Information for refugees from Ukraine - frequently asked questions

You are in Germany legally and with permission. The Federal Ministry of the Interior and Community (BMI) has issued rules (Ukraine-Residence-Transitional Ordinance, link: https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/ukraineaufenth_v/BJNR606700022.html), according to which if you entered the Federal Republic of Germany for the first time by 31 May 2023, you are permitted to stay without a visa for a period of 90 days from the date of your first entry into the territory of Germany. This applies regardless of whether you are in possession of a passport or passport substitute.

However, applicants who have already submitted an application for a residence permit online are not (any longer) considered to be staying in the federal territory without a visa, but are permitted to stay in Germany until a decision has been made by the State Office for Immigration.

As a non-Ukrainian citizen did you have long-term Ukrainian residence rights before you fled, but you do not currently have a valid passport? In this case, please contact your embassy here in Berlin or your consulate general in Germany.

You were recognised in Ukraine as a refugee under the Geneva Refugee Convention or had international or equivalent protection status there, but you do not currently have a valid travel document? In this case, the State Office for Immigration will check which German substitute travel document can be issued to you.

If you were allocated to Berlin by the Berlin State Office for Refugee Affairs (LAF) or another authority, please apply to the Berlin Immigration Office (LEA) for a residence permit online.

You will find further information in the online application.

No. An application for asylum is not necessary for your future protected status.

Yes. 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.

The Ukraine Residence Transition Ordinance of the Federal Ministry of the Interior exempts refugees who were in Ukraine shortly before or on 24 February 2022, and who enter the Federal Republic of Germany by 31 May 2023, from the residence requirement for a period of 90 days from the date of their first entry into the country.

Your residence permit as a war refugee also entitles you to travel abroad. The journey may only be temporary and last a maximum of 6 months.

Yes. Your residence permit as a war refugee expires if you leave Germany for anything other than a temporary reason or if you leave Germany for more than six months. The six-month period can be extended – before it expires, but not afterwards – by the Land Office for Immigration if the further absence is also only temporary.

If you are planning to leave Germany for a reason that is not temporary, please fill in the deregistration form available from the citizens’ registration office (https://service.berlin.de/dienstleistung/120335/) in due time. No further action is required on your part.

The Ukraine Residence Transition Ordinance of the Federal Ministry of the Interior exempts refugees who were in Ukraine shortly before or on 24 February 2022, and who enter the Federal Republic of Germany by 31 May 2023, from the residence requirement for a period of 90 days from the date of their first entry into the country.

Your residence permit expires upon your permanent return to Ukraine. You can apply online at the LEA for a new residence permit if you have been allocated to Berlin by the State Office for Refugee Affairs (LAF) or another authority (allocation decision).

You cannot use the online application if you have not been allocated to Berlin. Please firstly contact the LAF for registration and allocation at the Arrival Centre in Tegel.

Take the S-Bahn or U-Bahn to the station Jungfernheide. From there, shuttle bus number 410 will take you to the Ukraine Arrival Centre at the former Berlin-Tegel airport. This bus also stops at the U-Bahn station Jakob-Kaiser-Platz and at the General-Ganeval-Brücke. You cannot reach the airport by foot! The shuttle bus is free of charge and a bus comes every 10 minutes starting on 1 May 2023. The shuttle bus will also take you from the Ukraine Arrival Centre back to the Jungfernheide station.

Alternatively, you can take bus number 109 from the stations Zoo or Charlottenburg and transfer to the shuttle bus 410 at General-Ganeval-Brücke. Please note: You must pay the regular BVG fare to take bus 109.

Arrivals must fill out a self-disclosure form at the HUB. Afterwards, it is determined whether the arrivals will stay in Berlin or be distributed to other federal states.

Refugees who stay in Berlin are registered at the HUB which means that their identity is determined. If they don’t yet have accommodation, they can spend a night in the Ukraine Arrival Centre TXL and are also looked after there.

Refugees who have been distributed to another federal state travel to their destination on the same or the next day. If the onward journey does not take place on the same day, they can stay overnight at the Ukraine Arrival Centre TXL and are looked after there. More than 1,500 people can be accommodated overnight there.

The accommodation area of UA-TXL is open at all times. However, the HUB, where arrivals are distributed and, if necessary, registered, is not open all the time. Those people arriving at the Arrival Centre outside of the reception and registration times have the option of spending the night there and completing the reception formalities the following day. Short-term accommodation is only granted to arrivals who are not yet registered.

Yes, there medical care is provided. However, this is not standard medical care, but medical and pharmaceutical (initial) care for refugees. It includes emergency medical care for arrivals and/or onward travellers as well as Covid testing.

Yes, there is. A transfer zone for people with special needs has been set up at the entrance to the HUB tent. People with, for example, physical disabilities, receive support to ensure that they can be mobile. Refugees who have special support needs (for example LGBTI*) can approach the staff at the HUB with a rainbow button and ask for counselling in the transfer zone.

Yes, language mediators for Ukrainian, Russian and English are available. They can be recognised by their purple waistcoats.

Yes, pets can be brought along. A veterinarian is on site. Care for the animals and their exercise is provided.

