Corporate Immigration & Relocating Employees to Berlin: An HR Guide

A non-EU hire's Berlin start runs through three local gates. The employee registers an address at a Bürgeramt (Anmeldung), files online with the Landesamt für Einwanderung (LEA), and attends an LEA-set appointment that no one can book in advance. Jobbatical prepares the LEA file, handles the Anmeldung and tracks every Berlin date, so HR can set a firm start date. These Berlin steps sit on top of the national rules set out on Jobbatical's Germany immigration page.

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Reviewed by Margalida

Last updated October 12, 2026

Berlin Corporate Immigration Rules in 2026: Navigating LEA, BIS, and the Bürgeramt

What

Details and sources

As of

Permit authority for Berlin residents

The Landesamt für Einwanderung (LEA) decides residence titles. Send post to Friedrich-Krause-Ufer 24, 13353 Berlin. Employment permit cases are also served at Keplerstraße 2, 10589 Berlin.

Source: Service-Portal Berlin: LEA Keplerstraße

Oct 2026

Employer channel: Business Immigration Service

BIS sits at Fasanenstraße 85, 10623 Berlin. It serves only registered BIS customers: companies, founders and self-employed clients. Appointment only, no walk-ins.

Sources: Service-Portal Berlin: BIS Berlin Business Location Center

Oct 2026

How LEA appointment dates are set

The public Online-Terminvereinbarung (OTV) is gone for good. Applicants file an online application or contact form. The responsible LEA unit checks the documents, then emails a dated invitation.

Sources: LEA: new appointment procedure LEA: making an appointment

Oct 2026

Anmeldung (address registration) at a Bürgeramt

Register within 14 days of moving in. You need the landlord's Wohnungsgeberbestätigung (move-in confirmation). Berlin's online Anmeldung needs a German ID or EU eID card, so it does not work with an eAT.

Source: Service-Portal Berlin: Anmeldung

Oct 2026

Main residence rule for LEA cases

LEA accepts employment permit applications only from people whose Hauptwohnsitz (main residence) is in Berlin. A Berlin second residence does not qualify.

Source: Service-Portal Berlin: skilled worker permit

Oct 2026

Status while the LEA file is pending

A contact form to the right unit counts as an application. The current residence title then stays valid. It does not extend a Schengen visa stay.

Source: LEA: new appointment procedure

Oct 2026

Biometrics and eAT card collection

Fingerprints and a photo are taken at the LEA appointment, set after file review. To collect documents for someone else, use LEA's Vollmacht (power of attorney) form.

Sources: Jobbatical Berlin LEA guide LEA Vollmacht form

Oct 2026

Current LEA first reply time

About 4 to 12 weeks for the LEA to reply after the online file is submitted.

Source: Jobbatical Berlin immigration guides

Oct 2026

Signed offer to eAT in hand

Around 4 to 8 months; the LEA stage is the main wait, with the BIS and Anmeldung steps adding a short period first.

Source: Jobbatical Berlin guide

Oct 2026

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The Berlin Work Visa Process: Step-by-Step from BIS Application to eAT Pickup

Berlin's LEA sets every appointment date itself. Nothing moves until a complete online file reaches the right unit. Each step below feeds that file, so a Berlin case starts with the employer account and the flat. The permit route is settled first: many Berlin hires enter on an EU Blue Card, and HR can confirm eligibility with Jobbatical's pre-hiring visa and work-permit check before the file opens.

Berlin employers sign up as BIS customers first. This gives HR a direct LEA channel for the employee and their family.

A few working days

Local wait

Secure a flat that signs the move-in form

The landlord or main tenant signs the Wohnungsgeberbestätigung, then the employee registers in person at a Bürgeramt within 14 days of moving in.

Up to about 2 weeks

Local wait

File the LEA online application

With the Meldebestätigung (registration certificate) in hand, the employee submits LEA's online form and pays the fee online. Then the unit reviews the file.

2 to 12 weeks

Local wait

Attend the LEA-assigned appointment

The unit emails a dated invitation for biometrics and original documents. If the current title is expiring, it can issue a Fiktionsbescheinigung (interim certificate).

