Residence Status: EU/EEA citizen (freedom of movement) (Unionsbürger (Freizügigkeit))

Status ID: RS-001

Slug: eu_citizen (must match ResidenceStatus in frontend/src/lib/situation-requirements.ts)

Version: 1.1

Status: Source-reviewed (agent fleet, 2026-08-28) — 31/31 facts verified; 8 corrected; approval pending human sign-off

Primary legal basis: FreizügG/EU (Gesetz über die allgemeine Freizügigkeit von Unionsbürgern)

Jurisdiction: Federal (+ local variation where noted)

Risk level: Low

Last reviewed: 2026-08-28

Next review due: 2026-09-25 (file carries volatile local fee figures)

Owner: AusHelp Knowledge Team

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Scope and disclaimer

Informational guidance only — not legal advice. All claims derive from official public

sources (Level A–C per standards/source-policy.md). Verify critical decisions with the

responsible authority or a qualified immigration advisor.

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1. Overview

Citizens of EU member states living in Germany do not hold a residence permit. Their right

to enter and stay follows directly from the law (FreizügG/EU, implementing Directive

2004/38/EC): no visa for entry, no Aufenthaltstitel for residence. For the first three

months a valid passport or national ID card is all that is required; beyond three months

the right continues for workers, self-employed people, job seekers, students, and

non-economically active people with sufficient resources and health insurance. The status

is declaratory — no authority "grants" it, and since the Freizügigkeitsbescheinigung era

ended there is no routine document evidencing it for the EU citizen themselves.

The only registration step is the same one every resident has: Anmeldung at the

Meldebehörde within two weeks of moving in (§ 17 BMG). Family members who are themselves

EU/EEA citizens need nothing further either; third-country family members receive an

Aufenthaltskarte from the Ausländerbehörde. After five years of continuous lawful

residence the right becomes a permanent right of residence (Daueraufenthaltsrecht,

§ 4a FreizügG/EU) that no longer depends on being a worker or having resources.

The same regime extends to EEA nationals (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway; § 12

FreizügG/EU). Swiss citizens are a parallel edge case under the EU–Switzerland agreement

(§ 28 AufenthV), and UK citizens covered by the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement hold a

declaratory right documented by the Aufenthaltsdokument-GB (§ 16 FreizügG/EU).

2. Legal basis

3. Key facts

One row per atomic claim. Verified flips to yes only after /source-review.

4. Processes

Transitions INTO this status: acquiring the citizenship of an EU/EEA state while living in

Germany (any RS-002…RS-013 → RS-001; the FreizügG/EU then applies of its own force, § 1);

entry as an EU/EEA citizen (no procedure). Transitions OUT: naturalisation as German

(→ no residence status; StAG requirements not covered here); loss determination under

§ 2 Abs. 4, § 5 Abs. 4 or § 6 — after which the AufenthG governs any further stay (§ 11,

SRC-109) and the person needs a title under another status file; obligation to leave

under § 7 if no such title exists.

4.1 Anmeldung (P1)

The only step every EU citizen must take: register the address within two weeks of moving

in (§ 17 BMG, SRC-015). No Ausländerbehörde involvement, no status decision. Covered in

full by workflows/anmeldung-berlin.md.

4.2 Aufenthaltskarte for third-country family members (P2)

Issued ex officio within six months once the family member has supplied the required

particulars; a certificate confirming the application is handed over immediately, and the

card is normally valid five years (§ 5 Abs. 1, SRC-106). Berlin: application via LEA,

biometric photo digital-only since 2025-05-01, fee €46.00 / €27.60 under 24, about

4 weeks production (SRC-114 — local figures, volatile).

4.3 Daueraufenthalt documentation (P3)

EU citizens: certificate of the permanent right issued "unverzüglich" on application

(§ 5 Abs. 5, SRC-106). Third-country family members: Daueraufenthaltskarte within six

months of application. The right itself arises by law after five years (§ 4a, SRC-105) —

the document only evidences it.

4.4 Verlustfeststellung (P4)

Authority-initiated. Within the first five years the Ausländerbehörde may determine loss

if the § 2 Abs. 1 conditions lapse (§ 5 Abs. 4, SRC-106); at any time on public-order

grounds under the strict § 6 thresholds (SRC-107). Consequence: obligation to leave with

a deadline of at least one month, and a time-limited re-entry ban (§ 7, SRC-108). A

suspension motion under § 80 Abs. 5 VwGO blocks deportation until decided (SRC-108).

5. Authorities and organisations

6. Common problems

7. Documents

Note: REQUIREMENTS_BY_RESIDENCE.eu_citizen is deliberately empty in

situation-requirements.ts — only the universal layer (anmeldung, health_insurance,

tax_id) applies. D5–D7 feed the app document-type backlog.

8. Sources

9. Open questions and uncertainty

1. Exact family-member definition (§ 1 Abs. 2 Nr. 3 FreizügG/EU — descendants under 21, dependants in ascending line) not fetched verbatim; section 3.11 states only the sourced outline. Verify § 1 before user-facing release.
2. Access to social benefits (SGB II § 7 exclusions for the first 3 months and for job-seekers only; SGB XII) not verified against statute — no claim made (row 3.20).
3. BMI freedom-of-movement page unreachable (HTTP 400 on 2026-08-26); intended second Level B corroboration missing.
4. Make it in Germany EU-citizens page blocked by bot protection on 2026-08-26; the "no work permit" claim rests on the statute alone.
5. § 8 FreizügG/EU (Ausweispflicht — duty to carry/present ID) not fetched; special obligations row 3.30 is incomplete on this point.
6. Documentation for family members of Swiss citizens: § 28 AufenthV fetch did not cover family members — unverified.
7. Whether the Aufenthaltskarte fee is federally capped (AufenthV fee provisions) — only the Berlin figures (€46.00 / €27.60) are verified; other municipalities may differ.
8. The historical abolition of the Freizügigkeitsbescheinigung (2013) is not cited to a source; the overview only states that no routine document exists today (per §§ 2a, 5).
9. Current administrative practice for UK nationals who missed the § 16 notification window — statute gives the window, not the late-case handling.
10. Practice standards for extending the job-seeker period beyond 6 months ("begründete Aussicht, eingestellt zu werden") — statutory wording only, no guidance source.

10. Change log