passport and expressly consents to this procedure with the immigration authorities. To ensure security, the delivery person must verify the recipient's identity before delivery. The legislator has thus granted those affected a clear choice in order to expedite the process and relieve the burden on government agencies.
Sending eAT by post is unknown in practice.
However, a significant gap exists between the legal text and the day-to-day reality of the authorities . In practice, residence permits are almost never sent by mail . The only exception is in cases where applicants are represented by a lawyer. The authorities shy away from this procedure, usually justifying it with security concerns. They fear the documents will be lost in transit or worry about potential misuse during delivery. The result of this caution is a rigid appointment system: the plastic cards almost always have to be collected in person, which often means that those affected spend weeks or even months searching for one of the coveted appointments in the online system.
When the administration ignores the law
This obstructionist stance is met with sharp criticism from many lawyers . It's a paradox of the rule of law: while the legislature, as the legislative power, grants citizens a simplification, the executive branch at the local level simply disregards it. By not even offering the option of postal delivery, the administration disenfranchises applicants of their legally enshrined right to vote.
This practice is not only frustrating for those affected, but also an immense waste of public resources. At a time when immigration authorities are already working at their limit, these appointments block valuable time that is urgently needed for processing new applications. The result is a system that hinders itself through unnecessary bureaucracy and misses an opportunity for digital and logistical modernization.
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