Western Europe
Germany for Ukrainians: what to do after arrival
Core guide: a Section 24 residence permit through the local Ausländerbehörde, and Anmeldung.
Booking and filing before arrival
Arrive first and identify your local Ausländerbehörde
There is no single nationwide Section 24 booking route: the process depends on where you actually live and the responsible Ausländerbehörde.
What you can do before arrival
Before travel you can find the city or district website and check its appointment method, but BESSMERA does not treat that as a guaranteed Section 24 appointment.
What to do after arrival
After arrival, confirm your actual address/district and follow the process of the responsible Ausländerbehörde.
Core path in Germany. This is not a decision about your permit.
What you need to do
Start with the first practical steps. The full path and official sources are below.
- 1
Determine the protection path
After arrival, the first authority for a Section 24 permit is the local Ausländerbehörde.
Where to go: Local Ausländerbehörde
What to prepare
- · Passport, ID card, or another identity document — if available
- · Your actual address in Germany
- · Anmeldung / Meldebescheinigung if your address is already registered
- 2
Initial registration (Ankunftsmeldung) — only if your city requires it
In some states/cities you need a separate Ankunftsmeldung or pre-registration at the Ausländerbehörde before Section 24. This is not Bürgeramt Anmeldung and not Section 24 itself — check your city's official service on Germany4Ukraine.
Where to go: Local Ausländerbehörde
What to prepare
- · Address where you stay
- · Passport/ID
- · Email/phone for booking if the city uses an online queue
- 3
Anmeldung — register your address and keep the Meldebestätigung
Anmeldung is municipal address registration, not Section 24. Without Meldebestätigung you often cannot open a bank account, enrol in school, or arrange insurance. You need the address where you actually sleep (Wohnungsgeberbestätigung from landlord or hostel).
Where to go: Local residents’ registration office (Bürgeramt)
What to prepare
- · Passport/ID for everyone registering
- · Wohnungsgeberbestätigung (landlord/hotel confirmation of address)
- · Section 24 document or Fiktionsbescheinigung if already issued
Full path and official sources
1
Determine the protection path
After arrival, the first authority for a Section 24 permit is the local Ausländerbehörde.
Ausländerbehörde — local foreigners authority
What to do
- · Find which Ausländerbehörde covers where you are staying
Why this matters: Registration, healthcare, school, and work depend on this step.
Council Implementing Decision (EU) 2026/1912, as corrected on 5 August 2026, extends temporary protection until 4 March 2028. The military-obligation condition applies from 5 August 2026. It does not apply to a person who already had temporary protection in the same Member State on or before 4 August 2026 and continuously kept that status. National rules are not identical. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2026/1912/oj/eng Checked 29 September 2026. For people entering the EU for the first time from 5 August 2026, Germany applies the new military-obligation requirement.
Official source: Germany4Ukraine / Federal Government
Verified · Last checked 1 Oct 2026 · Germany
The source page may be in the destination country’s language.
2
Initial registration (Ankunftsmeldung) — only if your city requires it
In some states/cities you need a separate Ankunftsmeldung or pre-registration at the Ausländerbehörde before Section 24. This is not Bürgeramt Anmeldung and not Section 24 itself — check your city's official service on Germany4Ukraine.
Ausländerbehörde
What to do
- · Open your city / Landkreis page on Germany4Ukraine
- · Ask whether Ankunftsmeldung / Voranmeldung is required before Section 24
- · Keep appointment confirmation or the email reply
Why this matters: People go straight to Section 24 and hear 'register online first'. One call/email to the local Ausländerbehörde saves a day.
Official source: Germany4Ukraine / Federal Government
Verified · Last checked 1 Oct 2026 · Germany
The source page may be in the destination country’s language.
3
Anmeldung — register your address and keep the Meldebestätigung
Anmeldung is municipal address registration, not Section 24. Without Meldebestätigung you often cannot open a bank account, enrol in school, or arrange insurance. You need the address where you actually sleep (Wohnungsgeberbestätigung from landlord or hostel).
What to do
- · Find the Bürgeramt / Einwohnermeldeamt for your city via Germany4Ukraine or the municipality site
- · Book if required — walk-in is not available everywhere
- · After the visit keep the Meldebestätigung — without it you have 'no address' for the bank
Why this matters: Newcomers confuse the Ausländerbehörde with the Bürgeramt. Anmeldung is at the local residents’ registration office — often by appointment.
Official source: Germany4Ukraine / Federal Government
Verified · Last checked 1 Oct 2026 · Germany
The source page may be in the destination country’s language.
