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ICT Card (intra-corporate transfer)

Ausländerbehörde · Residence law · § 19 AufenthG

In person Make it in Germany

The ICT Card (ICT-Karte) is the residence title for employees transferred within their company (intra-corporate transfer). It is aimed at managers, specialists and trainees who are transferred from a branch outside the European Union to a branch of the same company or group of companies in Germany. The legal basis is § 19 of the Residence Act (Aufenthaltsgesetz, AufenthG).

Two points are most often misunderstood in practice. First: the maximum duration is not uniformly three years. Managers and specialists receive the ICT Card for a maximum of three years, but trainees for a maximum of one year. Second: an extension is expressly possible – it simply must not exceed the respective maximum duration. The widespread claim that the ICT Card cannot be extended is incorrect; the fee schedule in § 45 of the Ordinance Governing Residence (Aufenthaltsverordnung, AufenthV) provides for separate extension fees for the ICT Card.

A further requirement is at least six months of uninterrupted affiliation with the company or group of companies immediately before the transfer. As a rule, the ICT Card must be applied for from abroad and requires the approval of the Federal Employment Agency (Bundesagentur für Arbeit). Anyone who already holds an ICT residence title from another EU member state needs the Mobile ICT Card (Mobiler-ICT-Karte) under § 19b AufenthG, with different fees, for a longer-term transfer to Germany.

Last updated3 October 2026
Legal basis§ 19 AufenthG · § 19b · § 45 AufenthV
VerificationChecked by AmtsDeutschland.de
Written and reviewed byAndrés Sánchez Botta
Independent information website: we are not the Ausländerbehörde, not an authority and not a paid advice service – we do not submit applications on your behalf. All information comes from official sources and is explained here in plain language; binding information always comes from the competent body. All information is provided without guarantee. We are neither lawyers nor tax consultants: we document official procedures and check the information against the official source – this is information, not legal or tax advice.
Costs€100.00Extension €93.00 / €96.00 · Mobile ICT €80.00
Processing timeDepends on the competent authorityNo nationwide deadline · approval of the Federal Employment Agency required
MethodIn personApplication generally from abroad · appointment required
Required documents

What you need to bring

Valid passport from your country of origin

The passport must be valid at the time of submission of the application and should cover the planned duration of the transfer as fully as possible; many offices of the Ausländerbehörde (foreigners authority) issue the ICT Card at most until the expiry of the passport. You must present the original together with the pages containing your personal data, the visa and all previous entry stamps. The passport is issued by the diplomatic mission of your home country; if it needs an extension, or if issuing a new document is necessary, take care of this before your appointment, because otherwise a new passport will trigger an additional official procedure later.

Proof of at least six months of affiliation with the company

This is the central requirement for issue under § 19 Abs. 2 AufenthG: immediately before the start of the transfer, you must have belonged to the sending company or group of companies without interruption for at least six months. Acceptable proof is the foreign employment contract, an HR certificate from the employer stating your start date, and payslips for the last six months. If this proof is missing, the application will be refused – regardless of how good the other documents are.

Transfer agreement or secondment letter

The agreement in writing between the sending company in the third country and the host branch in Germany is the core of the application. It must state the start and end of the transfer, the place of work, the position (manager, specialist or trainee), the duties and the remuneration. It is issued by the group’s HR department; without a formal transfer agreement, the ICT Card cannot be issued.

Proof of membership of the same group of companies

The Ausländerbehörde must be able to see that the sending company and the host company actually belong to the same company or group of companies. Extracts from the commercial register for both companies, an organisation chart of the group or an overview of the group structure are customary. These documents are provided by the company’s legal or HR department; in the case of complex shareholding structures, the ownership relationships should be explained explicitly.

Proof of qualifications (managers and specialists)

For specialists, you must provide evidence of the specialist knowledge that is essential to the operations of the host branch; for managers, evidence of the management function. Possible evidence includes university certificates, vocational qualifications, certificates, proof of projects or a detailed job description setting out your authority to issue instructions. Foreign university degrees can be classified using the anabin database; formal recognition is not required in every case for the ICT Card, but it makes the approval procedure of the Federal Employment Agency considerably easier.

Trainees: university degree, training agreement and proof of remuneration

Additional requirements apply to trainees: they must prove that they have a university degree, present a training agreement for the trainee programme and provide evidence that the programme is paid. The training agreement should describe the learning objectives, stages, supervision and duration of the programme. Note that the ICT Card for trainees is limited to a maximum of one year – the length of the programme should be planned accordingly.

