What to do upon arrival in Berlin

If your friends or family members accommodate you in Germany, then as a Ukrainian citizen with a biometric passport or Schengen visa, you can stay in Germany legally for 90 days. In Berlin – until May 31 (an additional week if you arrived at 24.03). Until the end of this period, you have to register in Germany.

A special simplified procedure has been developed for Ukrainians per § 24 AufenthG. It is called “Temporary protection” (Aufenthaltsgewährung zum vorübergehenden Schutz, § 24 Absatz 1 AufenthG).

• If you have been staying abroad before the invasion of Russia, your rights are also protected by §24
• All Ukrainian citizens who have been staying legally in Germany before the invasion of Russia may refer to §24

Citizens of Ukraine are protected by law from the moment of arrival in Germany. #

If you are a citizen of another state who permanently resides in Ukraine and has a residence permit there, you have the same rights as citizens of Ukraine. If you do not have a residence permit in Ukraine, we advise you to contact your country’s embassy in Berlin for further information.

If you do not want to contact your country’s embassy, you can contact the organization Berlin-Hilft!

Email: [email protected]

Facebook: Netzwerk Berlin hilft

Berlin hilft ist die Info-Plattform für Neuigkeiten zu Flucht und Migration in Berlin, gesetzlichen Änderungen, Unterkünften und Leistungen. Wir stehen für die Rechte Geflüchteter und treten ebenso für eine offene Gesellschaft ein.

Ще більше почитати про правові питаннятут. 

Attention! Before visiting German institutions, please make sure that: #

• You have internal or international passport. Otherwise, please visit the embassy of Ukraine in Berlin. 

• Your child/children have a passport or are registered in their parent’s passport. If not, please visit the embassy of Ukraine in Berlin for this purpose. 

• If you came with a kid of your friends or relatives, and you don’t have legal permission to accompany the child from their parents in English, please visit the embassy of Ukraine in Berlin. You need to register them. 

Embassy of Ukraine in Berlin.

Address: Albrechtstraße 26, 10117, Berlin

Inform yourself with this short handbook before reading the following paragraphs: #

LEA, Landesamt für Einwanderung, immigration office, is eligible to issue a residence permit. 

Sozialämter — social security office is in every city district and is responsible for social benefits. 
LAF, Landesamt für Flüchtlingsangelegenheiten, refugee center, center of arrival is located in Ankunftszentrum TXL (Ukraine), Tegel Airport. Please go there if you don’t have a place to stay. Until 21.03, this center was located at Oranienburger Straße 285. Now it was relocated to Tegel Airport.

Registration and application for a residence permit. #

Landesamt für Einwanderung (LEA) is responsible for the State Administration of Immigration. 

Step 1: To obtain a residence permit, you need to fill out an online application:

Aufenthaltserlaubnis zum vorübergehenden Schutz für Geflüchtete aus der Ukraine beantragen

Finden Sie Dienstleistungen, Standorte
Behörden, Öffnungszeiten und vieles mehr!

Please follow the link and scroll down to: Application form for temporary Ukrainian refugee’s protection under §24 of Residence Act

Who is eligible to submit this application form?  #

1. Individuals who have registered at LAF and were assigned to stay in Berlin. 
2. Individuals who have a place to stay in Berlin next six months. It can be renting contract (please bring a contract) OR permission to stay at a friend’s or relative’s residence (please fill out the form following the link). 

Step 2: You have to download a generated certificate after submitting an online application. Until an invitation for an interview, you stay in Germany legally and can apply for jobs and start working even before getting a residence permit. 

Step 3: LEA (after a certain period) will send you an invitation for an interview with the date and time on the email address mentioned in the online application form. At this appointment, the residence permit will be issued. For a better understanding of this step, please, read: https://www.berlin.de/ukraine/en/arrive/online-application-temporary-residence-permit

Visiting LAF #

You should apply to LAF only if you don’t have a place to stay in Berlin and cannot register at LEA. However, LAF can assign you to another federal state. 

Get your appointment for the registration on this website:

Aufenthaltsgewährung zum vorübergehenden Schutz für Geflüchtete aus der Ukraine – Zuweisungsentscheidung

Wer wegen des Krieges aus der Ukraine geflüchtet ist, dem wird in Deutschland vorübergehender Schutz gewährt. Geflüchtete, die in Berlin ankommen, benötigen eine dauerhafte Unterkunft in Berlin oder eine Zuweisungsentscheidung vom Landesamt für Flüchtlingsangelegenheiten (LAF).

1. Make an appointment for registration.
2. Click on a date in the calendar
3. Choose the time and click on the blue text opposite to the time that suits you
4. Ihr Vor- und Nachname *: this is the name and surname
5. Your Email Address *: email inbox
6. You agree to the terms and conditions of storage of your personal data
7. Confirm the meeting – Termin eintragen

• Take the COVID-19 rapid test the day you arrive. Without a negative test result, the meeting cannot take place.

• During the meeting, a decision is made in which federal state of Germany you can live. In this federal state, you will have the opportunity to register and apply for a residence permit. According to the last updates, the meeting will take place at  Ankunftszentrum TXL (Ukraine).

If you receive a residence permit in Berlin, registration will happen during your meeting. When registering, be sure to mention whether you have relatives in Berlin. Otherwise, you may be assigned to other cities. 

Note: If you have already applied to LAF before 21.03.

The location for registration has been changed after 21.03. All appointments which were registered at Oranienburger Straße 285 are canceled. You have to register again at the new site at Ankunftszentrum TXL (Ukraine). 

Application for social benefits #

Apply for help/support. The Social Security Service (Sozialämter) of 12 Berlin districts is responsible for this in Berlin. You need to apply there at your permanent residence in Berlin. Only those individuals that stay/live in Berlin may apply. 

When you visit Sozialämter, please hold with a confirmation that you already have accommodation in Berlin. This might be a rental contract OR proof from your friends or relatives (they have to fill out this form) OR registration confirmation from LEA. 

First appointment: #

— financial aid at the expense of 367 euros for one person, the first payment will be in cash, for following payments you should open a German bank account 

Second appointment: #

Coverage of living expenses — bring your rental contract or other conformation

• Medical insurance;
• Card for free travel.

If you have problems with social assistance, call the hotline for the association of Ukrainian community organizations in Berlin: +491756899731. Please, contact us only in emergency cases

Advice:

Everyone is going to Berlin now! If you have no one in Berlin, it is better NOT to stay and not register here. Berlin is responsible for only 2.5% of refugees in all of Germany, which means you will most likely be reassigned to another city. The situation will be more manageable in other towns, such as Leipzig, Dresden, Hamburg, Cologne, Düsseldorf, or smaller cities. Free tickets to other German cities are available at Berlin Central Station (HBF). Ask volunteers.

Now you have a choice of where to go. In other federal states, there is currently a lot of vacant housing. The amount of financial assistance in all German states is the same. You must follow all legal steps mentioned in this document in the city you decided to stay.