Online application for residence permits

The legal basis for this is the Council Implementing Decision (EU) of 4 March 2022 pursuant to Directive 2001/55/EC.

The decision applies to the following persons:

• Ukrainian nationals who were habitually resident in Ukraine before 24 February 2022,
• Stateless persons and nationals of third countries other than Ukraine who enjoyed international protection or equivalent national protection in Ukraine before 24 February 2022,
• Family members of the above-mentioned persons
• 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 and who are unable to return safely and permanently to their country or region of origin.

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 this, you will first need to register with the Arrival Centre Tegel and be allocated to Berlin. If you do not receive a residence permit according to § 24 AufenthG, you can apply 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. If you cannot yet completely fulfil these requirements, you will be issued a fictional certificate (Fiktionsbescheinigung).

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 December 5, 2023, the “Verordnung zur Regelung der Fortgeltung der gemäß § 24 Absatz 1 Aufenthaltsgesetz erteilten Aufenthaltserlaubnisse für vorübergehend Schutzberechtigte aus der Ukraine” (UkraineAufenthFGV, Ordinance to Regulate the Continuing Validity of the Residence Permits Issued according to § 24(1) of the German Residency Act for Those People from Ukraine who are Temporarily in Need of Protection) entered into force. All residence permits issued according to § 24(1) of the German Residency Act that are valid until February 1, 2024, are thus extended until March 4, 2025.

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

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