Set by LEA

Local wait

Collect the eAT

The Bundesdruckerei produces the card, and the employee or a person holding LEA's Vollmacht form picks it up.

4 to 8 weeks

Local wait

Common Delays in Berlin Employee Relocations (And How HR Can Avoid Them)

Each Berlin delay below comes from a local rule the employee meets after landing, once your offer letter already names a start date. None of them shows up on a national visa checklist.

❌

Berlin flat registered as a second residence

If the employee keeps a main home elsewhere and registers the Berlin flat as a Nebenwohnung, LEA will not take the employment permit case. The start date then waits for a re-registration.

✅

How Jobbatical checks Berlin Hauptwohnsitz status before LEA filing

Jobbatical reviews the Meldebestätigung for main residence status before the LEA file goes in.

❌

Temporary flats without a Wohnungsgeberbestätigung

Some short-stay operators will not sign the move-in confirmation. That blocks the Bürgeramt registration, and every LEA step that depends on it.

✅

How Jobbatical screens Berlin arrival housing for Anmeldung

Jobbatical's settle-in team supports temporary and permanent housing searches and confirms in advance that the provider signs the move-in form.

❌

LEA contact forms sent to the wrong unit

A request written in English, or sent to the wrong LEA unit (outside B1 to B4), can sit unanswered. Meanwhile the current visa runs down and the start date slips.

✅

How Jobbatical routes German-language LEA requests in Berlin

Jobbatical's Berlin specialists include German speakers. They address each contact form to the right LEA unit and add a Fiktionsbescheinigung request when the current title is close to expiry.

Choosing a Corporate Immigration Lawyer in Berlin vs. Relocation Platforms

In Berlin, the right lawyer is admitted at the Rechtsanwaltskammer Berlin. They already file with LEA units and BIS without the old booking portal.

Check the Berlin bar register

Confirm admission with the Rechtsanwaltskammer Berlin in the official BRAK lawyer directory, and look for the Fachanwalt für Migrationsrecht title.

Ask one LEA routing question

Ask which LEA unit, or BIS at Fasanenstraße 85, takes your case and how they obtain a date without OTV.

Read what the fee leaves out

Check whether the Bürgeramt Anmeldung, LEA online fee payment and eAT pickup are included or left to your employee.

Request a dated Berlin timeline

Ask for a written estimate for each wait: BIS registration, Bürgeramt slot, LEA first reply, the appointment, and Bundesdruckerei card production.

See lawyer vs platform

Expat Housing & Family Relocation Support in Berlin

Berlin ties school places, daycare vouchers and most district services to a registered Berlin address, so the first flat decides how fast a family settles in.

Bilingual state schools test the partner language

The Staatliche Europa-Schule Berlin (SESB) runs bilingual public classes in nine partner-language pairs, including English, French and Spanish. The German-English stream has more applicants than places, and each school tests the child's partner-language level before admission.

What HR should plan: Apply to an SESB site and a backup international or neighbourhood school in parallel.

Daycare runs through a district voucher

A Berlin Kita place needs a Kita-Gutschein (daycare voucher) from the Jugendamt of the district where the family lives, even if the Kita sits in another district. The voucher sets the daily care hours and arrives by post. You need a registered Berlin address first.

What HR should plan: Register the whole family at the Bürgeramt before applying for the voucher, then start the Kita search.

A long search for the permanent lease

The Berlin Senate still calls the housing market tense. It has extended the ban on converting rental flats into condominiums, in buildings of more than five units, until the end of 2030. Incoming staff compete for a protected rental stock that is not growing quickly.

What HR should plan: Fund furnished arrival housing for the whole search period rather than a fixed four weeks.

An extra public holiday in March

Berlin keeps 8 March, International Women's Day, as a public holiday, shared only with Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. LEA, Bürgerämter, schools and Kitas all close that day. Berlin has also set a one-off holiday on 17 June 2028. Business groups are lobbying to drop 8 March, so check the calendar each year.

