Communicate short-term mobility for research purposes

If you have a residence permit from a member state of the European Union (EU) for research purposes, you can use it to enter Germany for a certain period of time and conduct research there.

If you are not a national of an EU member state, you do not necessarily need a German residence permit to conduct research here.

As part of EU mobility, you can enter Germany for research purposes with a residence permit from an EU member state and carry out research for a certain period of time. You do not need another residence permit for this. Exception: Ireland and Denmark

Short-term mobility allows you to conduct research in Germany for up to 180 days in a 360-day period.

The conditions for mobility are laid down throughout the EU in the Research and Studies (REST) Directive.

The host institution must notify the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) of your stay in advance. The BAMF will issue a certificate of entitlement to enter and stay within the framework of EU mobility. Family members of short-term mobile researchers are also listed on the certificate.

The notification from the research institution in Germany must include copies of the following documents:

• Residence permit from the first EU Member State (issued for research purposes and in accordance with the REST Directive)
• Recognized, valid passport or passport substitute
• Hosting agreement or contract with the host research institution
• Proof of means of subsistence (including proof of health insurance)
• Residence permit of family members, if applicable
• If applicable, recognized, valid passport or passport substitute of the family members
• If applicable, proof of livelihood (including proof of health insurance) of the family members
• If applicable, proof of the existence of the family relationship (marriage certificate or birth certificate)

Note:
All documents, with the exception of the passport and residence permit, must be submitted in German. The BAMF may accept easily understandable documents in a foreign language, but will decide whether the documents submitted meet the requirements.

• You must have a valid residence permit for research purposes issued by an EU member state.
• You must be conducting research at a host institution in Germany.
• You must be able to present a valid copy of your passport or a passport replacement document.

• Objection
• You can find more information on how to lodge an objection in the rejection of your mobility notification.
• Appeal to the administrative court

The host research institution must inform the BAMF of your stay before you enter Germany. The notification may only be made by the institution. The institution can submit the notification online.

Online notification

• The online notification is made via the BAMF's specialized application MoNa (Mobility National Contact Points).
• To access MoNa, the MoNa terms of use must be signed and sent to the BAMF. The institution then receives a registration code for participation in the Delegated User Administration (DeBeV) for the administration of its employees for access to MoNa and the corresponding instructions for use. After successful DeBeV registration, the MoNa specialist application can be used.
• The institution notifies the entry and uploads all required documents.
• Once the complete notification has been received, the BAMF checks whether all requirements have been met.
• If the check is positive, the BAMF issues a mobility certificate.
• The BAMF then informs the responsible immigration authority of the result.

The notification must be made as soon as the researcher's intention to conduct research in Germany is known and must be received in full before the researcher enters the federal territory. Short-term mobile researchers may enter Germany and begin their research as soon as the BAMF has received the complete notification.

There are no costs.

There are no indications or special features.