Proof of comparable working conditions

The working conditions of the transfer must not be less favourable than those of comparable domestic employees; the Federal Employment Agency checks this in the approval procedure under § 39 AufenthG. In practice, the “Erklärung zum Beschäftigungsverhältnis” (declaration on the employment relationship) is filled in for this purpose, supplemented by information on gross remuneration, working hours, leave and place of work. The employer should set out a clear comparison between the remuneration and the German market level for the position in question.

Proof of health insurance

Adequate health insurance coverage must be proven for the entire stay. For employment subject to German social insurance, the Mitgliedsbescheinigung (health insurance membership certificate) of the statutory health insurance fund (Krankenkasse) is sufficient; if the law of your home country continues to apply (certificate of posting, e.g. A1, or a social security agreement), you must present the certificate of the foreign institution plus, where applicable, private supplementary insurance. The certificate should not be more than three months old and should show the scope of cover.

Biometric photograph

You need a recent biometric photograph with a light, even background and a frontal head position without head covering; since 1 May 2025, it has only been accepted in digital form. For the electronic residence title, two fingerprints and your signature are also recorded digitally at the Ausländerbehörde. The photograph is taken at the authority’s photo terminal, where available, or by a certified photographer who transmits it in encrypted form and gives you a Data Matrix code; paper photos have no longer been accepted since the transitional period ended on 31 July 2025.

Meldebestätigung and proof of accommodation

After entering Germany, you must register your address at the Bürgeramt (citizens’ office); most Ausländerbehörde offices require the Meldebestätigung (official confirmation of registration) at the appointment. A tenancy agreement or the Wohnungsgeberbestätigung (landlord’s confirmation) is also accepted as supplementary evidence, and for company apartments a confirmation from the employer. Without a registered address, the local jurisdiction of the Ausländerbehörde cannot be established, so the application cannot be processed.

Completed application form of the Ausländerbehörde

Each Ausländerbehörde uses its own form, “Antrag auf Erteilung eines Aufenthaltstitels” (application for the issue of a residence title), which is usually available for download on the local authority’s website. Fill it in completely and expressly state the intra-corporate transfer under § 19 AufenthG as the purpose of residence – an incorrect statement of purpose regularly leads to queries and delays. The form must be signed by the applicant in person, and supplementary declarations must additionally be signed by the host company.

Step by step

How to proceed

  1. 1

    Check the six-month affiliation with the company

    Before anything else is planned, the HR department and the employee check together whether affiliation with the company or group of companies has existed without interruption for at least six months immediately before the start of the transfer. This period under § 19 Abs. 2 AufenthG also applies to trainees and is not negotiable. If it will only be reached in two months, postpone the start of the transfer accordingly – this is considerably cheaper than a refused application, because the fee is payable even in the event of refusal. If the period can never be met, consider the EU Blue Card (Blaue Karte EU) or a work permit as an alternative instead.

  2. 2

    Draw up the transfer agreement and the document package

    The sending company and the host company conclude the transfer agreement in writing. It sets out the start and end of the transfer, the place of work, the position, the duties and the remuneration. Make sure that the agreed transfer duration does not exceed the statutory maximum duration: three years for managers and specialists, one year for trainees. At the same time, the HR department compiles extracts from the commercial register, the organisation chart, proof of qualifications and the declaration on the employment relationship (Erklärung zum Beschäftigungsverhältnis). A complete package is the most effective way of saving time in the entire procedure.

  3. 3

    Apply for a national visa at the German mission abroad

    As a rule, the ICT Card must be applied for from abroad. The employee therefore books an appointment for a national visa (category D) for the purpose of intra-corporate transfer at the German embassy or consulate general that is competent for their place of residence. Appointments are allocated online and, depending on the location, this can take several weeks – start as early as possible. Anyone who is allowed to enter without a visa should nevertheless clarify whether the Ausländerbehörde will accept the application in Germany; entry with a Schengen visitor visa is not intended for this purpose.

  4. 4

    Wait for the approval of the Federal Employment Agency

    The issue of the ICT Card requires the approval of the Federal Employment Agency under § 39 AufenthG in conjunction with the Ordinance on the Employment of Foreigners (Beschäftigungsverordnung, BeschV). The procedure is initiated by the German mission abroad or the Ausländerbehörde; you do not submit a separate application. The main points examined are whether the working conditions are not less favourable than those of comparable domestic employees, as well as the position and qualifications. Queries from the Federal Employment Agency are handled via the employer – name a permanent contact person there so that requests for further documents are not left unanswered. Companies with frequent transfers can obtain an advance approval (Vorabzustimmung) beforehand and thus speed up the visa procedure.

