You can legally remain in Germany without a residence permit for up to 90 days after first entering the country.

During the 90-day visa waiver period, you can consider whether you would like to stay in Germany for longer. You have the following options:

1. You can apply for a residence permit within 90 days of your first arrival in Germany under Section 24 (1) of the Residence Act.
2. Within 90 days of entering Germany for the first time, you can apply for a temporary residence permit for a different purpose, such as to study or work in Germany. This may be more advantageous for you. You can make an appointment with the relevant government authorities to ask them for advice. Or you can find out more by visiting the website: "Make it in Germany".
3. Or you can apply for asylum. However, we do not recommend this option, because it comes with some disadvantages: your right to take up employment would be subject to restrictions, and you would have to live in an initial reception centre.

Because these terms come up again and again in these FAQs, here are brief explanations:

A visa is issued by foreign missions, i.e. embassies and consulates general outside Germany. It is a residence permit issued abroad by foreign missions in the form of a sticker in the passport. The visa grants entry for a specific purpose and also allows the holder to stay for a certain period of time. Not all foreigners require a visa to enter the country.
Many refugees from Ukraine are currently exempt from the visa requirement. (See also Entry)

Residence title (Aufenthaltstitel) is the umbrella term for various rights granted for entry and residence. In addition to visas, residence titles also include, for example, temporary residence permits (Aufenthaltserlaubnis).

A temporary residence permit (Aufenthaltserlaubnis) is a temporary residence title that is issued after entering Germany. Third-country nationals generally require a temporary residence permit if they wish to stay in Germany and no longer have a valid visa. The temporary residence permit is issued in credit card format. Visas for entry for a longer stay are usually only valid for a few months and for a maximum of one year. Before they expire, another residence title, e.g. a temporary residence permit, must therefore be applied for in Germany. In most cases, this is a temporary residence permit under Section 24 of the Residence Act (AufenthG) for war refugees from Ukraine, but the purpose may also be study or gainful employment. With a temporary residence permit, you may also travel to other Schengen countries for up to 90 days within a 180-day period.

In some cases, an authority will issue a certificate indicating the reception facility responsible (Anlaufbescheinigung) for a refugee from Ukraine when registering their arrival and collecting their biometric data (photo and fingerprints). This certificate contains the refugee’s registration number and explains which authority to contact next. If the authority does not issue this certificate and is not able to issue a residence permit immediately, it will give the refugee a provisional residence document (Fiktionsbescheinigung). This provisional residence document gives refugees from Ukraine who have applied for a temporary residence permit under section 24 of the Residence Act the same rights as if they already had that permit until their local foreigners authority gives them the actual residence permit in credit-card format.

An arrival certificate (Ankunftsnachweis) is issued to people seeking asylum in Germany who have told the responsible authority but have not yet submitted a formal asylum application. If you are a refugee from the war in Ukraine, we do not recommend applying for asylum, because asylum status comes with some disadvantages: your right to take up employment and to choose where to live would be subject to restrictions.  

Registration (Anmeldung) means informing the town or city where you live of your address. Everyone who moves into a home in Germany must register their address, including Germans. When you have registered your address, you will receive a document (Meldebestätigung) confirming that you have done so. This document may be needed for certain business transactions, for example to open a bank account or to sign a contract with a mobile phone provider.

A provisional residence document (Fiktionsbescheinigung) is issued to people whose arrival in Germany has been registered, who have applied for a residence title and who are staying in Germany legally. The provisional residence document allows them to stay in Germany legally until they have received their residence title. The provisional residence document serves to confirm this. It is an important document, because it is proof of the legal right of residence. The relevant authority can also note on the provisional residence document that its holder is allowed to pursue employment in Germany.

Third-country nationals are all persons who are not citizens of the European Union and do not have the nationality of Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein – this includes Ukrainians who do not have the nationality of an EU Member State.

Schengen countries are countries between which all persons, regardless of their nationality, may travel without border controls, although the length of legal stays may still be limited. Schengen countries are all countries of the European Union except Ireland, and Cyprus, as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.

All government agencies want to avoid an unacceptable overload of the authorities. Therefore, please inquire about the recommendations of the local immigration authorities responsible for you regarding the time and manner of submitting an application. Or you can use the online application option available on this page.

