Berlin Ausländerbehörde Introduces New Digital Appointment Booking System

The Berlin Landesamt für Einwanderung (LEA), commonly known as the Ausländerbehörde, has recently introduced a new digital appointment booking system. This move is designed to prevent the illegal sale of appointments, a problem that plagued the previous Online Appointment System (OTV). The OTV was taken offline for maintenance to address the issue of bots securing appointments and selling them to those in urgent need.

How the New System Works?

In the new procedure, the LEA has transitioned most of its services to digital applications. Appointments are now allocated directly to applicants by the relevant departments after their online applications or contact form submissions have been reviewed. For initial services, such as declarations of commitment and the EU Blue Card residence permit, the same process applies.

If a required service does not yet have an online application, appointments can still be made using the contact form provided by the department responsible. The new system aims to prevent the misuse of appointment bookings and ensure that appointments are fairly distributed to all applicants.

Important Information for Applicants

If your residence permit, residence authorization, or temporary suspension of deportation is set to expire within the next four weeks or has already expired, you must use the contact form to book an appointment with the relevant department. Once you submit the form, it will count as an official application, and your previous residence permit will be regarded as valid. This also extends to the ancillary provisions of your permit, meaning you can continue to work or study until your allocated appointment.

For emergencies requiring urgent appointments, applicants should also use the contact form, noting the specific information on emergency procedures. It’s important to save or print the contact form you submitted as proof of your authorized residence.

Travel Restrictions and Warnings

The temporary extension of the residence permit’s validity applies only within Berlin. You cannot travel abroad if your documents have expired and you are awaiting renewal through the new appointment system. Additionally, with the switch to this new system, any appointments offered for sale online or via social networks are not legitimate and cannot be fulfilled by the LEA. Applicants are strongly advised not to purchase such appointments, as they are not stored in the internal database for appointment management and will not be honored.

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