4
Apply for the Section 24 residence permit at your responsible Ausländerbehörde
Section 24(1) is the main residence permit for temporary protection in Germany. The federal Germany4Ukraine portal confirms temporary protection through 4 March 2028. For a first application, the practical procedure varies by city: some start online and send an in-person appointment later.
Ausländerbehörde — local foreigners authority; your city/district determines the exact filing method and any additional documents
What to do
- · Open the official service page for your city / Landkreis and confirm whether Section 24 starts online, by email, or by appointment only
- · If applying online, save the PDF/confirmation immediately after submission
- · Do not travel without an appointment when the local service page explicitly says walk-ins are not accepted
- · At the appointment, verify name spelling, address, and the employment-permission wording
- · If the plastic residence permit will be produced later, ask which interim document confirms your lawful status and work right
Why this matters: The useful task is not merely finding an Ausländerbehörde, but reaching the responsible office with the basic package and proof of the local filing/appointment process.
Checked 1 October 2026. Germany4Ukraine confirms protection through 4 March 2028. For new applicants after 5 August 2026, separately check the new military-obligation condition; your Ausländerbehörde may add documents to the baseline package.
Official source: Germany4Ukraine — Registrierung und Aufenthaltserlaubnis
Verified · Last checked 1 Oct 2026 · Germany
The source page may be in the destination country’s language.
5
Fiktionsbescheinigung or residence document
While a decision is prepared, a Fiktionsbescheinigung may be issued. Employment is allowed when the Section 24 permit, or a qualifying Fiktionsbescheinigung, is marked “Erwerbstätigkeit erlaubt”.
Ausländerbehörde
What to do
- · Check for “Erwerbstätigkeit erlaubt”
- · Do not start work until the document allows it
Why this matters: Without the work marking, do not assume work is already allowed.
Official source: Germany4Ukraine / Federal Government
Verified · Last checked 1 Oct 2026 · Germany
The source page may be in the destination country’s language.
6
Healthcare: each state differs — not automatic with Section 24 alone
After Section 24, medical coverage depends on the state, employment, and statutory insurance (GKV). Emergency care is separate from a full GP card. Germany4Ukraine gives the general direction; your Sozialamt / Krankenkasse names the concrete step.
What to do
- · Ask Sozialamt or Krankenkasse in your city which path opens after Section 24
- · For emergencies — do not delay care while checking insurance
- · Keep the insurance number / eGK once issued
Why this matters: People go to a doctor without eGK assuming 'status = insurance'. One call to the local service beats a bill after a routine visit.
Official source: Germany4Ukraine / Federal Government
Verified · Last checked 1 Oct 2026 · Germany
The source page may be in the destination country’s language.
7
Start school enrolment through your federal state
School education in Germany is managed by the 16 federal states. Germany4Ukraine directs families to the official KMK school contacts for the state where they currently live.
What to do
- · Identify the federal state for your actual address
- · Open the Ukraine school contact for that state through Germany4Ukraine / KMK
- · Contact the listed school or education authority and start the child's enrolment
Why this matters: There is no single federal enrolment office, so BESSMERA should not send you to an arbitrary school without using the state-specific route.
Official source: Germany4Ukraine / Federal Government
Verified · Last checked 1 Oct 2026 · Germany
The source page may be in the destination country’s language.
8
Work: only with Erwerbstätigkeit erlaubt on Section 24 or Fiktionsbescheinigung
You may work when the Section 24 permit or Fiktionsbescheinigung shows Erwerbstätigkeit erlaubt. Without it the employer risks fines — do not start on verbal assurance alone.
Ausländerbehörde
What to do
- · Find the Erwerbstätigkeit erlaubt line on the document
- · Show the employer a copy/original before day one
- · Do not pay for separate 'Arbeitserlaubnis for Ukrainians' beyond Section 24
Why this matters: TikTok says 'Section 24 = work allowed'. Without the marking on the document, it is not.
Official source: Germany4Ukraine / Federal Government
Verified · Last checked 1 Oct 2026 · Germany
The source page may be in the destination country’s language.
9
Bank, SIM and daily life after Meldebestätigung
After Section 24 and Anmeldung most families open a Girokonto for salary and rent. Each bank has its own list — often Meldebestätigung, passport and Section 24. A 'paid intermediary for an account' is a common scam.
What to do
- · Get a written document list from the bank before visiting
- · Do not pay for 'guaranteed refugee account opening'
- · For a SIM — compare prepaid without a long contract while the address is still unstable
Why this matters: Without an account, rent and payroll get harder. A bank refusal is not the end — try another bank or the local Sparkasse.
