Living in the municipality

Contents

Accommodation

When you first arrive, you will be taken to a certain municipality. There, the local authority will provide you with accommodation.

In many places in Germany, it is very difficult to find your own flat, especially in larger towns and cities.

If you are still receiving citizen’s income, before you start looking for a flat, you must first ask your Job Centre how large (in square metres) the flat may be and how much of the basic rent will be covered by the Job Centre. This varies in all towns and cities.

On this page, you will find practical information on what might help in your search for a flat. [Wohnungssuche | Handbook Germany : Together]

In the first three years after your arrival in Germany, a “Wohnsitzauflage” (“residency requirement”) applies. This means that you must remain in the federal state or even the district to which you have been allocated. The Immigration Authority or an Immigrant Advice Centre can explain which residency requirement applies to you. Here is a rough overview:

You are subject to a residency requirement

You may move anywhere within the entire federal state.

You may only move within a specific district or town/city.

Important: Any move must always be agreed with the Job Centre in your new town/city.

Within the area covered by your residency requirement, you can move independently as soon as your application has been approved by the Job Centre.

In many cases, it is possible to have your residency requirement changed. This could be the case, for example, if you have found a job and your employer is too far away from your place of residence. The same applies if you are starting an apprenticeship, training course or studying and have to move as a result. In addition, if there are special circumstances, such as care needs in the family or illnesses that need to be treated in another place, you can apply to the Immigration Authority to have the residency requirement changed.

The residency requirement can also be changed if you want to separate from your partner due to domestic violence. In Germany, special help is available for women and men who experience domestic violence. You can find more information for women here:
[Frauenhauskoordinierung]
and for men here:
[Hilfetelefon Gewalt an Männern].

Some local authorities accommodate families who have arrived in the country directly in flats with their own kitchen and bathroom.

In some municipalities, you will be accommodated in shared accommodation. If you are single, you may have to share a room with one or several other people. Families are usually given their own room. The following applies to everyone: in shared accommodation, the bathroom and kitchen are shared with several other people. This can be cramped, noisy and stressful.

Often, the initial accommodation in the new municipality is only for a short period of time. This means that you may have to move again.

You can find more information about your rights in shared accommodation on this page:
[Gemeinschaftsunterkunft für Geflüchtete | Handbook Germany : Together]

Often, you will only find out which municipality you will be going to at the initial reception centre.

If you have relatives or friends in Germany and would like to be near them, you should mention this at the interviews before your arrival. Provide the names and addresses of the people you would like to live near.

Sometimes, it is possible to be accommodated nearby. Unfortunately, however, you may also be accommodated somewhere else.

The authorities are not under any obligation to consider your wishes regarding where you want to live. It is therefore possible that you will move to a place in Germany that you do not like much at first.

Learning the language

It is important to learn German quickly so that you can communicate with German authorities, at the doctor’s surgery and when shopping. Knowledge of German will also help you to find work or study and make new friends.

After arriving in Germany, you should therefore take part in an integration course. You can look for an integration course immediately after arriving in the municipality. You must register for this course independently.

Most people who come through resettlement have to take an integration course. You will then receive a “Verpflichtung zum Integrationskurs” (Integration course participation obligation) from the Immigration Authority or Job Centre.

The following persons are exempt from this:

  • Children, teenagers and young adults attending school
  • People who are in an apprenticeship or training course, or who have a permanent job
  • People who cannot attend an integration course for good reasons, e.g. because they are very ill or are caring for a family member.

On this page, you can search for an integration course in your area:
[https://bamf-navi.bamf.de/de/Themen/Integrationskurse/]

If you need help with this, an Immigrant Advice Centre or a Youth Migration Service will provide support.

Participation in the integration course is free of charge for you. At the initial reception centre, you will receive a document issued by the BAMF exempting you from the costs of the integration course. You must bring this document with you to the language school when you register.

If you have not yet received the document at the initial reception centre, it will be sent to you by post. If you have not received a document exempting you from the costs of the integration course, please contact the BAMF with your reference number, e.g. via the general contact address.

An integration course is a combination of a language course and an orientation course. This means that you will learn German (600 training sessions) and receive information about living in Germany (100 training sessions) in the course. The courses are usually offered by a local language school, but there are also online courses.

At the end of the language course, you will take the “Deutsch-Test für Einwanderer” (German Test for Immigrants) at language level B1, which you will need for many professions and apprenticeships or training courses. After the orientation course, you will take the “Leben in Deutschland” (Living in Germany) test, in which you show that you know the basics about living in Germany.

There are also literacy courses for people who cannot read or write at all or not very well, and for people who are not yet familiar with Latin characters. These courses take a little longer for you to learn to read and write.

For people who learn very quickly, there are also intensive courses. There you will learn the same things as in the integration course, only faster.

Health

Health insurance

In Germany, everyone must have health insurance.  Health insurance pays when you or your family need medical help or medication.

Health insurance is paid for by the Job Centre as long as you receive citizen’s income. If you are working, the money for health insurance is transferred directly from your employer to the health insurance company.