  5. 5

    Enter Germany, register your address and book an appointment

    Enter Germany with the visa you have been issued. Register your address at the Bürgeramt within two weeks – you need the Meldebestätigung at the appointment with the Ausländerbehörde and for practically every further step, from opening a bank account to your tax identification number (Steuer-ID). You then book an appointment with the Ausländerbehörde that is competent for your address to have the ICT Card issued, usually via an online appointment portal. Book this appointment immediately after the Anmeldung (residence registration): in conurbations, the waiting times for appointments are often longer than the actual processing.

  6. 6

    Apply for the ICT Card, provide biometric data and pay the fee

    At the appointment, you hand in the completed application form and all documents. A biometric photograph, two fingerprints and your signature are recorded for the electronic residence title. The fee for issue is €100.00, uniform nationwide, under § 45 AufenthV and is usually payable immediately by EC card or in cash; credit cards are by no means accepted everywhere. If your visa expires before the title is handed over, the authority issues a Fiktionsbescheinigung (provisional residence document), which secures your residence and employment until the decision is made.

  7. 7

    Collect your electronic residence title

    The electronic residence title is produced centrally by the Bundesdruckerei (Germany’s federal printing company) and then sent to the Ausländerbehörde. You collect it in person, presenting your passport and the collection letter; the PIN letter for the online ID function is delivered separately to your registered address. Check the supplementary sheet (Zusatzblatt) immediately on collection: it sets out the ancillary provisions (Nebenbestimmungen), i.e. the authorised employer, the position and the period of validity. You can find further details on the process under Collecting your eAT.

  8. 8

    Initiate an extension or a follow-up title in good time

    If the transfer lasts longer than the period of validity initially granted, apply for an extension. It is permitted as long as the maximum duration of three years, or one year for trainees, is not exceeded, and it costs €93.00 for an extension of more than three months and €96.00 for an extension of up to three months. Submit the application about eight weeks before expiry. If the maximum duration has been reached and you want to stay in Germany, switch to another title in good time – such as the EU Blue Card; the fee for such a change in the purpose of residence is €98.00. You can read how an extension generally works under Extend a residence title.

Fee information

Costs and payment

Fees under § 45 AufenthV

Issue of the ICT Card€100.00
Extension for more than 3 months€93.00
Extension of up to 3 months€96.00
Issue of the Mobile ICT Card€80.00
Extension of the Mobile ICT Card€70.00
Change to another title€98.00
Place of paymentCash desk of the Ausländerbehörde
Means of paymentEC card or cash

The fees are set uniformly nationwide. Unlike municipal fee by-laws (Gebührensatzung), there are no ranges here: § 45 AufenthV sets the amounts for the entire federal territory. Information such as “from €100” is therefore misleading – the amount for issue is exactly €100.00. Only additional services such as expedited procedures or replacement documents cost extra.

A short extension is more expensive than a long extension. This seems contradictory, but that is how it is regulated: an extension of up to three months costs €96.00, an extension of more than three months only €93.00. If the transfer will last longer anyway and the maximum duration allows it, apply for the longer extension in one go – this saves fees and a further appointment at the authority.

Extending is cheaper than a new application. Anyone who follows the widespread misinformation that the ICT Card cannot be extended needlessly submits a complete first application: €100.00 instead of €93.00, plus the complete initial procedure with a new approval check. As long as the maximum duration has not been reached, the extension is the right and faster route.

Budget for additional costs. In addition to the residence fee, you will usually also incur the visa fee of the German mission abroad, costs for certified translations of certificates and contracts, legalisation or an apostille where applicable, and the cost of the biometric photograph. The fee is payable even if the application is refused – a careful preliminary check of the six-month affiliation pays off directly.

Good to know

Important notes

Maximum duration: three years – but only one year for trainees. § 19 AufenthG expressly distinguishes between the groups of persons. Managers and specialists receive the ICT Card for a maximum of three years, trainees for a maximum of one year. You should therefore plan a trainee programme from the outset to fit within twelve months; an extension beyond this limit is legally excluded.

