Online application for residence permits

People forced to flee Ukraine because of the war will typically be granted a humanitarian residence permit for temporary protection (Aufenthaltserlaubnis zum vorübergehenden Schutz) in accordance with Section 24 of the German Residence Act.
Refugees with permanent accommodation in Berlin can apply for this residence permit online with Berlin Immigration Office (Landesamt für Einwanderung – LEA).

Most people who fled the Russian war of aggression in Ukrain do not need to immediately register as a war refugee. Ukrainian citizens may stay in Germany for up to 90 days after their arrival without a visa or residence permit.

The same applies if you are not a Ukrainian citizen but belonged to one of the following groups on 24 February 2022 in Ukraine:

• Had a valid permanent residence permit issued according to Ukrainian law
• Had international protection status or an equivalent national protection status
• Were a family member of a Ukrainian citizen or a person with international protection status or an equivalent national protection status

If you would like to stay for longer than 90 days, however, or if you would like to work, receive social benefits or use the statutory healthcare benefits, then you must register and submit an application for a residence permit.

You can find an overview of the most important steps after arriving in Berlin in this infographic.

The legal basis for this is the Ukraine-Aufenthalts-Übergangsverordnung (Transitional Ukraine Residence Ordinance).

The decision applies to the following persons:

• Ukrainian nationals who were habitually resident in Ukraine on 24 February 2022,
• Stateless persons and nationals of third countries other than Ukraine who enjoyed international protection or equivalent national protection in Ukraine on 24 February 2022,
• Stateless persons and nationals of other third countries who can prove that they were legally in Ukraine before 24 February 2022 on the basis of a residence permit issued under Ukrainian law
• Family members of people in the groups mentioned above

Ukrainian refugees who already have a residence permit as a refugee in Poland, for example, can receive a residence permit in Germany under the same conditions as refugees who come directly from Ukraine.

Refugees from Ukraine in Berlin can only apply online if they have already been allocated to Berlin by the State Office for Refugee Affairs (LAF) or another authority (allocation decision).

At the Arrival Centre Tegel, the staff will determine whether you can stay in Berlin or whether you will be allocated to another German state.

• If you have relatives or close friends in Berlin, please inform the Arrival Centre of this. You can usually stay in Berlin if you have relatives here, that is, if your spouse or partner, your children, parents, or unmarried minor siblings already live in Berlin. For second-degree relations (grandparents or grandchildren), the staff will review whether you were completely or primarily dependent on the part of the family living in Berlin (financial dependency, housing dependency, dependency for nursing care etc.). This dependency must be proven.
• You can also stay in Berlin if you have found a permanent accommodation or a position in Berlin.
• If you have a trans* or inter* identity, you will also be allocated to Berlin.
• If you are not a Ukrainian citizen but were studying in Ukraine on February 24, 2022, and you would like to continue your studies in Berlin, then you can submit the online application for a residence permit for the purpose of studying or vocational training (§ 16b AufenthG). For this type of permit, you must have an admission letter for a degree program or a preparatory program and proof that you can financially support your costs of living.

To obtain a temporary residence permit please submit an application online to the LEA.

After submitting your data, a PDF document confirming your application will be displayed. This PDF document certifies your legal residence in Germany and your right to take up any form of paid work.

• So make sure you save this document and also print it out if possible.

Please note: Legal residence and permission to engage in paid work only take legal effect through your online application if you belong to the above-mentioned group of persons.

The LEA will send you an appointment by e-mail to the e-mail address stated in your online application. So please check the spam folder of your email account regularly as well as your inbox.

However, it may take some time before you receive your appointment. We kindly ask for your understanding and patience.

Please do not come to the LEA without an appointment, we will not be able to serve you.

Once you have submitted your application online, you will have legal residence until the appointment and will also be allowed to work before the temporary residence permit is issued. You can also prove this with the certificate that you have to download at the end of the online application.

On 28 November 2024, the “Erste Verordnung zur Änderung der Ukraine-Aufenthaltserlaubnis-Forgeltungsverordnung“ (1. UkraineAufenthÄndFGV, First Ordinance to Regulate Amend the Ordinance to Regulate the Continuing Validity of the Residence Permits for Those People from Ukraine who are Temporarily in Need of Protection) came into effect. This means that nearly all residence permits that were issued according to § 24(1) of the AufenthG that were valid on 01 February 2025 will continue to be valid until 04 March 2026. The Ordinance applies to the following groups of people:

• Ukrainian citizens
• Stateless people and citizens of other countries who had international protection status or equivalent national protection status in Ukraine on 24 February 2022
• Family members of Ukrainian citizens or stateless people and citizens of other countries who had international protection status or equivalent national protection status in Ukraine on 24 February 2022
• Stateless people and citizens of other countries who were legally residing in Ukraine on 24 February 2022 based on a valid permanent residence permit issued according to Ukrainian law

If you do not belong to one of the categories above, your residence permit according to § 24 AufenthG was only valid until 04 March 2025. If you did not receive an appointment with the Berlin Immigration Office (LEA), please use the contact form to get in touch with the unit responsible for your nationality.

• Please be sure to read our FAQs, which answer all the main questions.

• Here you can submit your online application and download the certificate.