Termin bei der Ausländerbehörde / Fiktionsbescheinigung
Ausländerbehörde appointment and Fiktionsbescheinigung: what they mean and what to do
From: The Ausländerbehörde (immigration office) of your city or district
These are two related papers. An appointment letter asks you to come to the immigration office or to send documents. A Fiktionsbescheinigung is a certificate that you applied for a residence title and that your status is treated as continuing until the office decides. It is not a new residence permit.
Got this letter? Get your personal explanation.Take a photo. See your deadline, amount, and next steps, in your language. First letter free.Why you got this letter
- You applied for a residence permit or an extension, and the office needs more information or your fingerprints and photo.
- You applied before your current permit expired. The office gives you a Fiktionsbescheinigung while it decides.
- The office asks you to submit documents by a deadline.
- The office wants to hand you a permit or a card.
What to do
- 1Write down the date, time, place, and what to bring. Bring your passport, your current permit, your Fiktionsbescheinigung, your application papers, and everything the letter lists.
- 2Be on time. If you cannot come, contact the office before the date and ask for a new one.
- 3If it asks for documents with a deadline, send them on time and keep proof that you sent them. If you cannot get one, write before the deadline and explain.
- 4Read your Fiktionsbescheinigung carefully: the date until which it is valid, and what it says about working. The law says a work permission that applies must be noted on it.
- 5Keep the Fiktionsbescheinigung with your passport. Ask for a new one before it expires if the decision is still open.
- 6If you apply for an extension, apply before your current permit expires.
Deadline
The date in the letter. For documents, the deadline the office sets. Apply for an extension before your current permit expires. The law says the old title is treated as continuing only if you applied before it expired (with exceptions for late applications).
If you do nothing
Evidence that arrives after a deadline set by the office can be disregarded. If you do not come or do not send what is needed, the office can decide without it, and your application can be refused. This may affect your right to stay. If you think your permit has expired and you have no valid Fiktionsbescheinigung, contact a migration counselling service as soon as possible.
Can you object?
An appointment letter or a Fiktionsbescheinigung is not a refusal. If the office refuses or ends your permit, it must add instructions on how to challenge the decision, including where and by when (§ 77 AufenthG). Usually this is one month, either for a Widerspruch or, in states without that step, for a lawsuit at the administrative court. On request you get a free translation of the decision's main part and the instructions, in a language you understand or can reasonably be expected to understand.
Words in this letter
- Ausländerbehörde
- The immigration office.
- Fiktionsbescheinigung
- A certificate that your stay or old permit is treated as valid while the office decides.
- Aufenthaltstitel
- A residence permit.
- Mitwirkungspflicht
- Your duty to give facts and documents to the office.
- Rechtsbehelfsbelehrung
- Information on how and when you can challenge a decision.
Example reply
Send the requested documents and ask for more time for one of them.
Betreff: Antrag auf [Verlängerung / Erteilung] eines Aufenthaltstitels, Aktenzeichen [Aktenzeichen] – Nachreichen von Unterlagen
Geburtsdatum: [Geburtsdatum], Staatsangehörigkeit: [Staatsangehörigkeit]
Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren,
mit Schreiben vom [Datum] haben Sie mich gebeten, bis zum [Frist] folgende Unterlagen einzureichen: [Liste].
Anbei erhalten Sie: [Liste der beigefügten Unterlagen].
Das folgende Dokument kann ich bis zum genannten Termin noch nicht vorlegen: [Dokument], weil [Grund]. Ich bitte um Fristverlängerung bis zum [Datum].
Bitte bestätigen Sie mir den Eingang meiner Unterlagen.
Mit freundlichen Grüßen
[Vor- und Nachname]
[Anschrift]Show English translation
Subject: Application for [extension / issuance of] a residence title, reference [reference] – submitting documents Date of birth: [date of birth], nationality: [nationality] Dear Sir or Madam, In your letter dated [date] you asked me to send the following documents by [deadline]: [list]. Enclosed you will find: [list of enclosed documents]. I cannot yet provide the following document by that date: [document], because [reason]. I ask for an extension until [date]. Please confirm receipt of my documents. Kind regards [Full name] [Address]
Questions people ask
Is a Fiktionsbescheinigung a residence permit?
No. It is a certificate about the effect of your application. In many cases it shows that your stay is treated as legal, or that your old permit is treated as continuing, until the office decides. Read what it says about its validity and about working.
Can I work with a Fiktionsbescheinigung?
It depends on your case. The law says that if a work permission applies during the period, it must be noted on the certificate. Read yours. Ask the office if it is unclear.
Does it always apply?
No. For example, it does not apply to a visa under § 6 Abs. 1 AufenthG. In some cases, the office must first take fingerprints and photos before it can issue a Fiktionsbescheinigung. Ask the office if you are not sure about your case.
Can the office force me to come?
The office can order you to appear in person when needed for measures under residence law, for example to establish your identity. An order can be enforced if you do not comply.
Sources
- § 81 AufenthG (Beantragung des Aufenthaltstitels)
- § 82 AufenthG (Mitwirkung des Ausländers)
- § 77 AufenthG (Schriftform, Begründung, Rechtsbehelfsbelehrung)
- § 74 VwGO (Klagefrist)
Updated 2026-10-20. This page explains a common type of letter; it is not legal advice. Your letter may differ, so check its dates and amounts.