Moving from Ukraine to Germany: Protection and Work

Around 1.4 million Ukrainian citizens live in Germany, up from about 155,000 at the end of 2021. Most people who arrived after the start of the war are here on temporary protection. That permit lets you work, and it is not an asylum decision. A job or a university place can still use a normal work or student visa, and that title can remain after the protection rules end.

If you are coming for a job or to study, a lot of that process is still the same as for any other non-EU citizen. What you apply for depends on why you are coming. The guides below have the rules for each of those. This page then further covers temporary protection, and where people from Ukraine often live.

Which visa matches your situation

The table below shows which guide matches your situation. If you are still choosing a work or study route, start with Which Visa Do You Need in Germany.

If you are on a normal work or study visa, the first weeks are the same for every passport. Register your address within 14 days. Address Registration in Germany walks through the appointment. Health insurance has to be sorted for the visa and again once you are living here, which Health Insurance in Germany covers. A German current account is covered in Opening a Bank Account in Germany.

If the job is a regulated profession, such as doctor or teacher, Germany still wants a recognition decision even when your permit already lets you work. Start with How to Get Foreign Qualifications Recognized in Germany.

What is different when you apply from Ukraine

The difference for people from Ukraine is temporary protection under Section 24 of the Residence Act, covered next. A normal student or work visa is still the same as for other non-EU passports. The section after that is for when you have a reason to apply for one anyway.

Temporary protection

This permit is for people displaced by the war. It is not an asylum decision. Do not start an asylum application if this is the stay you want. Asylum is a different procedure, with a different office and different support rules. Asylum in Germany is only the right page if that process is the one you mean.

Who can use it is narrower than it was in 2022.

• Ukrainian citizens who were living in Ukraine before 24 February 2022, and certain family members, are the core group. Some people who are not Ukrainian but had protection, or a permanent right to live in Ukraine, before that date are included too.
• If you already have temporary protection in another EU country, Germany can refuse a second protection permit here.

As of 30 October 2026, military service does not take this permit away from people who were already living in the EU. People who enter the EU from 5 August 2026 and are under a Ukrainian military obligation are no longer granted it unless they can show they are exempt and were allowed to leave. A military obligation is not, by itself, a reason for asylum.

A biometric Ukrainian passport also allows a short visit of up to 90 days in a 180-day period. That visit is not permission to work, and it is not temporary protection.

As of 30 October 2026, the permit runs until 4 March 2028. Residence permits that were valid on 1 February 2026 continue until that date without a new appointment. The end date has already moved more than once, so check the date on your card and on Germany for Ukraine before you travel. A provisional certificate while the application is still open does not extend itself.

From your first entry you usually have 90 days without a residence permit so you can apply for Section 24. Those 90 days start at the first entry since 24 February 2022. Leaving and coming back does not start them again. Apply at the local immigration office inside that window.

Once you have the permit, you can take a job or start vocational training without a skilled-worker visa. A provisional certificate can be enough to start if it says employment is permitted. The German note is Erwerbstätigkeit gestattet or Erwerbstätigkeit erlaubt. Read the line on your own paper.

If you cannot cover rent and living costs, and you are able to work, the Jobcenter can pay Bürgergeld. You need the Section 24 permit or a provisional certificate. Unemployment Benefits in Germany explains how that payment works. Health cover often comes with it. If you are working and not on it, use Health Insurance in Germany.

When a normal student or work visa makes more sense

The student visa, the skilled-worker visa, and the Blue Card are the same as for other non-EU passports. Use the table above. What is different is the reason to choose one.

Temporary protection is tied to the war rules, and it ends when those rules end. A student or work permit does not. If you already have a university place or a qualifying job, that permit is built for the stay you actually want, and it can continue after protection stops. It also lets you live where the university or the job is, instead of in the federal state the protection office assigned. If you already hold temporary protection, ask the immigration office about switching. Changing Your Residence Purpose in Germany is the map for that switch.

Where people from Ukraine often move

The office where you register can assign you a state, and your permit can say you have to live there. That does not have to last. If you get a job or a training place in another state, the office often lets you move.

Berlin, Munich, Hamburg, and the Ruhr have big Ukrainian communities. Plenty of smaller towns do too, because people were housed there in 2022 and many of them stayed. Best Cities in Germany if You Already Have a Degree is worth a look if you are comparing places for work. Once you can look for a flat yourself, start with Finding an Apartment in Germany.

Common questions

Do Ukrainians need a visa for temporary protection in Germany?

Not for the first 90 days, if you are in the group the transition rules still cover. You then apply for the Section 24 permit at the local immigration office. A biometric passport’s 90-day visit is a separate short stay. It does not let you work. If you already have temporary protection in another EU country, Germany can refuse a second protection permit here.

Can Ukrainians work in Germany on temporary protection?

Yes, once you have the Section 24 permit, or a provisional certificate that says employment is permitted. You can also start vocational training. Regulated jobs, such as doctor or teacher, still need a recognition decision before you use that title.

How long does Ukrainian temporary protection last in Germany?

As of 30 October 2026, until 4 March 2028. Permits that were valid on 1 February 2026 continue until then without a new appointment. The end date has already moved, so check your card and the Germany for Ukraine site before you travel. A provisional certificate does not extend itself.

Should Ukrainians apply for asylum in Germany?

Not if temporary protection is the stay you want. Asylum is a different procedure. Filing it can move you out of the protection track this page describes. A Ukrainian military obligation is not, by itself, a reason for asylum.

Does Ukrainian military service block temporary protection in Germany?

As of 30 October 2026, not for people who were already living in the EU on this permit. People who enter the EU from 5 August 2026 and are under a military obligation are no longer granted it unless they can show they are exempt and were allowed to leave.

Useful links

• Germany for Ukraine: extension of temporary protection
• Federal Ministry of Labour: questions and answers for people who fled Ukraine
• Make it in Germany: visa quick-check
• Destatis: foreign population by citizenship