Welcome
Re-entry
Are you only temporarily in Saudi Arabia and your German residence permit has expired or been lost?
If you are temporarily staying in Saudi Arabia and discover before your intended return to Germany that your German residence permit has expired or been lost, you can apply for a re-entry visa. However, it is not possible for the embassy to reissue or extend your residence permit; this can only be done by the relevant immigration office at your place of residence in Germany.
You can only apply for a re-entry visa if you are resident in Germany and can prove that you have left Germany (e.g., by means of an exit stamp in your passport, a flight ticket in your name, a current employer or school certificate, etc.).
Please first check the following overview to see whether you need a re-entry visa.
Situation | Note on how to proceed |
| lost residence permit or provisional residence permit | Re-entry visa required |
| forgot your residence permit in Germany | if the residence permit cannot be sent to you personally: re-entry visa required |
| residence permit expired | Re-entry visa required |
| residence permit expired, immigration authorities have issued a provisional residence permit pursuant to Section 81 (4), (5) of the Residence Act, which is still valid | entry possible in connection with the expired residence permit, otherwise: visa required for re-entry. |
| residence permit still valid, but departure from Germany was more than 6 months ago | Re-entry visa required |
| certificate from the immigration authorities confirming that the applicant has a residence permit for Germany or that an extension has been applied for and approved. | Re-entry visa required |
If a visa is required for re-entry and you would like to receive the earliest possible appointment to submit your application, or if you have any further questions in this regard, please contact the Embassy in Riyadh at the following email address:
Applying in person: Required documents
Please complete the application form in German before your appointment and sign the printout by hand. Please bring two copies of the form to your appointment at the German Embassy in Riyadh, together with the necessary documents (see below).
• Your passport (valid for at least six months)
• 2 biometric passport photos (not older than six months)
• Registration certificate
• Expired/invalid residence permit
• If the residence permit has been stolen or lost: Proof of loss report/notification to the local police and (if available) a copy of the lost residence permit
• Proof of when you have left Germany (airline ticket/border stamp)
• Saudi visa with entry stamp
• The visa fee of EUR 75 in local currency
Please note:
• In addition to the documents listed, further documentation may be requested depending on the individual case.
• Foreign documents that are not written in German or English must be translated by a recognized or sworn interpreter.
Processing time after personal submission of the application
The embassy has no influence on the processing times of the relevant immigration authorities, which must be involved in the procedure.
Only after receiving feedback from Germany can the embassy carry out its final review and decision. The procedure therefore usually takes at least two weeks, but can also take significantly longer. It is not possible to shorten this time frame. Please refrain from inquiring about the status of your application after you have submitted it.