What HR should plan: Avoid scheduling first days, LEA appointments or school starts on Berlin-only holidays.

HR manager and relocating employee reviewing a Berlin flat lease and Bürgeramt registration documents

Explore Berlin city guide

Berlin Relocation Services: Traditional Lawyers vs. Jobbatical

In Berlin, access to the process matters as much as legal skill. LEA sets every appointment date, and BIS serves only registered employers. For hard cases, the best immigration lawyers in Berlin can show recent BIS filings and LEA outcomes. For routine hires, Jobbatical runs the same Berlin steps on a tracked platform.

Criteria

Typical local immigration law firm

Core focus

End-to-end Berlin residence permit handling plus Anmeldung, health insurance and bank account setup for the employee

Legal advice and representation before LEA, with Berlin settle-in tasks usually outside the mandate

BIS and LEA filing

Prepares BIS submissions and LEA online applications, with contact forms routed to the responsible unit

Files with LEA for the employee; BIS access depends on the employer's own BIS customer registration

Bürgeramt Anmeldung

Guides the employee through Bürgeramt registration and the signed Wohnungsgeberbestätigung

Often left to the employee or a separate Berlin relocation provider

Family members

Coordinates spouse and child permits, which BIS can take together with the main application

Files family permits; Kita-Gutschein and SESB steps usually sit outside the legal mandate

Renewals and expiry tracking

Platform tracks eAT expiry dates and adds a Fiktionsbescheinigung request to Berlin renewals

Tracking depends on the firm; each Berlin renewal restarts through the LEA online form or contact form

Fees

Custom quote, billed per case or from pre-paid credits.

Set by agreement: often €200 to €300 net per hour, or about €1,000 to €1,500 flat for a residence-permit case. Court appeals follow the statutory RVG scale.

When a lawyer is the better choice

Jobbatical flags contested Berlin cases early

An LEA refusal, a consulate visa refusal or an Untätigkeitsklage (inaction claim) goes to the Verwaltungsgericht Berlin, Kirchstraße 7. That needs an admitted lawyer

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Key Evaluation Criteria for Selecting a Berlin Corporate Immigration Partner

Do not pressure-test a provider on a few things. Instead, make it these six, weighted by how much each moves the Berlin timeline.

Evaluation parameter

Weight

What HR must verify before contracting in Berlin

LEA routing & appointment handling without OTV

30%

Knows how to get a date now that the Online-Terminvereinbarung is gone. Submits a complete online file, sends German-language contact forms to the right LEA unit (B1 to B4), and chases the 4 to 12 week first reply. Requests a Fiktionsbescheinigung when the title is close to expiry, and keeps a dated copy of every sent form as proof.

BIS access & fast-track eligibility

20%

Registers your company as a BIS customer and signs the written BIS agreement before the beschleunigtes Fachkräfteverfahren starts, not during an urgent case. Knows that BIS responsibility follows the Berlin workplace, including hires commuting from Brandenburg. Bundles spouse and child applications into one BIS submission.

Anmeldung, Hauptwohnsitz & arrival housing

20%

Checks the Meldebestätigung for Hauptwohnsitz status before filing. LEA rejects cases registered as a Nebenwohnung, which also triggers the 20% Zweitwohnungsteuer. Confirms upfront that the flat or operator signs the Wohnungsgeberbestätigung and holds a Bezirksamt registration number. Books an in-person Bürgeramt slot within 14 days of move-in, because online registration is closed to non-EU arrivals.

Case tracking, expiry alerts & eAT collection

15%

A live dashboard logs every LEA invitation, BIS appointment and Bundesdruckerei card status per employee, so HR sees one status instead of four offices. It monitors eAT expiry dates, files renewals early, and uses LEA's Vollmacht form to collect the card for the employee. It flags Berlin-only holidays such as 8 March when planning dates.

Pricing transparency & scope of fixed fee

10%

LEA's electronic fee shown separately from the service fee. Compare a flat per-case price (often €1,000 to €1,500 for a residence permit) with uncapped hourly (€200 to €300 net). Get written confirmation of what is included: the Bürgeramt Anmeldung, LEA online filing, eAT pickup, and re-sending a contact form to another unit, or whether these are left to your employee.