The Ukraine Arrival Centre TXL has Wi-Fi, childcare, baby changing areas, basketball and football courts, a sandpit, social services, psychosocial emergency care (PSNV), vet/animal care, catering tents, drinking water stations (cold and hot water), kiosks, washing machines, info points, tracing service and security.

Please report to the Ukraine Arrival Centre in the former Tegel Airport at Saatwinkler Damm in 13405 Berlin. Registration is possible from Monday to Friday between 8 am and 4 pm – not at weekends or on holidays. If you need overnight accommodation when you first arrive in Berlin, you can come to the Ukraine Arrival Centre at any time of the day. Your registration will take place on the next possible business day.

At the Arrival Centre in Tegel, we first check whether you will be assigned to another German federal state or whether you meet the requirements to be assigned to Berlin. You can find more on this at “Under what conditions can I stay in Berlin?”

No, not immediately. As a citizen of Ukraine, you can stay legally in Germany without a visa for a maximum of 90 days until 29 August 2023. You must have entered Germany by 31 May 2023 at the latest. However, you should definitely register within 90 days from the date of your first entry into the Germany, even if you do not need social benefits.

You have to register if you need social benefits (financial support, medical care, accommodation) or want to apply for a residence permit at the State Office for Immigration. After that, you have a legal right to state support.

At the Ukraine Arrival Centre Tegel, you will be officially registered in Germany and assigned according to a quota system. If you meet certain requirements, you can stay in Berlin and receive your social benefits here.

Otherwise, you will be assigned to another German federal state, where you will receive your social benefits (money, accommodation, medical care).

No, the child does not have to be registered. However, you must apply for a residence permit for children born in Germany as soon as possible. There are two possibilities:

The residence permit is issued by the State Office for Immigration (LEA) if

• only one parent (in the case of joint custody) has a residence title at the birth of the child, or
• the child does not have its own passport, but was registered in the mother’s passport.

Please book an appointment online at the LEA for this purpose.

The residence permit is issued by the Bürgeramt if

• both parents (in the case of joint custody) or the parent with sole custody already have a residence title at the birth of the child and
• the residence title was granted by the State Office for Immigration and
• the child has its own passport.

Please book an appointment online at a Bürgeramt for this purpose.

In both of the above cases, the child must be born in Germany and must be resident in Berlin with its parents or the parent with sole custody.

You can apply at the Ukraine Arrival Centre Tegel to stay in Berlin if at least one of the following conditions applies to you:

• You or a close family member have urgent medical, care or mental health needs and are therefore temporarily or permanently unable to travel. This is determined by a doctor at the Arrival Centre.
• You have already found a flat or permanent accommodation (for at least 6 months) in Berlin. You must prove this by means of a registration certificate, a certificate from the accommodation provider, a permanent tenancy agreement or a confirmation of accommodation.
• Your partner, children, parents, siblings, grandparents or grandchildren already live in Berlin.
• You already have a job, a training place or a place at university in Berlin. You must prove this in writing.
• You are heavily pregnant or are in a maternity protection period.
• You identify as trans* or inter*. You can get more information from the contact points for LGBTI refugees.

If you do not meet any of these requirements, you can be assigned to another federal state.

Yes. Persons who have fled Ukraine and live together in one household will be accommodated together or transferred together to another German federal state.

This applies both to married and unmarried couples. It is irrelevant whether the partners both have Ukrainian citizenship, whether it is a bi-national partnership or whether both partners come from a third country with a residence title for Ukraine. However, it is important that you appear together at the registration appointment and inform the administrative staff that you are one household and would like to be accommodated or assigned together.

This is complicated. Your family should seek local advice. Moving to Berlin without advice is not recommended.

Yes. With the enactment of the Ukraine Residence Transition Ordinance, the Federal Ministry of the Interior has exempted foreigners who were in Ukraine shortly before or on 24 February 2022 and who enter the Federal Republic of Germany by 31 May 2023 from the requirement of a residence title for a period of 90 days from the time of first entry into Germany.

Until 31 May 2023, your family member can enter Germany from Ukraine without a visa.

The following groups of persons are considered family members of a refugee from Ukraine:

• Husband/Wife
• Unmarried partner living in a long-term relationship with the person entitled to protection,
• Underage, unmarried children,
• Close relatives, e.g. grandparents, who were living with the family at the outbreak of the war and were dependent on the person admitted to Germany.

Your family member will receive a separate residence permit for war refugees or for family reunification.

With the granting of the residence permit, a binding residence ruling has been issued for the state of Berlin in accordance with Section 12 (1) of the Residence Act (AufenthG). A move is therefore not easily possible. The holders of the residence permit must first apply to the State Office for Immigration (LEA) to have their residence ruling lifted or changed in accordance with Sections 12a and 73 para. 3a of the Residence Act.

After an application has been made, the LEA contacts the immigration authority at the desired place of residence and asks for approval to cancel or revoke the residence ruling. If the relevant authority at the desired place of residence agrees to the application, the residence ruling is adjusted accordingly by the LEA. The issued permit remains valid regardless of this and is not reissued at the place of arrival.

No. One application per family which includes all relevant family members is sufficient.

However, it is not a problem if family members submit an online application separately.

But parents and their minor children should only ever fill out one online application together, as this is the only way we can guarantee that you will all receive an appointment for an interview at the same time.

