A residence permit (Aufenthaltstitel) is any of several types of official documents that grant you permission to live in Germany. Such documents include visas, purpose-linked temporary residence permits, and settlement permits (for permanent residence), for example. The residence permit that applies to you depends on your nationality, why you are in Germany, and for how long you wish to stay. It is usually issued in the form of a chip card (elektronischer Aufenthaltstitel or eAT).