According to Experts.news, foreign professionals who have completed a university degree or vocational training in Germany can obtain a permanent residence permit after two years of skilled work in the country.
The current version of §18c of the Aufenthaltsgesetz provides for a special shortened period for those who have successfully completed vocational training or studies at a higher education institution directly in Germany. For such professionals, the required period of residence with a permit for skilled work is two years, and the required period of pension insurance contributions is 24 months.
At the same time, the official German portal for foreign professionals, Make it in Germany, clarifies that this preferential provision is not entirely new: it was already in effect as part of a special regime for graduates of German universities and vocational training institutions and was retained following the reform of immigration legislation. For other skilled workers, the standard period for obtaining permanent residency is three years, not five.
To take advantage of the two-year path to permanent residency, a foreign national must have held a residence permit for at least two years as a skilled worker, researcher, or EU Blue Card holder under the relevant provisions of the law. They must also work in a position that meets the conditions of the residence permit, have paid contributions to the state pension insurance system for at least 24 months, have German language proficiency at the B1 level, possess basic knowledge of Germany’s legal and social systems, and have sufficient living space.
Separate, even faster rules apply to EU Blue Card holders. A permanent residence permit can be obtained after 27 months of skilled work, or after 21 months if the applicant has a B1 level of German.
In recent years, Germany has been gradually simplifying the process of attracting and retaining foreign specialists amid a labor shortage. In particular, the Skilled Immigration Act reform expanded entry opportunities for skilled workers, introduced the Opportunity Card for job seekers, and streamlined a number of procedures for Blue Card holders and their family members.
According to data from Destatis, Germany’s Federal Statistical Office, as of the end of 2025, 14.07 million foreign nationals residing in Germany were registered in the Central Register of Foreigners. Approximately 5 million of them were EU citizens, and another 4.6 million held citizenship of other European countries.
Turkish citizens remained the largest single group of foreign nationals, numbering 1.520 million. In second place were Ukrainian citizens—1.410 million—followed by Syrian citizens—936,000—Romanian citizens—904,000—Polish citizens—840,000—and Italian citizens—629,000. Germany was also home to approximately 450,000 citizens of Afghanistan, 422,000 citizens of Bulgaria, 413,000 citizens of Croatia, and over 311,000 citizens of India.
At the same time, the number of Ukrainian citizens increased by approximately 76,000 in 2025, marking one of the largest increases among individual nationalities. The number of Indian citizens rose by 34,000. At the same time, the number of Syrian citizens decreased by 39,000, while the number of Polish and Turkish citizens decreased by approximately 25,000 each, and the number of Russian citizens decreased by 18,000
If we look at the data by country of birth rather than citizenship, the picture is somewhat different. In 2025, there were 16.4 million people living in Germany who had immigrated to the country themselves. The largest groups were born in Poland and Turkey—approximately 1.5 million people each—in Ukraine—1.3 million—and in Russia and Syria—approximately 1 million each.
These five countries accounted for about 39% of all immigrants living in Germany. In total, about 21.8 million residents of the country had personal experience with migration or were direct descendants of immigrants.
Thus, Ukrainians are currently the second-largest group of foreign nationals in Germany after Turkish citizens and one of the three largest immigrant groups by country of birth.