You may only make an online application for a residence permit if you have already been allocated to Berlin by the State Office for Refugee Affairs (LAF) or another authority (allocation decision).

You cannot apply online if you have not been allocated to Berlin. Please go first to the LAF to be registered and allocated.

Yes, if you were allocated to Berlin please make an online application. You need a residence permit to be allowed to stay in Germany. You can only obtain it from the Berlin Immigration Office. When you apply online to be granted a residence permit, we will send you an email with an appointment to appear in person. Please bring your arrival certificate with the option number to the appointment at the Berlin Immigration Office (LEA).

You will only be able to submit the online application if you have already been registered by the Berlin State Office for Refugee Affairs (LAF) or another authority and allocated to Berlin (allocation decision).

Please first go to the Ukraine Arrival Centre at the former Tegel Airport.

After you have registered, you can submit the online application for a residence permit. The Arrival Centre may allocate you to another federal state. In this case, please contact the Foreigners’ Registration Office in the federal state you have been allocated to.

Yes, all refugees from Ukraine have to be identified. Exceptions apply for children.
The identification process (ID process) is organised by the authorities. You will receive an appointment and do not have to do anything else.

The certificate is valid until the decision on granting your residence permit. The precondition is, however, that you appear at the appointment sent you by the Berlin Immigration Office (LEA). However, this certificate is only valid if you have a valid passport or substitute passport together with the arrival certificate for Berlin including the option number from your allocation decision.

The residence permit will be granted you for two years as of the day of your appointment, regardless of whether this is sooner or later.

Please be patient until we notify you by email of your appointment and refrain from making inquiries.

If you have received your appointment and find that you are unable to make it, please let us know. We will postpone our appointment. Your certificate will continue to be valid.

The Berlin authorities, the Federal Police and the Federal Employment Agency have been informed about our procedure and the certificate. The certificate enables you to receive German language and integration courses, money from the social welfare office and other benefits in Berlin.

If another authority or an employer should have queries about our procedure or not accept the certificate you have been sent, please refer them to the latest information on our website.

Yes, a residence permit for war refugees will also be granted if you cannot produce a passport but your identity has been clarified.

Ukrainian nationals who are not in possession of a valid passport or other identity document with a photograph are requested to turn to the Ukraine embassy here in Berlin and to bring the documents issued there to the appointment at the Berlin Immigration Office (LEA).

Non-Ukrainian nationals who are not in possession of a passport are requested to turn to the embassy of their country of origin here in Berlin or to their consulate-general in Germany, and to bring the documents issued there, along with a photo, to the appointment at the Berlin Immigration Office (LEA).

If you were recognised as a refugee in Ukraine under the Geneva Refugee Convention or enjoyed international or equivalent protection status there, the Berlin Immigration Office will check on which German travel document you can be issued as a substitute, once you have made your online application.

On presentation of new, valid documents, the residence permit for war refugees will be issued, as appropriate with a German travel document for foreigners. Both the residence permit and travel document are valid for 2 years. A fee of up to EUR 60 will be charged for the travel document, with no exception being made. The issuing of a substitute travel document is free of charge (EUR 0). Only travel in Germany is possible with the substitute travel document. Travel is possible in most countries with the travel document.

No. The online application is only intended for refugees from Ukraine who have already been allocated to Berlin. This must be proved by presenting an arrival certificate for Berlin from the Berlin Office for Refugee Affairs or another authority (allocation decision).

If you are residing in Berlin but are only in temporary accommodation (e.g. in emergency accommodation or staying with private helpers) and also have not yet been allocated to Berlin by the Berlin State Office for Refugee Affairs (LAF) or by another authority, please first go to the Arrival Centre in Tegel so that you can be registered and allocated.

If you live outside of Berlin, please turn to the immigration office (Ausländeramt) responsible for your place of residence.

If you move somewhere within Berlin you do not have to inform us. The only important thing is that we can reach you via the email address you have given us.

If you move outside Berlin or even leave Germany, the Berlin Immigration Office (LEA) will no longer be responsible for you. Please cancel the appointment to appear at the office as soon as you receive it by email. Kindly register then, as appropriate, at the immigration office (Ausländeramt) responsible for you at your new place of residence.

If you know someone who is not in a position to fill out the online application, please support them by filling it out together.
Please note: The online application is also available in Ukrainian, Russian and German.

If you have made a mistake with your email address: please complete the online application again and give the correct email address. Enter all the other data exactly as before.

If you have made a mistake with your personal details, your address or other information, you don’t have to do anything. We will correct the data when you come to your appointment. The only important thing is that we can reach you via the email address you have given us.

If you have forgotten to mention a member of the family: please submit a separate online application for this family member.

The nationality of the family members whose names you have listed is not relevant. A family member with another nationality can also obtain a residence permit. You do not need to do anything more.

Please enter the same data once again, and then you can download a new certificate. However, we will only send you one appointment to appear in person at the LEA.

The details requested for our online application are processed in accordance with the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation.

As soon as we have invited you to an appointment, or were able to decide on your application in another way, we will immediately delete these details.

