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Travelling while your permit renewal is pending — did anyone get stuck at a border?

Priya Sharma ⭐ Helpful member
28 Aug 2026, 10:37

Renewal of my residence permit is in progress here in Germany. Documents submitted, appointment done, card not issued yet. I have the temporary certificate that says the old permit continues while the renewal is processed.

The problem is Diwali. We'd planned to fly to India in October, and I'm now reading very mixed stories about travelling on that temporary paper. Some people say no problem, some say an airline wouldn't let them board, and one person on another site was apparently questioned at the border for an hour.

Has anyone travelled outside the country during a renewal? Did the temporary document work at the airport and the border? And did you have to do anything extra, like carry the old card as well?

5 replies

Ahmed Hassan ⭐ Helpful member
28 Aug 2026, 11:19

We did this last year during our renewal, with both kids, so I remember the details well.

The temporary certificate worked fine at the border for us. The problem was the airline check-in desk on the way back, which was much more nervous than the border police. The agent had clearly never seen the document before, called a supervisor, and it took about ten minutes and a phone call before they printed our boarding passes. Not a disaster, but not what you want with two tired children and a queue behind you.

What we carried, and what I'd carry again:

  • the old card, even though it had technically expired
  • the temporary certificate, original, not a copy
  • a printout of the appointment confirmation and the renewal receipt
  • for the kids, the same set for each of them

And get to the airport early on the return leg. The outbound was easy. Coming back is where they check whether you're allowed to live here.

Hiroshi Sato ⭐ Helpful member
29 Aug 2026, 14:51

Mine was fine too, but only because I asked the office which document I should carry. They gave me an extra paper for travel that I wouldn't have known to ask for.

Isabella Santos 🏆 Community expert
31 Aug 2026, 20:59

Different country, but the same lesson as Hiroshi: ask the office what to carry, get it in writing, and print everything.

Priya Sharma ⭐ Helpful member
1 Sept 2026, 19:42

Thank you all. The airline being the problem rather than the border hadn't occurred to me at all. I've emailed the office about the extra travel paper Hiroshi mentioned.

Jimmy 🏆 Community expert Admin Premium
4 Sept 2026, 07:28

Worth checking two separate things here, because they don't always agree: whether the temporary document allows re-entry for your permit type, and whether the airline's own system recognises it at check-in. The first comes from the immigration office, the second from the airline. The Visa section for Germany links to the official guidance on travelling during a renewal.