What happens when your aufenthaltstitel (residency permit card) expires the same month or around the same time when you are about to apply for niederlassungserlaubnis (permanent residency)? Do I have to wait for a new aufenthaltstitel to arrive via post before I can start applying for niederlassungserlaubnis or can I apply for it while I am "cardless", so to speak? I will be elligible to apply for PR in February 2024 but it's the same month when my current residency permit card expires. Usually it takes about a month for me to get a new one.

On a sidenote, this isn't about traveling outside of Germany, I'm trying to figure out if I can apply for permanent residency while I wait for my aufenthaltstitel to be renewed.