If you have any questions in this regard you are welcome to contact the data protection officer of the Berlin Immigration Office at the following email address: datenschutz@lea.berlin.de

After registration at the Ukraine Arrival Centre Tegel and application for a residence permit, you are entitled to claim social benefits (maintenance) and medical care. The benefits are paid by the Job Centre in your district of residence. If you are 65 or older, you will receive your benefits from the Social Welfare Office in your district of residence. If you have already received a pension in Ukraine and are under 65, please register with the Job Centre first.

For further information, please see: https://www.berlin.de/ukraine/en/arrive/applying-for-social-benefits/

You receive your social benefits through the Social Welfare Office. However, in certain cases, you may have to go to the Job Center first to have your case reviewed before you are referred to the Social Welfare Office.

You must report to the Job Center if

• You have already received a pension in Ukraine, but have not yet reached the German retirement age.
• You have not yet reached the German retirement age and are unable to work due to other circumstances (e.g. illness, disability).

In addition, there are exceptions, for example, for severely disabled people. Therefore, in case of doubt, you should always have your case checked at the Job Center.

For further information, please see: https://www.berlin.de/ukraine/en/arrive/applying-for-social-benefits/

If you are a new arrival in Berlin and do not have accommodation, please report to the new Ukraine Arrival Centre at the former Tegel Airport. In Tegel, you will receive temporary accommodation and care. Afterwards, you will be assigned to accommodation in Berlin or another federal state. You will then be given your accommodation, social benefits and medical care at your destination. If you remain in Berlin, it is important for you to know that group accommodation for refugees is currently difficult to find due to the high number of arrivals. You may have to stay longer at the Ukraine Arrival Centre (UA-TXL) until accommodation is found for you.

Please do not make an online application to the LEA. First of all, you should go to register at the Ukraine Arrival Centre TXL (former Berlin-Tegel Airport).

Registration is possible every day between 8 am and 4 pm. If you need overnight accommodation, you can come at any time of the day. You can reach the Arrival Centre TXL by shuttle bus from Berlin Main Station or the Central Omnibus Station Berlin (ZOB).

All members of the family will be registered together at the Arrival Centre so all of you must be personally present. Please bring your luggage and your identity documents with you.

If the residence permit or the temporary residence certificate (green folding card) has already been provided:

In this case, the loss of accommodation has no effects on residence law. If you need new accommodation, please contact the Ukraine Arrival Centre in Tegel. You will then be given shelter in an accommodation for refugees.

That depends on how long you have been staying in Berlin:

• If you move into a flat in Germany for the first time after entering the country or are taken in by friends/acquaintances/families, you do not have to register for the first 3 months. However, you can do this voluntarily. Voluntary registration is particularly recommended if you need a school or kindergarten place or other benefits from local government for your children.

• After 3 months, you and your children are required to register. Please register at the citizens’ registration office of the district in which you live.

For persons up to the age of 16, the person into whose home the minors move has to register them. Newborns who were born in Germany only have to be registered if they live in a home other than that of the parents or the mother.

If you are registering accommodation in Berlin for the first time, please only contact one of the two refugee citizenship offices:

• Berlin Mitte
  Rathaus Tiergarten
  Mathilde-Jacob-Platz 1
  10551 Berlin
  Responsible for: Mitte, Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg, Neukölln Tempelhof-Schöneberg, Steglitz-Zehlendorf, Pankow, Marzahn-Hellersdorf, Lichtenberg, Reinickendorf, Treptow-Köpenick

• Berlin Charlottenburg
  Bürgeramt Hohenzollerndamm
  Hohenzollerndamm 177
  10713 Berlin
  Responsible for: Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf, Spandau

You will need the following documents to register:

• Proof of identity
  Passport or passport replacement papers. Passport replacement papers are: ID card, diplomatic passport, service passport, travel document of a child, certificate for return to Ukraine, stateless persons travel document, refugees document for travelling abroad, travel document for person granted complementary protection. Alternatively: as an exception, you may also present a passport or passport replacement that has already expired. If you cannot present a recognised passport or passport replacement, your residence permit or proof of arrival is also sufficient. In both cases, you must contact the consular mission of Ukraine, apply for a passport or passport replacement and submit it to the Bürgeramt (citizen’s registration office) as soon as possible. Please bring all the documents mentioned and available to you for all persons concerned.
• Registration form
  Members of a family who are moving from a previous flat to a new flat together can use one registration form. If there are more than two persons to be registered, please use a further registration form. You can find the form here.
• Civil status certificate
  For your first registration in Berlin, it may also be necessary to submit civil status documents (e.g. marriage certificate, birth certificate). You should therefore bring any existing documents with you just in case.
• Moving-in confirmation of move-in by the landlord/landlady (housing provider confirmation)
  The housing provider confirmation (Wohnungsgeberbestätigung) must contain the following data: name and address of the housing provider and, if the housing provider is not the owner, also the name of the owner, date of moving in, address of the flat and names of the persons subject to registration. The submission of a tenancy agreement does not replace the moving-in confirmation. You can find a sample here. The “Confirmation of Permanent Provision of Accommodation for Ukrainian Refugees” for submission to the State Office for Immigration or State Office for Refugee Affairs is also recognised by the citizens’ registration offices as confirmation by a housing provider.
• If applicable, the declaration of consent of the absent legal guardian and his/her passport or identity card.
  A sample for the declaration of consent of the legal guardian is available here.

