Ukraine

Ukrainian nationals who were living in Ukraine at the outbreak of the war on February 24, 2022 or who left Ukraine only shortly before are granted a residence permit for temporary protection in accordance with Section 24 of the Residence Act. The regulation also applies to persons with another nationality if they are in possession of a permanent residence permit from Ukraine.

This special regulation is currently valid until March 4, 2027 and entry must take place by December 4, 2026 at the latest.

Stateless persons and nationals of third countries other than Ukraine without international protection or equivalent national protection in Ukraine or with only temporary residence permits in Ukraine are not entitled to temporary protection.

NOTE: The residence permit under Section 24 of the Residence Act has been automatically extended, even if the residence permit appears to have expired according to the electronic residence permit.

Persons with temporary protection have the option of changing their residence title without having to go through a visa procedure, for example to a residence permit for the purpose of gainful employment. The change must be applied for at the foreigners authority. It is also possible to hold residence titles in parallel.

No. You are subject to a residence requirement. This usually applies for a period of 3 years and for the district. This means that you may only take up residence within the district. Nevertheless, you may move freely within the entire federal territory.

The residence requirement continues to apply even if you leave and later re-enter the country. If the residence permit according to § 24 AufenthG has expired due to a longer stay abroad and is reissued, the residence requirement will also be reissued.

However, the residence requirement can be lifted by the immigration authority upon application. There must be a valid reason for this. This can be, for example, taking up employment, studying or training, as well as families living together.

NOTE: Once the residence requirement has been lifted and the person has moved to the new municipality, they must register with the relevant registration office. They will receive a confirmation of registration and the re-registration will be sent to the foreigners authority.

Gainful employment is permittedwhen residence is granted in accordance with § 24 AufenthG. This means that both self-employed and employed work is possible.

However, some professions require a professional license, e.g. doctor, teacher or engineer. In this caserecognition of the professional qualificationnecessary.

NOTE: The provisional document on the right of residence, the so-called "Fiktionsbescheinigung", already contains the note "Gainful employment permitted". Once it has been issued, gainful employment is permitted immediately.

The temporary protection status for Ukrainian refugees was extended until March 4, 2027. It is currently not possible to predict whether the residence permit will remain valid beyond this date. As things stand, people without a residence permit for another purpose are required to leave the country after the cut-off date. Before the protection status ceases to apply, you should therefore check whether you can apply for an alternative residence title. This could be, for example, a residence permit or tolerated stay for the purpose of training, employment or study. As the application process can take a long time and certain requirements must be met, it makes sense to deal with this at an early stage.

The following residence permits are particularly suitable:

For For the purpose of education:

• Residence permit for in-company or school-based training

• Residence permit for the recognition of foreign professional qualifications

• Residence permit to look for a training place

• Residence permit for a language course that does not serve to prepare for studies

For the For the purpose of gainful employment:

• Residence permit for skilled workers with vocational training

• Residence permit for skilled workers with academic training

• Residence permit for other employment purposes

• Residence permit for self-employment

NOTE: Residence permits for the purpose of studying, looking for a place at university, for a study-related internship, but also the EU Blue Card cannot be issued without further ado for reasons of residence law. These residence permits can only be issued if the protection of § 24 AufenthG is expressly waived, i.e. in writing. A settlement permit or naturalization are not an option directly on the basis of a residence permit under § 24 AufenthG.

If a toleration is available, the following residence titles are possible:

• Residence permit for sustainable integration

• Residence permit in cases of hardship

• Residence permit for vocational training for foreigners required to leave the country

• Residence permit for qualified tolerated persons for the purpose of employment

• Tolerated stay for training

• Employment toleration

ATTENTION: If the requirements are met, you should change to a residence permit for employment or training purposes as soon as possible.

No. After a change of residence title from § 24 AufenthG to another title, for example for gainful employment, it is not possible to change back to § 24.

However, it is possible to hold two residence titles at the same time .

It is therefore recommended that you do not give up your residence title under Section 24 AufenthG in order to maintain your temporary protection status.

For Ukrainians with tolerated stay are subject to the same provisions as rejected asylum seekers.

Ukrainians with a tolerated stay permit do not have a secure residence permit, their deportation is only temporarily suspended and they are still required to leave the country. Access to the labor market is restricted and requires approval from the foreigners authority.

Persons who have already received temporary protection in another EU country may stay in Germany without a visa for up to 90 days within 180 days with this residence permit.

However, gainful employment is not permitted.

An application for a residence permit in accordance with § 24 AufenthG will be rejected if the person has already been granted temporary protection in another member state. The person is obliged to leave the country and must leave Germany again. A national visa is required for a longer stay or to take up employment in Germany.

Normally, Ukrainian citizens can enter Germany without a visa and stay for up to 90 days within a 180-day period.

For a longer stay or to take up employment, a residence permit, for example a residence permit in accordance with Section 24 of the Residence Act (AufenthG), must be applied for from the relevant immigration authority before the 90 days have expired.