The ICT Card can be extended. The frequently encountered statement that an extension is not possible is incorrect. § 19 AufenthG permits the extension; it simply must not exceed the maximum duration. This is confirmed by the fee schedule, which provides for separate extension rates for the ICT Card in § 45 AufenthV – there would be no fee for an impossible official act.

Six months of prior employment are compulsory. Under § 19 Abs. 2 AufenthG, affiliation with the company or group of companies must have existed without interruption for at least six months immediately before the transfer. “Without interruption” means: without the employment relationship having ended in the meantime. A change within the group does no harm; being newly hired shortly before the transfer, on the other hand, does.

Application generally from abroad, approval of the Federal Employment Agency required. As a rule, the ICT Card is initiated via a national visa at the German mission abroad, not by entering Germany on the off chance. In addition, issue requires the approval of the Federal Employment Agency under § 39 AufenthG. Both points are regularly underestimated when planning the timetable.

Short-term EU mobility: up to 90 days in 180 days. With a valid German ICT Card, you may work at a branch of the same group of companies in another member state (not in Denmark or Ireland) for up to 90 days within a period of 180 days per member state. The legal basis is Article 21 of Directive (EU) 2014/66 as implemented by the respective destination country, not § 19a AufenthG, which only governs the reverse case: entry into Germany with an ICT residence title issued by another member state. The destination country can require your host branch in Germany to notify the assignment to both states in advance, and can then object to it within 20 days – clarify this with your employer and the group company there before you leave.

Mobile ICT Card for longer-term transfers from the EU. Anyone who already holds an ICT residence title from another EU member state and is transferred to Germany for more than 90 days needs the Mobile ICT Card under § 19b AufenthG. It is a separate residence title with different fees: €80.00 for issue, €70.00 for extension. Here, the submission of the application takes place at the German Ausländerbehörde, not at a German mission abroad.

Family reunification: no language requirement for spouses. For spouses joining holders of an ICT Card, proof of basic German language skills is not required – this is governed by § 30 Abs. 1 Satz 3 Nr. 5 AufenthG. This is a noticeable advantage compared with many other purposes of residence and considerably speeds up the reunification. The other requirements, such as a passport, health insurance and sufficient residential space, still apply; details under Family reunification.

Working conditions must not be less favourable. The remuneration and other working conditions of the transfer must at least correspond to those of comparable domestic employees. The Federal Employment Agency carries out this comparability check in the approval procedure (§ 39 Abs. 3 Nr. 1 AufenthG). Have your home salary, foreign assignment allowances and benefits in kind ready, kept clearly separate and documented in a comprehensible way.

Processing time: no nationwide deadline. Outside the fast-track procedure for skilled workers (beschleunigtes Fachkräfteverfahren) under § 81a AufenthG, there is no statutory processing time. How long it takes depends on the German mission abroad, the local Ausländerbehörde and the approval procedure of the Federal Employment Agency; in practice, the range is from a few weeks to several months. Only the competent authority can provide binding information.

Observe the ancillary provisions: the title is tied to the employer. The ICT Card permits employment at the host branch named in the Zusatzblatt within the scope of the approved transfer. A change of employer, a significant change of position or an additional place of work must be notified to the Ausländerbehörde and can require renewed approval from the Federal Employment Agency. A secondary activity outside the group is not covered without express permission.

After the transfer: consider switching to another title. Once the maximum duration has been reached, the ICT Card ends. If you want to stay, you switch – provided the respective requirements are met – to the EU Blue Card under § 18g AufenthG or to a residence permit for skilled workers under §§ 18a or 18b AufenthG. This change in the purpose of residence costs €98.00. Note that periods with an ICT Card are not counted towards the settlement permit (Niederlassungserlaubnis) in the same way as periods with a skilled worker title – so plan the switch early.

Avoid these mistakes

Common mistakes

Submitting a new application instead of an extension. Anyone who believes that the ICT Card cannot be extended needlessly goes through the complete initial procedure. Consequence: €100.00 instead of €93.00, a new approval procedure and weeks of delay, even though a simple extension would have been sufficient.

Trainee programme planned for three years. For trainees, the maximum duration of the ICT Card is only one year. A programme calculated for two or three years cannot be carried out with this title; the programme must be terminated or transferred to another purpose of residence – with costs, appointments and disrupted planning in the middle of the assignment.

Six-month affiliation with the company not checked. If the employee is only hired shortly before the transfer, the mandatory requirement of § 19 Abs. 2 AufenthG is not met. The application is refused, the fee is nevertheless forfeited, and the planned assignment period is postponed by months.