You can find further information (in German only) here.

To register your change of residence, you can go to any of Berlin’s Bürgerämter (citizens’ registration offices).

You have to register your change of residence within 14 days of moving in and waiting times in the citizens’ registration offices can be very long, therefore, you are advised to make an appointment online at the citizens’ registration office in your district: https://service.berlin.de/dienstleistung/120686/

You will need the following documents to register:

• Proof of identity
  Passport or passport replacement papers. Passport replacement documents are: ID card, diplomatic passport, service passport, travel document of a child, certificate for return to Ukraine, stateless persons travel document, refugees document for travelling abroad, travel document for person granted complementary protection.

Alternately: as an exception, you may also present a passport or passport replacement that has already expired. If you cannot present a recognised passport or passport replacement, your residence permit or proof of arrival is also sufficient. In both cases, you must contact the consular mission of Ukraine, apply for a passport or passport replacement and present it to the citizens’ registration office as soon as possible. Please bring all the documents mentioned and any other documents available for all persons concerned.

• Registration form
  Members of a family who are moving from a previous flat to a new flat together can use one registration form. If there are more than two persons to be registered, please use a further registration form. You can find the form here
• Civil status certificate
  For your first registration in Berlin it may be necessary to submit additional civil status documents (e.g. marriage or birth certificate). You should therefore bring any existing documents with you just in case.
• Moving-in confirmation by the landlord/landlady (housing provider confirmation)
  The housing provider confirmation must contain the following data: name and address of the housing provider and, if the housing provider is not the owner, also the name of the owner, date of moving in, address of the flat and names of the persons subject to registration. The submission of a tenancy agreement does not replace the moving-in confirmation. You can find a sample here

The confirmation of permanent provision of accommodation for Ukrainian refugees for submission to the State Office for Immigration or State Office for Refugee Affairs is recognised by the citizens’ registration offices as a confirmation of accommodation until further notice.

Your data will be stored in the registry of residents. You will receive an official registration certificate as proof of registration. Please keep this carefully. You will need the registration certificate, among other things, as proof of your residence for other authorities.

If you move out of a flat and move into a new flat, you must register with the registration office of the new flat within 2 weeks of moving in. It is not necessary to deregister your old flat.

If you move from Germany to another country or return to Ukraine, you must deregister with the registration office. To do this, please go to the registration office again at the earliest one week before and at the latest 2 weeks after moving out of the flat and deregister or deregister in writing or by e-mail.
Further information (in German only) can be found here

You can only apply for social benefits once you have been registered. You can only receive social benefits in the federal state to which you have been allocated.

For this, please register at the Ukraine Arrival Centre in Tegel. There you will either be allocated to another German federal state or you get an allocation to Berlin.

The requirements for staying in Berlin can be found further up this page.

If you have an emergency, you can go to the emergency centre at any of Berlin’s hospitals. Or you can call the medical on-call service at (030)116 117 for outpatient care.

As soon as you are registered as a war refugee according to Section 24 (allocation to Berlin and identification process at the Ukraine Arrival Centre in Tegel or residence permit issued by the Berlin Immigration Office (LEA)), you have access to standard medical care.

But even if you are not yet registered as a war refugee, you are already entitled to basic health care.

People fleeing from Ukraine to Germany do not have health insurance from the day of their arrival. However, they are generally entitled to urgently necessary medical treatment and medication in the case of illness or pain. (see the question: “I don’t have health insurance. What if I get sick?”). If you are already registered as a war refugee in Berlin or are participating in the online procedure of the State Office for Immigration (LEA) and are waiting for your residence title, you can get health insurance from the social welfare office.

If you take up a job here in Germany, on the other hand, immediate health insurance is necessary. Then you can choose a health insurance scheme yourself or your employer will register you with a statutory health insurance company.

If you have a family member who already lives in Germany and has statutory health insurance here, you may be able to be insured free of charge through “family insurance”. To do this, please contact the relevant health insurance company.

Talks with experienced therapists can help you to deal with a stressful situation.

For children and young people up to 25 years of age, the non-profit Berlin-based company krisenchat offers helpful talks.
More than 400 therapists offer free counselling and can be reached digitally from anywhere. Simply send an SMS or WhatsApp to +49 1573 599 3126 and you’re ready to go. All the necessary info can be found at www.krisenchat.de/ukraine.

Adults aged 25 and over who need psychotherapeutic help can find all the necessary information at www.kvberlin.de/ukraine.

No. Taking up a job without a residence permit, or without the certificate showing you have made an online application, is not permitted during the time you are here exclusively without a visa.

Yes. You were able to download a certificate as confirmation of your application. This certifies your right to take up gainful employment. This also applies to the members of your family whose names appear with yours on the certificate.

Yes, you can work immediately and do not need any other work permit. For your own security, however, you are strongly advised always to conclude a proper employment contract with your employer.

You may also found a company or become self-employed, e.g. as an artist. Since further permits may be required for this, you are recommended to seek advice beforehand.

Further information is available from the responsible authority, the Point of Single Contact Berlin.