The following groups of persons who have been displaced from Ukraine since February 24, 2022 as a result of Russia’s military invasion have a mandatory right to temporary protection under Section 24 of the German Residence Act in accordance with Article 2(1) of the Implementing Decision:

1. Ukrainian nationals who had their residence in Ukraine before February 24, 2022
2. Stateless persons and nationals of third countries other than Ukraine who enjoyed international protection or equivalent national protection in Ukraine before 24 February 2022
3. Family members of the groups of persons referred to in 1. and 2. (i.e. spouses, unmarried partners, minor unmarried children and close relatives under further conditions), even if they are not Ukrainian nationals.
   For persons with Ukrainian nationality, the Ukraine Continued Validity of Residence Regulation will be extended again: Residence permits for temporary protection that are still valid on 1 February 2026 will be automatically extended until 4 March 2027.
4. Stateless persons and nationals of third countries other than Ukraine who were residing in Ukraine on 24 February 2022 with a permanent right of residence

For persons with Ukrainian nationality, the Ukraine Continued Validity of Residence Regulation is extended again: residence permits for temporary protection that are still valid on 1 February 2026 are automatically extended to 4 March 2027.

Please note: For third-country nationals and stateless persons who have fled from Ukraine to Germany and did not have a permanent Ukrainian right of residence in Ukraine and did not have international protection or comparable national protection there, the Ukraine Continued Validity of Residence Regulation (UkraineAufenthalthFGV) ceased to apply on 5 March 2025. This means that their previous residence status as beneficiaries of temporary protection is no longer valid as of this date.

No, that is not necessary. The necessary protection will be granted in another faster procedure. Ukrainian nationals are therefore advised not to apply for asylum. However, the right to apply for asylum at a later stage remains.

Following the European Union's decision to accept war refugees, the group of persons covered will now be granted a temporary residence permit under Section 24 of the Residence Act (AufenthG – Granting of Residence for Temporary Protection) upon application.

Registration upon entry does not constitute an asylum application. The implementation of an asylum procedure requires an application for asylum to be filed at the competent branch office of the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees.

It is not necessary to apply for asylum in order to secure a right of residence or to claim social benefits.

Your visa (if you have an entry visa) expires when you apply for asylum. If you are in possession of a biometric passport, your visa-free stay expires when you apply for asylum. Usually, you are then obliged to live in a state reception center for a certain period of time and can no longer freely determine your place of residence.

SE Dokument (ДП «Документ») is a Ukrainian state-owned commercial enterprise under the management of the State Migration Service of Ukraine (SMS), with headquarters in Kyiv. It is responsible for the provision of services such as issuing Ukrainian foreign passports and ID cards. SE Dokument has two locations in Germany:  in Berlin at Park Centre Treptow mall, and in Cologne on Breslauer Platz square where services are located in 8 mini-buses. The passport services allow Ukrainians to obtain valid documents which, for example, enables them to apply for financial and humanitarian assistance, enrol in education institutions, and cross the borders of other countries without hindrance.

SE Dokument provides Ukrainian citizens in Germany with the following services:

• applications for new ID cards or foreign passports
• renewal of expired existing ID cards and passports
• replacement of outdated “internal” passports for new ID cards
• simultaneous issue of ID cards and passports
• replacement of drivers’ licenses

Address in Berlin: Am Treptower Park 14, 12435 Berlin (second floor)

Address in Cologne: Breslauer Platz

Opening hours: Mon-Sat, 9:00 to 18:00

Website: pasport

No. The situation in Ukraine has no influence on the continuation of your right of residence, unless you are one of the few persons for whom sanction resolutions apply or your residence permit expires for other reasons.

Yes, provided the conditions are still met. The situation in Ukraine has no influence on the granting or extension of your residence permit. Please contact the competent immigrant authority on site if you have any questions regarding the extension of your stay.

As a rule, the German diplomatic mission in the country in which you have your habitual residence is responsible for visa applications. Therefore, please check the website of the Federal Foreign Office and the competent German diplomatic mission to find out whether there are any restrictions regarding the operation of the mission abroad as well as which special provisions you may have to consider. If you are staying in Russia, you will find the relevant information here.

Please find further information here.

Please find further information here.