Student residence permit is valid till May, but my university will register my graduation in February

Hi everyone,

I currently hold a residence permit for study purposes, which, according to the card, is valid until May 2026.

However, my university will officially register my graduation in February 2026, so my residence permit will automatically expire in February according to the additional clause ("expires upon completion of studies").

Since I need to travel to my home country from January to mid-March 2026, my current residence permit will most likely become invalid during my absence.

The thing is, I have an appointment for switching to a "family reunion residence permit" 2 days after I come back to Germany in March. (because I married a German)

Therefore, I would like to know if it is necessary to get a Fiktionsbescheinigung before my departure in order to be able to return to Germany? Or my current one will extend directly since I am already applying for another PR? (even though not yet attended the appointment)

Thank you very much for your assistance.