If you arrive in Germany from Ukraine between 24.02.2022 and 31.12.2024, you can enter without a visa and without a residence permit (Aufenthaltstitel). This also applies if you do not have Ukrainian nationality. It is possible that this regulation will be extended.

If you live in Ukraine but were abroad at the outbreak of war (24.02.2022), you can also enter Germany without a visa and without a residence permit (Aufenthaltstitel) until 31.12.2024, if you are a Ukrainian national or recognized as a refugee in Ukraine. It is possible that this regulation will be extended.

You can stay in Germany for 90 days without a residence permit (Aufenthaltstitel). If you leave and re-enter Germany during this period, it does not extend this period. If you want to stay longer in Germany, you must apply for a residence permit (Aufenthaltstitel) within the 90 days. You can learn more about residence permits (Aufenthaltstitel) and how and where to submit an application below.

You can apply for a humanitarian residence permit under § 24 Residence Act (humanitärer Aufenthaltstitel nach § 24 AufenthG). With that, you may stay in Germany at least until 04.03.2026. Es ist möglich, dass diese Regelung verlängert wird. It is possible that this regulation will be extended.

Make sure to apply for a new residence permit (Aufenthaltstitel) before your current residence permit expires.

Only certain people can apply for this residence permit (Aufenthaltstitel)::

• Ukrainian nationals who stayed in Ukraine before 24.02.2022. Family members can apply for the residence permit (Aufenthaltstitel) even if they themselves are not Ukrainian nationals. Family members are spouses, unmarried partners, minor unmarried children, and close relatives dependent on the protected person.
• People and their family members, who have received international protection or an equivalent national protection in Ukraine before the 24.02.2022. Family members are spouses, unmarried partners, minor unmarried children, and close relatives dependent on the protected person.
• Ukrainian nationals who are already staying in Germany and already have a residence permit if the residence permit soon expires.
• People who traveled from Ukraine to the EU not long before 24.02.2022 (for example, for work or a vacation) and cannot return to Ukraine because of the war.

FIRST REGISTRATION AND DISTRIBUTION
You must register if you want to stay in Germany for longer than 90 days. You must also register if you want help from the state (for example, accommodation, food, and social benefits). Furthermore, you must register if you want to work in Germany.

After your registration, you will receive an arrival certificate (Ankunftsnachweis). With this, you can get benefits from the social office (Sozialamt). The arrival certificate (Ankunftsnachweis) is not a residence permit (Aufenthaltstitel).

If you need support from the state, it may be that you have to move within Germany. You will then be assigned a place. Submit your application for the residence permit (Aufenthaltstitel) and for social benefits only at your new place of residence. Information about social benefits can be found here: https://we-inform.de/portal/en/financial-support/. If you have a reason to move, you can apply at the Office for Migration (Office for Migration) to be allowed to move: This can be the case, for example, if you find a job in another place. Write an email to m32012aukraine@amtfuermigration.hamburg.de.

If you live privately (with friends, family, or voluntary hosts) rather than with state assistance, you can choose your place of residence freely.

Currently, refugees who can obtain a residence permit under § 24 AufenthG (Aufenthaltstitel nach § 24 AufenthG) are not send to other EU countries.

Family members who do not qualify for a residence permit under § 24 AufenthG (Aufenthaltstitel nach § 24 AufenthG) can, under certain circumstances, join you in Germany. Family members are spouses, unmarried partners, minor unmarried children, and close relatives dependent on the protected person.

Ukrainian nationals with a biometric passport or a residence permit (Aufenthaltstitel) can travel without a visa in the Schengen area (Schengen-Gebiet) (https://www.bmi.bund.de/DE/themen/sicherheit/nationale-und-internationale-zusammenarbeit/schengen/karte/karte-node.html). They can spend a total of 90 days within a 180-day period in another country in the Schengen area (Schengen-Gebiet). Once the 90 days are used up, they can only travel visa-free again after the 180-day period has passed. With a visa, they can travel for a longer period.

Keep tickets and receipts in case you need to prove the purpose of your travel (e.g., vacation, hospital treatments).

If you want to leave Germany for more than 6 months at a time, you should apply at the Office for Migration (Hammer Straße 30-34) to ensure you do not lose your residence permit. Seek advice before your departure..

You do not have to apply for a residence permit under § 24 AufenthG (Aufenthaltstitel nach § 24 AufenthG). You can instead apply for a different residence permit (Aufenthaltstitel). In some cases, you can also apply for additional residence permits (Aufenthaltstitel).

If you want to apply for a different residence permit (Aufenthaltstitel), you should seek advice on this.

The residence permit under § 24 AufenthG (Aufenthaltstitel nach § 24 AufenthG) has the main advantages that it can be applied for relatively quickly and easily and that you are allowed to work with the residence permit (Aufenthaltstitel). If you do not receive state support, you can also choose your place of residence freely. With other residence permits (Aufenthaltstitel), you often have to follow stricter rules.

Another residence permit (Aufenthaltstitel) can be useful if you want to stay in Germany long-term. The residence permit under § 24 AufenthG (Aufenthaltstitel nach § 24 AufenthG) is currently only valid until 04.03.2026, and it is not yet clear if it will be extended beyond that date.

There are various residence permits (Aufenthaltstitel) for different purposes. These include, for example, asylum (Asyl), special admission procedures for Jewish refugees, late repatriates (Spätaussiedler), language courses, voluntary services, vocational training, studies, qualification measures for the recognition of foreign professional qualifications, or employment as a skilled worker. Seek advice at the refugee center: Adenauerallee 10, make an appointment: info@fz-hh.de, +49 40 2840790 (Monday and Friday: 9 am to 1 pm, 2 pm to 4 pm, Tuesday and Thursday: 9 am to 1 pm, 2 pm to 5 pm, Wednesday: 2 pm to 5 pm), https://www.fz-hh.de/.

Special admission procedure for Jewish refugees, stateless persons, and refugees from the former Soviet Union
For some refugees, there is a simpler admission procedure: Jewish refugees, stateless persons, and nationals of states of the former Soviet Union (except the Baltic states). If you were living in Ukraine on 24.02.22, you can apply for a residence permit under § 23 Abs. 2 AufenthG (Aufenthaltstitel nach § 23 Abs. 2 AufenthG). Contact the Central Council of Jews (Anlaufstelle des Zentralrates der Juden) for this: +49 30 284456300 (German) or +49 30 284456305 (Russian), gemeinde@zentratratderjuden.de.