Entering on a Schengen visitor visa and applying in Germany. As a rule, the ICT Card must be applied for from abroad via a national visa. Anyone who enters as a visitor instead risks the refusal of the application made in Germany and has to leave the country to catch up on the visa procedure – this typically postpones the start of the transfer by several months.

No formal transfer agreement in place. An email from your line manager or an internal project assignment is not sufficient. Without an agreement in writing between the sending and the host company with information on the duration, place, position and remuneration, the ICT Card will not be issued and the Federal Employment Agency will refuse its approval.

Remuneration set below the domestic comparison level. If the home salary is adopted without adjustment, the Federal Employment Agency’s comparability check fails. Approval is refused, the residence title cannot be issued, and the entire transfer must be set up again contractually.

Confusing short-term EU mobility with a permanent assignment. Short-term mobility under Article 21 of Directive (EU) 2014/66 only covers up to 90 days within 180 days per member state. Anyone who works longer at a branch in another member state needs a separate residence title for long-term mobility there (“mobile ICT”, Article 22 of the Directive), provided the destination country requires one – without it, employees and employers face consequences up to and including regulatory fines imposed by the state concerned.

Applying too late for an extension or a change in the purpose of residence. If the application is only submitted after the expiry of the period of validity, a gap arises in your lawful residence, and your employment must be interrupted. Apply around eight weeks before expiry; if the submission of the application is made in good time, a Fiktionsbescheinigung secures your residence and economic activity until the decision is made.

Frequently asked questions

Questions and answers

How long is the ICT Card valid?

For managers and specialists, the ICT Card is issued for a maximum of three years, for trainees for a maximum of one year (§ 19 AufenthG). The transfer duration agreed in the transfer agreement is also decisive: if the transfer is shorter, the card is only issued for this period.

Can the ICT Card be extended?

Yes. An extension is possible, but it must not exceed the statutory maximum duration of three years, or one year for trainees. The extension costs €93.00 for an extension of more than three months and €96.00 for an extension of up to three months (§ 45 AufenthV).

How long must I have been employed by the company before the transfer?

Immediately before the start of the intra-corporate transfer, you must have belonged to the company or group of companies without interruption for at least six months (§ 19 Abs. 2 AufenthG). This requirement also applies to trainees and is proven by your employment contract, an HR certificate and proof of salary.

What is the difference between the ICT Card and the Mobile ICT Card?

The ICT Card under § 19 AufenthG is issued to employees who are transferred to Germany from a third country. The Mobile ICT Card under § 19b AufenthG applies to persons who already hold an ICT residence title from another EU member state and are transferred onwards to Germany for a longer period; it costs €80.00 on issue and €70.00 on extension.

Can I work in other EU states with the ICT Card?

Yes, with restrictions. With a valid German ICT Card, you may work at a branch of the same group of companies in another member state (not in Denmark or Ireland) for up to 90 days within 180 days per member state; the legal basis is Article 21 of Directive (EU) 2014/66 as implemented by the respective destination country. The destination country can require prior notification and object to the assignment; for longer assignments, it can require a separate residence title for long-term mobility (“mobile ICT”) (Article 22 of the Directive). § 19a AufenthG, by contrast, only governs the reverse case: entry into Germany with an ICT residence title issued by another member state.

Can I stay in Germany after the transfer?

A change to another residence title is possible, for example to the EU Blue Card under § 18g AufenthG or to a residence permit for skilled workers under §§ 18a or 18b AufenthG, provided the respective requirements are met. A fee of €98.00 is charged for such a change in the purpose of residence (§ 45 AufenthV).

Does my spouse have to prove knowledge of German?

No. For spouses joining holders of an ICT Card, proof of basic knowledge of German is not required under § 30 Abs. 1 Satz 3 Nr. 5 AufenthG. The other requirements, such as a valid passport, health insurance and sufficient residential space, still apply.

How long does the processing of the ICT Card take?

There is no nationwide processing deadline; the duration depends on the competent German mission abroad, the Ausländerbehörde and the approval procedure of the Federal Employment Agency. In practice, procedures often take between a few weeks and several months; the fast-track procedure for skilled workers under § 81a AufenthG can shorten the deadlines.

Related official procedures

EU Blue Card
Follow-up title for skilled workers
€100.00
Apply for a residence title
General first application
€100.00
Extend a residence title
Extension before expiry
From €93.00

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