After registering with the health insurance company, you will receive a health insurance card. You present this to the doctor or hospital so that the costs of treatment are covered directly by the health insurance company.

Sometimes it may take a while for the health insurance card to arrive after you have registered. If you need urgent medical treatment in the meantime, you can ask the health insurance company to issue you with a certificate proving that you are insured.

Health records

When you arrive in Germany, you may already have medical records with you, such as your IOM health file.

Take the IOM health file in English, your vaccination card and any other medical documents you have with you to your doctor’s appointments. Many people who work in doctors’ surgeries or hospitals can understand English.

Language mediation at the doctor’s surgery or hospital

At the doctor’s surgery, it is important that you understand everything well and that the doctor also understands you. Unfortunately, doctors’ surgeries and hospitals in Germany are not obliged to provide an interpreter for your appointment. Therefore, you must ensure that language mediation is available.

Here are a few tips:

  • Before your appointment, ask the surgery or the hospital’s social service department whether language mediation is available. Sometimes, language mediation is available by telephone.
  • Many doctors and nurses in Germany speak English, and some also speak French, Turkish or other languages. You can also ask about this before your appointment.
  • In many places, there are pools of language mediators who can accompany you to appointments at a doctor’s surgery or hospital. Ask at an Immigrant Advice Centre for more information.

Sometimes a friend, acquaintance or volunteer can come with you to doctor’s appointments to translate. However, it is important that you agree to this person receiving information about your health. It is not good for children to accompany you for translation purposes. The responsibility is far too great for children.

Further information

There is plenty of good multilingual information material available on healthcare in Germany, e.g. on vaccinations, preventive medical check-ups for children, pregnancy and much more. You will find a lot of useful information and links on this page:

[Gesundheit]

Work

Once you have your residence permit, you can work in Germany. You do not need permission from the Immigration Authority to do so.

Many professions in Germany require knowledge of the German language. It is therefore advisable to complete the integration course before looking for a job.

Acceptance of foreign qualifications

The German job market is very formalised. This means that many companies want to see documents proving that you have completed school, an apprenticeship or training course, or have a degree. If you have certificates proving your school education, university/college degree or apprenticeship/training, you should have them officially accepted in Germany.

The acceptance procedure is complicated. Be sure to seek help from an Advice Centre. You can find more information on this page.[Anerkennung ausländischer Abschlüsse | Handbook Germany : Together]

Help with finding work

The Job Centre will help you find work in Germany. For example, you can receive help with your application or a voucher that you can use to take part in advanced training or further education. The Job Centre can also cover the costs of having your professional qualifications accepted. You can find more information on this page. [Bekomme ich Unterstützung bei der Suche nach einer Arbeit? | Handbook Germany : Together]

Rights as an employee in Germany

There are strong rights in Germany that protect employees. For example, you have the right to holiday leave and to be receive your salary/wages on time and in full.

You can find more information about your rights at work on this page. [ Arbeitnehmer*innenrechte | Handbook Germany : Together]

The “Fair Integration” advice centres offer free help with any questions about labour law. [Faire Integration]

School and nursery

If you are immigrating with minor children, it is important that they attend nursery and school. There, your children will meet others of the same age, learn German quickly and have a regular daily structure.

School

In Germany, all children and young people aged 6 or 7 and above are required to attend school. Children must attend school for at least 9 years from this age. So if you have children between the ages of 6 and 16, you will usually receive a letter from the relevant authority shortly after arriving in the municipality. The letter contains the most important information about how and where your child will go to school.

Schools in Germany are regulated by the federal states. Therefore, the school system varies slightly from state to state.

On this page, you will find information about the school system in your federal state. [Schule | Handbook Germany : Together]

Daycare

In Germany, young children under the age of 6 often attend a daycare centre (Kita in German). There, your children can make new friends, play and learn. It is not compulsory to send your children to a daycare centre. It can be very beneficial for your children to attend a daycare centre (Kita). There they will learn German and prepare for school.

If your child attends a daycare centre, you can use the time to attend integration courses and take care of any appointments. You will also get to know other parents whose children attend the same nursery.

In many cities, there are not enough nursery places. This can lead to waiting times.

You can find out how to register your child for a nursery from your local Youth Welfare Office. Unfortunately, the procedure varies from city to city, so we are unable to provide general information here. You can find the contact details for your Youth Welfare Office on this website. [Jugendamt vor Ort finden – Das Jugendamt. Unterstützung, die ankommt.]

You can find more information about nurseries at this link. [Kita | Handbook Germany : Together]

Family reunification

Sometimes not all family members can immigrate to Germany at the same time through resettlement because the family was separated during their flight.

Your “nuclear family” can apply for a visa to join you in Germany. Core family means:

  • Minors and unmarried children can join their parents.
  • Spouses can join each other.
  • If a minor child immigrates to Germany through resettlement without their parents, the parents can join the child.