The tax identification number (Steuer-ID or IdNr.) is assigned to every person who registers with a main or sole residence in a registry of residents in Germany. It is also required for children to identify them in tax procedures, such as for the payment of child benefit, for exemption orders or for the payment of benefits from pension insurance (orphan’s benefit).

It is issued automatically after registration of a residence in Germany. The ID number is then sent by post to the registered residential address.

If you are unable to register your residence, for example because you have not yet found a permanent place to live but are already working, you must submit an application for your tax identification number to the tax office of the district in which you currently reside. You can find the relevant application form on the website of the Federal Ministry of Finance. Search the forms database for the form 010250 – Antrag auf Vergabe einer steuerlichen Identifikationsnummer für nicht meldepflichtige Personen durch das Finanzamt (010250 – Application for a tax identification number by the tax office for persons not required to register). Proof of identification (e.g. copy of ID card) must be enclosed with the application.

Further information (in German only) is available here:
https://service.berlin.de/dienstleistung/329123/

If you are in paid employment in Germany, you usually need a social security card. If you are working in Germany for the first time, you will be assigned a social security number when you take up employment or apply for a social security card, which is valid until you reach retirement age.

Social security cards can be issued upon application by you or by your employer. The application does not have to follow any special procedure. The health insurance fund with which you are insured is responsible for this.. If you do not have any health insurance or if you have statutory health insurance, the health insurance fund chosen by your employer accepts the application.

There are two possible ways to apply:

1. the employer can register you using your personal details and you would then be sent the social security card after a few weeks.

2. however, if you or the employer already need the social security card at the start of employment, please contact an information and advice centre of the German Pension Insurance (Deutsche Rentenversicherung). Presenting your passport/ID card, you can apply for the social security card there directly.

https://www.deutsche-rentenversicherung.de/Bund/DE/Home/home_node.html

If you have any further questions, please contact us directly:

Deutsche Rentenversicherung Bund
(German Pension Insurance Association)
Free service telephone (in German)
MO – TH 07:30 – 19:30, FR 07:30 – 15:30
0800 1000 480 70
E-mail: meinefrage@drv-bund.de

To do this, you must submit the online application for a residence permit. There are some requirements to be met (for more information, see the question “How, where and under what conditions can I apply for a residence permit for war refugees in Berlin?) After receiving confirmation of the online application, you may start a business.

In order to start a business, further applications and information are necessary. For example, a questionnaire for tax registration must be submitted electronically to the tax authorities.

Further information on “Foundations – tax registration of companies, societies, associations, trades, self-employment or agricultural and forestry activities” can be found (in German only) at:
https://www.berlin.de/sen/finanzen/service/dienstleistungen-finanzaemter/service.1087112.php/dienstleistung/325409/

Based on the information provided, the tax office checks the issuance of a tax number. Companies that provide or receive goods and services within the European Single Market also need a VAT identification number (USt-IdNr.) for processing. When setting up a new company, this can be applied for directly at the relevant tax office and will then be issued by the Federal Central Tax Office (BZSt.). Please note that the tax number or VAT identification number should not be confused with the above-mentioned tax identification number, which every person receives when they register their place of residence.

Further information (in German only) is available here:
https://www.berlin.de/sen/finanzen/service/dienstleistungen-finanzaemter/service.1087112.php/dienstleistung/325409/

Berlin is one of the largest education clusters in Europe. You can study at eleven state universities, two denominational universities and around 30 state-recognized private universities.

Here you can find further information (in German only) about the universities in Berlin: https://www.berlin.de/sen/wissenschaft/einrichtungen/hochschulen/

Many universities offer special courses to refugees to give them the opportunity to prepare to study and fulfil their entry requirements. Further information and the conditions of participation are available from the respective university.

An overview (in German and English) of Berlin’s universities’ courses specifically for refugees can be found here:
https://www.berlin.de/sen/wissenschaft/politik/integration-von-gefluechteten/artikel.652156.php

In principle, refugees – regardless of their nationality – can take up a course of study under the same conditions as other applicants with foreign nationality. The minimum requirements for studying are:

1. a recognized university entrance qualification and
2. sufficient language skills for the chosen course of study.

In the event that your certificates are incomplete or completely missing due to being a refugee, the universities have procedures in place to facilitate proof of the university entrance qualification.

The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) offers a first point of contact through the admissions database (in German and English) on its website or the internet platform anabin (in German only). These provide non-binding information on whether you can be admitted to study at German universities on the basis of a school leaving certificate or periods of study completed in Ukraine.

If your Ukrainian school or university degree, or the academic results you acquired in Ukraine, do not entitle you to study in Germany, you must take the assessment test (Feststellungsprüfung) for admission to higher education. You can do this at a Studienkolleg: these institutions offer preparatory courses through which you can acquire subject-specific knowledge and language skills that are required for study successfully at a German university. In Berlin, you can do this at the Free University of Berlin, the TU Berlin and at the University of Applied Sciences in cooperation withTU Berlin (https://www.htw-berlin.de/studium/bewerbung/besondere-faelle/studienkolleg/) (all in German and English).

It is always advisable to contact the student advisory service of the university you are interested in. The counselling centres of the universities can help you choose a course of study and inform you about the course admission requirements, the recognition of academic work and study preparation. A central contact point for refugees who want to study is currently being planned.