Legal authority, escalation & family settle-in

Clear RDG boundaries: individual legal advice comes only from a Rechtsanwaltskammer Berlin-admitted lawyer, with a named partner for LEA refusals or an Untätigkeitsklage at the Verwaltungsgericht Berlin. Holds ISO 27001 and GDPR. For families, helps with the Kita-Gutschein, SESB school applications and benchmarking housing allowances against the Berliner Mietspiegel.

Weights show relative importance to on-time Berlin onboarding; bars are scaled to the highest-weighted criterion.

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End-to-End Global Mobility & Employee Relocation Providers in Berlin

Three local provider types, plus Jobbatical, handle Berlin cases. Each meets the same two pinch points: the Bürgeramt registration and the LEA unit that sets the appointment. Short stays on a business visa and job-seeker arrivals on the Opportunity Card (Chancenkarte) follow separate routes before these local steps apply.

Provider type

Permit filing in Berlin

Bürgeramt and LEA appointment steps

Best fit

Lawyer admitted at the Rechtsanwaltskammer Berlin

Files with LEA and can litigate at the Verwaltungsgericht Berlin

Handles LEA invitations; the Bürgeramt visit usually stays with the employee

Refusals, complicated status histories and court cases

Relocation company*

Prepares documents, but individual legal advice on the case is restricted*

Books Bürgeramt slots and can accompany the employee to the LEA appointment

Housing search and settling in when the permit route is simple

In-house HR via BIS

Submits directly through the Business Immigration Service as a registered customer

BIS sets the appointment; Bürgeramt registration remains the employee's task

Employers with steady non-EU hiring into Berlin offices

Jobbatical

Prepares LEA online applications and BIS submissions for Berlin hires

Guides the Anmeldung and tracks LEA invitation dates

Companies that want one tracked case for permit, registration and family

The Rechtsdienstleistungsgesetz (RDG, German Legal Services Act) reserves individual legal advice on a residence case for authorised providers such as admitted lawyers. That is why relocation firms stick to documents and logistics. Checked in October 2026. Before signing, get in writing which LEA and Bürgeramt steps your Berlin provider covers, and who attends each one.

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The Jobbatical Approach: Streamlining Berlin Work Permits

For a Berlin case, Jobbatical prepares the LEA file, guides the Bürgeramt registration and tracks every LEA date. HR follows one status instead of four offices. The same tracked workflow covers related Berlin moves, from an intra-company transfer to a change of employer for staff already in the city. In Berlin, that switch can now be reported through Berlin's online change-of-employer form instead of a separate BIS submission.

📄

LEA online application file

Jobbatical assembles the documents for the LEA online form or BIS submission and checks them before submission.

🏠

Anmeldung with landlord confirmation

Jobbatical guides your employee through the Bürgeramt registration with a signed Wohnungsgeberbestätigung. Every later Berlin step asks for it.

🗓️

LEA and BIS dates

Every LEA invitation and BIS appointment is logged in the Jobbatical platform. HR can see when biometrics and card collection fall.

🔁

Renewals and Fiktionsbescheinigung

Jobbatical monitors eAT expiry dates and files the Berlin renewal together with an interim certificate request when timing is tight.

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Jobbatical's Berlin experts handle German-language LEA contact forms and BIS family submissions. These are the two places where Berlin cases most often stall.

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Anmeldung & Housing: Navigating Berlin's Relocation Rules

Last reviewed: Oct 2026

Local tax

A 20 percent levy on Berlin second homes

Berlin's Zweitwohnungsteuer applies to any flat registered as a Nebenwohnung (secondary residence), even when the main home is also in Berlin. Since 2025 the rate is 20 percent of the net cold rent. The Finanzamt Mitte/Tiergarten usually writes about a month after registration to ask for a tax return.

Employer impact

Budget the levy for any employee who keeps a main home outside the Berlin flat.

