Invitation & Commitment

Special feature

If the foreigner is able to secure his or her own livelihood, it is not necessary to submit a declaration of commitment.

The declaration of commitment is equally unnecessary if the person making the declaration is obliged to support the foreigner in accordance with the German Civil Code (BGB) (e.g. spouses for each other or parents for underage children). In these cases, an informal letter of invitation submitted to the diplomatic mission or consular post is sufficient.

Consequences of using a declaration of commitment

If public funds are expended on behalf of the foreigner during the stay, the person making the declaration of commitment becomes liable for reimbursement.

The following costs, for example, may occur:

• Costs of subsistence (food, clothing).
• Costs for the provision of accommodation (private, in a hotel or in accommodation provided by a public institution)
• costs of care in the event of illness (doctor, medication, hospital)
• Costs of care (nursing home or other medical treatment)
• Costs of entry and departure (air ticket or other transport costs)
• Costs for preparation and execution of deportation, return, refoulement and enforcement of territorial restriction (detention costs and security escort)

Duration of liability

Liability exists for a period of five years from the date of entry or, in the case of foreigners already residing in the Federal territory, from the date of issue of the residence title in the Federal territory and also includes periods of possible illegal residence. Liability ends before the expiry of five years upon departure or upon the granting of a residence title for a different purpose of stay.

Liability does not expire before the end of the five-year period if an application for asylum is filed. This shall also apply if the asylum procedure is positively concluded with the granting of asylum, refugee status or subsidiary protection or if another residence title is granted for reasons of international law, humanitarian law or political law.

The person making the declaration of commitment is liable for an unlimited period of time for costs incurred as a result of the enforcement of a territorial restriction, rejection, deportation or removal (cf. section 66(1) of the Residence Act).

Prerequisite for the declaration

• A personal appearance by the person declaring the obligation (no possibility of representation).
• As a rule, the person declaring the obligation must be registered in Jena with his/her main place of residence.
• The foreign person declaring the obligation must be in possession of a residence permit.
• The legal entity (company / enterprise) must have its registered office in Jena.

Further notes

As a rule, only one foreigner is entered in the form. An exception are families (the foreigner and his or her accompanying spouse as well as their children up to the age of 18). These can be entered on one form in the case of joint entry.

The declaration of commitment is generally issued and handed over to the person declaring the commitment at the appointment. The person declaring the obligation then sends the declaration of obligation to the foreigner. The foreigner then goes to the German mission abroad and applies for a visa.

As a rule, the declaration of commitment can be used for the visa procedure at the German mission abroad for up to six months after it has been issued. The respective German mission abroad decides on the recognition of the declaration of commitment and the granting of the visa.

Please make an appointment in advance using the online appointment form.

To make an appointment, you must be registered with your main residence in Jena.

Register with the appointment code

You will receive an appointment code with your appointment. If you are not on time, the appointment will be cancelled. Half an hour before the appointment you can register at the multilingual registration terminal of the Foreigners' Registration Office with the appointment code. You do not need to pull a ticket!

Appointment confirmation

If the appointment is chosen via our appointment online agreement, you will receive a binding appointment confirmation which you can print out.

• Presentation of the identity card / passport of the signatory as proof of identity.
• In the case of a legal entity (company / enterprise), the signatory must also provide proof of his power of representation in the form of a current extract from the commercial register.
• Current proof of creditworthiness of the signatory in the original (e.g. salary or wage statement, pension statement, in the case of self-employed persons tax statement or certificate of the tax advisor for the determination of profit)
• Information on the foreigner (information sheet & form -> see forms)

• Law on the Residence, Gainful Employment and Integration of Foreigners in the Federal Territory (Residence Act - AufenthG)
• Residence Ordinance (AufenthV)