All other family members (adult children, siblings, parents of adult children) are not considered part of the “nuclear family” and cannot join you.

If members of your core family are still abroad and are to join you, the following is very important: You or your family members must submit a “fristwahrende Anzeige” (timely notification of intention) to the German embassy or the Immigration Authority no later than 3 months after you have received your residence permit. This will enable you to obtain a visa for family reunification at a later date without having to prove that you have sufficient living space or income to support your relatives.

Make sure to seek help from a Immigrant Advice <centre to ensure that the “fristwahrende Anzeige” (timely notification of intention) is submitted to the authorities on time and correctly. The Immigrant Advice Centre will also help you with the further steps involved in applying for family reunification.

Extension of residence permit

The idea behind resettlement is that you will stay in Germany in the long-term and build a life here. This means that your residence permit can be extended. You must apply for each extension independently. It is best to contact the Immigration Authority approximately 2 months before your residence permit expires. There you must submit an application for an extension of your residence permit.

After a few years, you will also have various options for obtaining a permanent residence permit in Germany or even becoming a naturalised citizen at some time.

Consolidation of residence

An unlimited residence permit is called a “settlement permit” in Germany. The advantage of a settlement permit is that you do not have to have it extended by the Immigration Authority.

You must meet the following requirements for a settlement permit:

  • You have had a residence permit in Germany for five years in accordance with Section 23 (4) of the Residence Act (AufenthG).
  • You earn more than 50% of your living yourself (e.g. through your own work).
  • You have passed a B1 language test and the “Living in Germany” test in the integration course.
  • You have enough living space for yourself and your family. An apartment or a room in refugee accommodation is not sufficient for this purpose.
  • In addition, you must not have been convicted of any criminal offences.
  • As you have come through resettlement, you do not need to provide proof of 60 months of pension insurance contributions.

The Immigration Authority may make exceptions to the requirements if, for example, you are unable to meet them in full due to illness or disability.

For teenagers and young adults who have come to Germany through resettlement, there are simplified rules for obtaining a settlement permit. A Youth Migration Service can advise you on this.



Data protection

In Germany, there are laws that require all authorities and organisations to handle your data properly and securely. This data includes, for example, your name and date of birth, but also sensitive information, such as your state of health.

All organisations you deal with (authorities, advice centres, schools, nurseries, doctors, etc.) must inform you how they use your data. Sometimes they also need or want your written consent to process your data.

For example: when you go to a new doctor’s surgery, the reception staff will give you a “data protection consent form”. This states that your personal data and information about your health will be stored by the doctor’s surgery and that the doctor’s surgery will pass on certain information to your health insurance company for billing purposes. It also contains information about how long the data will be stored and that you can request that the data be deleted.

Many other organisations and authorities will also present you with a “data protection consent form” at the beginning and ask you to sign it. Sometimes the data protection consent form is only available in German, sometimes it is also available in other languages. It is a good idea to read and understand the data protection consent form before you sign it.

Many people in Germany sign data protection consent forms without reading them carefully because they trust the organisation or people who store and use the data.  Sometimes there is no alternative to signing the consent form, as otherwise you will not be able to conclude certain contracts.

If you do not want to sign the data protection consent form, e.g. at the doctor’s surgery, you must be prepared for people to be irritated and perhaps even angry. Sometimes they will also tell you that you cannot be treated without signing the consent form. Whether this is correct or not depends on the specific consent form.

Where can I find help?

It is difficult to arrive in a new country. Therefore: seek assistance.

On this page, we have compiled a list of counselling services and trustworthy sources of information on the internet.

Migration advice

In Germany, there are many advice centres for people who are new to Germany. They offer free help and also provide support with problems involving the authorities. You often have to make an appointment at counselling centres; some also have open consultation hours when you can simply drop by. Some advice centres also offer online advice.  Here are some advice centres that can be found in cities throughout Germany:

  • Migration advice for adult immigrants for all people who are new to Germany and over 27 years of age [BAMF-NAvI – Beratungsstellen]
  • Youth migration service for all people who are new to Germany and under 27 years of age [Jugendmigrationsdienste (JMD)]
  • On this page, you will find an overview of all counselling centres on the subject of migration in your area. [asyl.net]

Information on the internet

There is a lot of misinformation on the internet. It is therefore important that you always check whether the information is reliable and relevant to your situation. Here are some good sources of information for you:

  • The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) has created an app and a workbook in English, Arabic and French to help refugees prepare for their arrival in Germany, especially those who are resettling. There you will find lots of helpful information and exercises to help you prepare for your first weeks and months in Germany. [TOOLS FOR PRE-DEPARTURE INTEGRATION OF REFUGEES | IOM Germany]
  • Handbook Germany is a website in English, Arabic, Dari/Farsi, Pashto, Russian, French, Turkish and Ukrainian. There is also a forum where you can ask questions. It contains a wealth of reliable information about arriving and living in Germany. The information there is for all people who are new to Germany and not specifically for resettlement refugees.[Von der Community für die Community | Handbook Germany : Together]

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