After a brief wait in line, clutching my residency documents and the letter that had called me there, I handed over my old papers and was handed my permanent residency card from the local Foreigners’ Office..

Now, regardless of job and work status, I’m allowed to stay. It means I’m allowed to change jobs or be out of work. It means that my partner and I can qualify for a mortgage, which every bank had previously denied us on the basis of my status here.

But there are rules. I had to sign a document acknowledging that my stay in Germany will be terminated in the event of crimes committed, and that I cannot be outside of Germany for more than six months at a time.

But mostly, it means life can happen and I can stay.

Shiny new card in hand, I called my partner in the middle of the day, gleeful. His smile came through the phone along with congratulatory wishes from his colleagues. The relief that washed over me when I walked out of the office was a surprise, if only because I had already celebrated upon receiving the acknowledgement by mail.

It’s a big thing, actually. Life can happen and I can stay.

So how does one become a permanent resident in Germany? The process has been simplified and revised recently, but it differs based on one’s status in the first place. I came here with a job based on qualifications completed outside of Germany that are recognized by the German government. In order to become a permanent resident I needed to:

• Complete the application form
• Provide a passport photo
• Be fingerprinted
• Prove that I had paid into the government pension fund for three years
• Prove that I was covered by German health insurance
• Provide the lease for my apartment
• Provide my employment contract, which needed to be unlimited rather than contract
• Provide statements of my salary and taxes paid for the last six months
• Pass at least the German B1 language test
• Pass either the citizenship test or the integration course, which concludes with a test

Fundamentally, I had to prove that I had integrated into German society and would not be a burden on the state.

As with many things bureaucratic, I found that the easiest way forward was to make an appointment at the Foreigners’ Office and ask about the necessary requirements rather than combing through legalese online. Doing so put me in contact with the employee with whom I emailed back and forth as I put together the paperwork, some of which required contacting various German agencies. Anecdotally, it seems that my process went much more quickly than that of others I know, and I chalk that up to having sat in the office with the person doing the job.

I also cannot understate the importance of knowing the language. Not only is all bureaucratic business at the Foreigners’ Office conducted in German, but the paperwork explaining the required paperwork is also provided in German. My language skills are far below understanding German legalese, but I was able to talk with a real person and get clear answers.

But more than paperwork and the security of being able to lead my life here, applying for and receiving permanent residency means that I’m somewhere that I want to stay. I have built a life here, made friends, and found my person. It makes me laugh to recall that I decided to move here, a decision made five years ago this month, because my town has a climbing hall that I could see on Google Maps. Expect the unexpected, as they say.

Welcome home, my partner said.