The application deadline for regular courses which begin in the winter semester is usually July 15. However, some universities set earlier deadlines, for example for a master’s program or Studienkolleg. You can find out the exact deadlines for your desired course of study directly from the respective university.

If you meet the requirements for a course of study, you can apply for a course of study using Uni-Assist (in German and English). Uni-Assist can also check for refugees if they fulfil the requirements to study and has set up a separate FAQ for refugees (in German and English).

If you already have a residence permit or temporary residence certificate, you can apply for BAföG benefits (training support through the Federal Training Assistance Act). If you are still waiting for your residence permit, you can apply for benefits at the Social Welfare Office.

In addition, refugees can apply for scholarships from various institutions, foundations and organizations. The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) has set up a database (in German, English and Ukrainian) to help you search: https://www.daad-ukraine.org/de/studieren-in-deutschland/finanzierung/daad-stipendiendatenbank/.

Berlin’s state and denominational universities generally do not charge tuition fees. However, a semester fee must be paid at the beginning of the semester, which includes a contribution for the semester ticket for public transportation (ÖPNV).

The “Studierendenwerk Berlin” provides opportunities for assistance, including financial assistance, for refugee students from Ukraine who have been admitted to a Berlin university for the first time. More information (in German and English) can be found here https://www.stw.berlin/international/refugees/koordinierungsstelle.html

Usually, Berlin’s state and denominational universities do not charge tuition fees. However, a semester fee must be paid at the beginning of the semester, which includes a contribution for the semester ticket for public transportation (ÖPNV). For questions about financing, see the answer to: “How can I finance my studies?”

If you wish to continue your studies, your previous academic results may possibly be recognized, as Ukraine has been a member of the Bologna Process since 2005. The final decision about the recognition of credits earned abroad is made by the university at which you would like to study.

If you were a student in Ukraine before fleeing, the residence regulations apply which are described in detail in the FAQs above, for example under “Registration & Staying in Berlin”:https://www.berlin.de/ukraine/en/faq/#headline_1_152.

If you have not received a residence permit according to Section 24 AufenthG, you can apply for a residence permit for the purpose of studying/vocational training (Section16b AufenthG). This requires, among other things, that you have been admitted to a course of study or you attend e.g. a relevant preparatory course (Studienkolleg), and proof that you can maintain yourself financially. If you cannot yet fully meet these requirements, you will first be issued a temporary residence certificate. With this temporary residence certificate, you can also already begin a course of study or a preparatory course, such as Studienkolleg. This was decided by the Senate of Berlin on 16 August 2022 in its ruling no. S-606/2022.

If you are a Ukrainian student or researcher who is already studying or doing research in Berlin and whose residence permit is about to expire, please contact the Berlin State Office for Immigration. The protection status according to Section 24 AufenthG is granted as a humanitarian residence permit. Ukrainian citizens who have already resided in the Federal Republic of Germany with a residence permit can submit an application for a humanitarian residence permit if the previous residence permit could no longer be extended because the conditions for issuance no longer apply.

The Berlin universities provide information on their websites about current offers and contact points. An overview of Berlin’s universities can be found here (in German only): https://www.berlin.de/sen/wissenschaft/einrichtungen/hochschulen/

In addition, the Studierendenwerk Berlin offers various counselling services for financial and study organization problems as well as psychosocial problems. The Studierendenwerk Berlin provides information (in German and English) at https://www.stw.berlin/international/refugees/koordinierungsstelle.html

General information and links to services specifically for refugees at Berlin’s state universities can be found (in German and English) at https://www.berlin.de/sen/wissenschaft/politik/integration-von-gefluechteten/artikel.652156.php.

In addition, the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) provides information (in German, English and Ukrainian) at https://www.daad-ukraine.org/ on residence, university admission, study and research, and everyday life in Germany. This National Academic Contact Point Ukraine (Nationale Akademische Kontaktstelle Ukraine) is available in its entirety in German and English, and the Ukrainian language version is constantly being expanded.

For questions concerning support for researchers from Ukraine, you can contact the central contact point of the EU Commission. The main focus there is on finding housing and employment opportunities and facilitating the recognition of your university degree/s. For more information (in German, English, and any other EU language), please visit:
https://germany.representation.ec.europa.eu/news/eu-kommission-richtet-zentrale-anlaufstelle-zur-unterstutzung-von-forschern-aus-der-ukraine-ein-2022-03-22_de

You can open a so-called “basic account” at most banks. With it, you can deposit and withdraw money, make transfers, execute direct debits and set up standing orders. The fees for basic accounts vary depending on the bank. All you need to open a basic account is proof of identity, such as your passport. If you want to open a regular current account, further documents are required depending on the bank.

Every dog must be registered within one month after it is acquired or moves to Berlin. This also applies to dogs belonging to Ukrainian refugees. The tax registration of a dog takes place at the dog tax office of the tax office responsible for the owner’s place of residence. After registration, the tax office will issue the dog tax stamp.

You can apply for exemption from dog tax at your tax office if you receive social benefits. For this purpose, it is necessary for the persons concerned to apply for tax exemption at the tax office responsible for them.