Official source: Germany4Ukraine / Federal Government
Verified · Last checked 1 Oct 2026 · Germany
The source page may be in the destination country’s language.
Popular questions
Official institutions
- LEA Berlin — Friedrich-Krause-Ufer — Berlin State Office for Immigration. First Section 24 applications are filed online; the appointment is emailed after the Antrag — do not walk in without an invitation. If the plastic card date looks expired, check Fortgeltung / UkraineAufenthFGV on the city’s official pages.
- LAF Ankunftszentrum Berlin — Berlin LAF arrival centre for first registration / distribution. This is not the plastic Section 24 card desk — after distribution you continue with the LEA online Antrag.
- Bürgeramt Rathaus Tiergarten — Refugee Bürgeramt at Rathaus Tiergarten for a first Berlin Anmeldung (per the city FAQ). Later Ummeldung is via any Bürgeramt with an online Termin.
Show all verified institutions
- Amt für Migration Hamburg — Hamburg Migration Office. Covered Section 24 cases often need no Verlängerung Termin (Fortgeltung into March 2027 on city pages); first applications follow the current Amt / online channel — do not walk in without an invitation.
- Servicestelle für Zuwanderung und Einbürgerung München — Munich SZE (Entrance A). Section 24 is filed via the online Antrag; appointments usually follow an invitation only. Check Fortgeltung on the city page if the plastic card date looks expired.
- Ankunftszentrum München — Munich arrival centre for Kriegsflüchtlinge registration. This is an arrival desk, not the eAT card office.
- Ausländerangelegenheiten — Migration Köln — Cologne foreigners office (Migration). Visits only with a Termin and invitation; Ukraine has a dedicated calendar on termine.stadt-koeln.de. Complete Anmeldung at a Kundenzentrum before the Section 24 Antrag.
- Ausländerbehörde Stuttgart — Stuttgart foreigners authority (public-order office). Typical sequence: Anmeldung at a Bürgerbüro → Antrag online or by post → invitation to a Termin.
- Amt für Migration und Integration Düsseldorf — First reception at Vogelsanger Weg 49. Biometrics / eAT pickup is often at Erkrather Straße 377 — follow your invitation. Private accommodation: request a Termin via the digital application form.
- Ausländerbehörde Leipzig — Leipzig foreigners authority (Technisches Rathaus Building B; entrance Prager Straße 128). Appointments usually follow an online/written Antrag — do not visit without an invitation.
- Ausländerbehörde Dresden — Dresden foreigners authority as listed by Sachsen Ukrainehilfe. Check the city’s current application channel first; appointments usually follow an invitation.
- Ausländerbehörde Region Hannover — Region Hannover foreigners authority. The city also has a welcome service (Schützenplatz 1) — which desk handles your case depends on Zuständigkeit; use BAMF-Navi / Germany4Ukraine if unsure.
- Migrationsamt Bremen — Bremen Migration Office. Book a Termin by phone or email; do not expect a walk-in without an arrangement.
- Ausländerbehörde Essen — First ABH contact in Essen is Kruppstraße 16. Ukraine appointments are only via hotline 0201 88-35555 (Mon–Fri 08:00–18:00), not the general ABH calendar.
- Ausländerbehörde Frankfurt — Ukraine §24 online — Frankfurt: online Section 24 Antrag after Bürgeramt Anmeldung. The ABH street address was not confirmed in this source — use the city page and BAMF-Navi, not a guessed address. Without housing, the city points to Erstaufnahme Gießen.
- Amt für Migration Dortmund — Humanitäre Aufnahmen — Dortmund Migration Office (Olpe 1). Visits only with a Termin; for Section 24 / humanitarian admissions the city points to a contact form. Confirm the current Ukraine channel on the Amt page before travelling.
- Ausländerbehörde — The local foreigners’ authority. The street address depends on your city.
- Einwohnermeldeamt / Bürgeramt — Municipal address registration, Anmeldung. The office depends on the city.
What is available now
The core path is available. For some topics BESSMERA may ask for more details or mark that additional verification is needed.
- Core journeyVerified
- Temporary protectionVerified
- Address registrationVerified
- WorkVerified
- HealthcareBasic guidance available
- SchoolBasic guidance available
- HousingBasic guidance available
- BankingBasic guidance available
- Life toolkitBasic guidance available
- PetsBasic guidance available
- Driving licenceAdditional verification needed
- Car registrationIn preparation
- DocumentsBasic guidance available
- Local languageIn preparation