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Federal Republic of Germany · entrepreneur

Publicly funded start-up preparation — Section 21(2b)

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Guidance updated 15 November 2026. Full-review date shown above.

Discretionary residence for a qualifying skilled professional with the required publicly funded German start-up stipend, for the award period up to 18 months.

Qualified-professional status and the actual eligible publicly funded German start-up stipendConditional PR application pathwayThe duration of the qualifying stipend, up to a maximum of 18 months under Section 21(2b). Continued residence requires the actual applicable basis and decision.In flux
Processing time
There is no national application-to-decision clock. The Federal Foreign Office says national visas can take several months. Local review, appointments and card production are separate; Berlin’s four-to-six-week electronic-card period begins after the appointment.
Government fees
Section 52(5) provides specified national-visa and residence-service fee exemptions for recipients of qualifying publicly funded stipends. Confirm the actual award and exemption with the mission/authority. Its extension to covered spouses/partners and minor children concerns the specified visa fee; do not assume all family residence services or ancillary documents are free.
Typical duration
The duration of the qualifying stipend, up to a maximum of 18 months under Section 21(2b). Continued residence requires the actual applicable basis and decision.
Required support
Qualified-professional status and the actual eligible publicly funded German start-up stipend
Leads to permanent residency
Conditional — separate application
Reviewed Official German federal legislation portal — Gesetze im Internet ↗

In short

Discretionary residence for a qualifying skilled professional with the required publicly funded German start-up stipend, for the award period up to 18 months. Guidance updated 15 November 2026. Costs, application stages and eligibility conditions are set out with their sources below.

Cite this: https://visaatlas.org/visas/germany/funded-startup-preparation#answer

What is the Publicly funded start-up preparation — Section 21(2b) in Federal Republic of Germany?

Qualified-professional status and the actual eligible publicly funded German start-up stipend. Follow the actual Section 21 basis, authority procedure and issued work conditions. Indicative government fees are Section 52(5) provides specified national-visa and residence-service fee exemptions for recipients of qualifying publicly funded stipends. Confirm the actual award and exemption with the mission/authority. Its extension to covered spouses/partners and minor children concerns the specified visa fee; do not assume all family residence services or ancillary documents are free; indicative processing time is There is no national application-to-decision clock. The Federal Foreign Office says national visas can take several months. Local review, appointments and card production are separate; Berlin’s four-to-six-week electronic-card period begins after the appointment; typical duration is The duration of the qualifying stipend, up to a maximum of 18 months under Section 21(2b). Continued residence requires the actual applicable basis and decision. This is temporary start-up preparation, not settlement. Any continued business residence or later permanent status needs its own qualifying basis and decision. Do not count the stipend or preparation period automatically as three years of successful self-employment.

Primary guidance checked with Official German federal legislation portal — Gesetze im Internet on 15 November 2026.

Overview

Section 21(2b) requires a qualified professional within Section 18(3) and a livelihood-securing start-up stipend awarded from public funds by a German economic organisation or public body. A funding award alone is not immigration permission, and not every private investment or scholarship meets this definition. The residence period follows the qualifying stipend and cannot exceed 18 months under this basis. Berlin’s current business-residence service expressly includes this provision; named funding schemes are examples, not a promise that an award is currently available to every applicant.

Additional sources

Eligibility

Typical criteria

Common blockers

Typical evidence

Application pathway

  1. Verify the professional and funding conditions

    Check Section 18(3) and the exact award, public source, purpose, amount/support and period.

  2. Confirm the immigration process separately from the stipend

    Use the responsible mission or lawful local filing branch. The award is not itself entry or work permission.

  3. Obtain and follow the actual grant

    Check the approved preparation/activity conditions, stipend-linked validity and applicable fee exemption.

  4. Plan the next lawful basis before expiry

    A continued business, employment or settlement application needs its own conditions and decision.

After approval: prepare for your next step

For Publicly funded start-up preparation — Section 21(2b), use the actual decision and the issuing authority’s instructions to establish what has been granted. A successful application, permission to enter, permission to work and a residence document are not interchangeable.

  1. 1. Check the decision. Confirm the name, passport, status granted, start date and any next action. Resolve an error with the authority before relying on the document for travel or employment.
  2. 2. Establish the travel step. Read any entry window, activation, collection or in-country registration instruction. For an extension or change of status, do not assume leaving the country is required or safe while a further step remains pending.
  3. 3. Confirm what you may do. Check whether employment, self-employment, remote work or study is permitted under the status granted. Do not infer unrestricted work rights from the absence of an employer sponsor.
  4. 4. Organise the household. Check each accompanying person’s permission separately, then arrange healthcare, accommodation, access to money and the relevant local registrations. A tax number or bank account does not by itself prove a right to work.
  5. 5. Keep the ongoing conditions visible. Record the actual expiry, renewal process, permitted absences and any duty to report changes. An initial grant does not automatically establish permanent residence or citizenship.
Official Publicly funded start-up preparation — Section 21(2b) instructionsBuild my moving plan for this routeMoving to GermanyFirst steps after arrivingDestination moving checklist

Plan the practical side of your stay

Once you have checked the official route, you can prepare for day-to-day life in Germany. These optional services are separate from the application and do not establish visa eligibility.

Official application links

Where to actually go next

Government links only

These are the official pages to use for this route. Open them before preparing documents: the forms, fees, appointment systems, and sponsor steps can change without warning.

  1. Official guidanceApplicant
    Confirm the funded-founder immigration basis ↗

    Provide the qualifying professional evidence and actual funding award, purpose, source and duration.

    Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) · verified

  2. Official guidanceApplicant
    Read Berlin’s Section 21(2b) procedure as a local example ↗

    Berlin’s current business-residence service includes the funded-founder basis alongside paragraphs 1 and 2a.

    Berlin Immigration Office (LEA) · verified

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Frequently asked questions

Is every founder or foreign graduate eligible?+

No. The provision requires the actual Section 18(3) professional status and the specified livelihood-securing publicly funded German stipend. A private investment, foreign degree label or business idea alone does not meet all conditions.

Does an EXIST or Berlin start-up reference guarantee a place?+

No. Berlin lists funding examples in its immigration guidance. That is not a current award or intake decision for a particular person. Check the programme’s actual rules and funding decision separately from immigration.

Can the permit always last 18 months?+

No. The grant follows the qualifying stipend period and is capped at 18 months. A shorter award does not establish an automatic full 18-month permission.

Are the visa and family residence fees all zero?+

Section 52(5) exempts the recipient from its specified services where the conditions are met. Its covered-family extension refers to the specified national-visa fee, rather than every family residence or document charge. Have the actual exemption recorded by the responsible authority.

Can I start work just because funding was awarded?+

The funding decision and immigration/work permission are separate. After a residence or visa grant, read its actual rights and conditions. An award or pending application alone does not establish them.

Need tailored advice?

We do not provide legal advice. For an application that depends on your exact circumstances, consult a regulator-listed immigration advisor.

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How we verified this

We check every figure on this page against the primary government source, record the date it was last checked, and re-check it on a regular schedule. Rules change, so always confirm time-sensitive details with the official source before you rely on them. Visa Atlas is an information-only publication and does not give legal advice.

Primary source: Official German federal legislation portal — Gesetze im Internet

Last checked: 15 November 2026

See the full evidence trail and methodology

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