Rent cap

Capped rents on new Berlin leases until 2029

The Senate extended its Mietpreisbremse (rent brake) city-wide until 31 December 2029. A new lease may sit at most 10 percent above the local comparative rent. Flats first occupied after 1 October 2014 and fully modernised units are exempt. A Senate rent-check office reviews suspected overcharges free of charge.

Employer impact

Benchmark housing allowances against the Berliner Mietspiegel, not against listing prices.

Short lets

District approval for holiday-style rentals

Under Berlin's Zweckentfremdungsverbot-Gesetz, using a flat for anything other than living needs approval from the district office (Bezirksamt). Holiday-style rentals carry a registration number. A secondary home may normally be let this way on no more than 90 days a year.

Employer impact

Ask every short-stay provider for its Bezirksamt registration number before booking arrival housing.

Fast track

BIS responsibility follows the Berlin workplace

For the beschleunigtes Fachkräfteverfahren (accelerated skilled worker procedure), BIS is responsible whenever the hire will work at a Berlin establishment, whether they later live in Berlin or another federal state. The company must register as a BIS customer and sign a written agreement with BIS before the procedure starts.

Employer impact

Hires commuting in from Brandenburg can still start the fast track through BIS when the job sits in a Berlin office.

Berlin Corporate Immigration FAQs for HR Teams

Does an employer need a lawyer to move a non-EU hire to Berlin?

Usually not for a first permit. A routine Berlin case is an online LEA application, a Bürgeramt registration and an LEA-assigned appointment. A specialist provider or a BIS-registered HR team can run it. Bring in a Berlin-admitted lawyer when LEA refuses, when a deadline cannot be met, or when the case may reach the Verwaltungsgericht Berlin.

What is the realistic timeline for a Berlin residence card?

Plan for several months. Jobbatical's September 2026 Berlin guide puts filing to card in hand at roughly 4 to 8 months. LEA's first reply, the appointment it assigns and Bundesdruckerei production run one after another. The main lever HR controls is filing the online application the day the Anmeldung is done.

Can my employee book an Ausländerbehörde appointment in Berlin?

No. Berlin's LEA retired its Online-Terminvereinbarung for good. The responsible unit sets the appointment after it reviews an online application or contact form. Keep a copy of the sent form as proof: LEA treats the message as an application, and the current title stays valid while the case is open.

How does Anmeldung work in Berlin for a non-EU hire?

Your employee books a Bürgeramt slot on service.berlin.de and registers in person within 14 days of moving in. They bring a passport with visa and the landlord's signed Wohnungsgeberbestätigung. The online route is closed to new non-EU arrivals, because it works only with a German Personalausweis or an EU eID card.

What is the Berlin Business Immigration Service?

BIS is the LEA's employer desk at Fasanenstraße 85. It is open only to businesses, start-up founders and freelancers signed up as BIS customers. Registered employers file residence permits for staff and their families through it, by appointment only. If you hire non-EU staff into Berlin regularly, register before the next offer goes out, not during an urgent case.

Does Berlin tax a relocated employee's second flat?

Yes, when the Berlin flat is registered as a secondary residence. Since 2025 the Zweitwohnungsteuer takes a fifth of the net cold rent, assessed centrally by the Finanzamt Mitte/Tiergarten. Where the Berlin flat genuinely is the main home, register it as the Hauptwohnsitz. That matters for the permit too, because LEA employment cases require a Berlin Hauptwohnsitz.

Can family members apply together through BIS in Berlin?

Yes. A BIS-registered Berlin employer can submit the employee's application together with the spouse and children. Jobbatical's Berlin guide notes that one BIS submission can carry up to three applications. On LEA's standard online route, the main applicant lists family members in the form, and LEA follows up separately about their permits.

Does the Opportunity Residence Permit apply to Berlin employees?

The Opportunity Residence Permit (Chancenaufenthaltsrecht) is a separate route that can help some already-resident foreign nationals in Germany move toward long-term residence, with the application filed online. It is not part of a new hire's first Berlin work permit, so treat it as a retention option for existing staff rather than a step in the LEA case above.

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