In addition to the tax registration of a dog, dogs must be registered in the so-called dog register. Furthermore, a separate registration is required for dogs that are classified as particularly dangerous.

Helpful links (exclusively in German):
Dog register: https://service.berlin.de/dienstleistung/330785/
Tax registration of a dog: https://service.berlin.de/dienstleistung/121494/
Registration of dangerous dog: https://service.berlin.de/dienstleistung/326263/

No, the obligation to register your vehicle in Germany is suspended for you for a maximum period of one year. The period of one year is calculated from the day of entry into Germany. This also applies if you are already registered in Germany.

Further information (in German only) is available here

Yes, since 1 June 2022 you are also subject without exception to compulsory insurance. This means that all cars that use public roads must have motor vehicle liability insurance. Driving without insurance is a criminal offence.

There are two ways to insure your Ukrainian vehicle:

• With a green card, which you can obtain from your Ukrainian motor liability insurer. This is currently also available digitally from Germany. You can find more information at http://www.mtsbu.ua/ua/green_card/80365/.
• With a border insurance policy, which you can obtain either at an external EU border or from a third-party liability insurer in Germany.

Further information (in German only) is available here

At first, you may continue driving in Germany with your valid Ukrainian driving license. You do not need an international driving licence and do not need to carry a translation with you. If you have a digitial driving licence, this is also recognized if the Ukrainian authorities can verify its validity. If you have lost your Ukrainian driving licence, please contact the motor vehical licencing authority.

You can find more information on the website of the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport.

We are currently experiencing a wonderful surge of support and willingness to help. We would like to thank you very much for that. At the moment, the most important thing is initial accommodation. If you want to offer a room or a bed for refugees from Ukraine, you can register at one of the private accommodation platforms, for example at www.unterkunft-ukraine.de.

You can also help Ukrainian war refugees and people in Ukraine by making donations in kind and giving money. You can find all the important information concerning this at www.berlin.de/ukraine/helfen/.

Also, you can register here as a volunteer to give support to shelters and other facilities that need volunteers: www.volunteer-planner.org

The Berlin Arrival Centre can currently no longer accept these donations.
The central logistics centre for donations for people in and from Ukraine is Hangar 1 at the former Tempelhof Airport.

There you can hand in your donations in kind or help with organisation. Please first look at the information provided at https://www.spendenbruecke.de/de/ukraine/home.

If you have taken in people from Ukraine, and contractually agree rental or subletting, your tenants can have the resulting housing costs reimbursed by the job centre. In order for the housing costs to be covered, several requirements must be met:

• You and your tenants must sign a rental or subletting agreement.
• In addition, the rent must not exceed certain maximum limits and
• the apartment must comply with certain minimum sizes, depending on the number of residents.

Further information can be found here: “https://www.berlin.de/sen/soziales/soziale-sicherung/grundsicherung-fuer-arbeitssuchende-hartz-iv/kosten-der-unterkunft/”_https://www.berlin.de/sen/soziales/soziale-sicherung/grundsicherung-fuer-arbeitssuchende-hartz-iv/kosten-der-unterkunft/

You should always find out from the office responsible in good time before concluding a subletting agreement whether, or up to what amount, the costs of accommodation will be covered. Furthermore, it is advisable for people providing accommodation to check any tax consequences of such a subletting in good time before concluding the rental agreement. Please also remember that tenants need their landlord’s permission to sublet.

If you find that the burden is too much for you, or if the period you set for hosting has expired, this creates an emotionally difficult situation for everyone involved. This is especially true if the people you have taken in have not yet found a new or permanent place to stay. In this case, please communicate with your tenants and set a binding move-out date. In this difficult situation, please do not hesitate to seek help in advance – for example, by calling the telephone hotline for volunteers 030 403 665 888 or the following organizations:

• Exchange meetings of the German Red Cross
• The volunteer agencies of the districts support helpers in their district.
• The Café Ukraine program of the Berlin City Mission also offers psychological support for volunteers.

Due to the challenging housing market in Berlin, it can take time to find affordable accommodation. If your guests already have a residence permit, they can go to the Social Housing Assistance of their district office if they are in danger of becoming homeless. This authority will arrange a place for them in a residential facility or hostel.

If your guests do not yet have a residence permit (sticker in their passport), they can report to the Ukraine Arrival Centre in the former Tegel Airport at any time. They will then be transferred to another federal state, where they will receive social benefits and accommodation. If they meet a requirement to remain in Berlin, they will be accommodated in state-owned accommodation for refugees.

On the one hand, this depends on the type of assistance and on the other hand, it depends on whether you want to do this as a private person or as a company.

Comprehensive information on tax issues is available in a special FAQ (in German only) from the Senate Department for Finance: FAQ Taxes – Berlin.de

We have set up telephone hotlines for questions that our FAQs have not covered. These are available here:

General Ukraine Hotline:
The central service number can be reached from Monday to Saturday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. at +49 30 90 127 127. You can currently obtain information in Ukrainian, Russian, German and English.

Hotline of the Berlin Immigration Office (LEA):
Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. and on Wednesdays and Fridays between 9 a.m. to 12 noon; telephone 90269-4407 or 90269-4408.

You can also send an email to the advisory service of the Berlin Immigration Office at beratung@lea.berlin.de.