An invitation starts not with a form but with arithmetic: the authority must be satisfied you can carry your guest’s costs. What counts is not your salary but what remains after your own obligations.
Solvency: the income the authority wants to see
A solvency check comes before the signature. What counts is not gross pay but what remains after rent and your own maintenance obligations.
✓ Verified: 17/08/2026
WHAT TO DO
AUTHORITY
Ausländerbehörde (ABH)
Municipal authorityThe Ausländerbehörde for your registered address is the one responsible. Enter your postcode and we will show yours.
Where to go in your city →
› Details and tips
👨🏻💻
Max recommends:
I brought three months of evidence; they wanted six plus the tenancy agreement. Confirming the document list by phone beforehand saves an entire appointment.
👩🏼💼
Lea recommends:
Calculate with what remains after rent and fixed commitments, not with gross salary. That is exactly the figure the authority works from.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Who may issue a formal obligation? ▾
Anyone lawfully resident in Germany who can prove financial capacity. German citizenship is not needed, and neither is kinship with the guest: § 68 AufenthG attaches to neither. What is required is a sufficiently settled residence status and regular, documentable income.
How much do I need to earn? ▾
The law names no nationwide figure, and we will not invent one here. The authority runs a solvency check: it sets net income against rent and the needs of those already dependent on you, and asks whether the remainder carries your guest. The method and the allowances differ between offices — so the question belongs precisely where you will be signing.
Can I invite several people at once? ▾
Formally yes, but capacity is assessed for all invitees together. Inviting a family of three requires substantially more proven capacity than inviting one guest.
Can someone else guarantee alongside me? ▾
The declaration is given by a specific person and their circumstances are what get examined. Splitting the obligation between several hosts is possible at some authorities but must be agreed in advance rather than presented as a finished arrangement.