Residence permit - refugee status and travel document for refugees

Description

The residence permit is issued for three years. The extension is for three years. The travel document for refugees is issued for three years. It is extended for three years.

With the residence permit, you have unrestricted access to the German labour market, i.e. you are permitted to be employed and self-employed.

The residence permit entitles you to take part in an integration course.

You are obliged to live in the federal state in which the asylum procedure was carried out if the notice of recognition from the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees was issued from 1 January 2016 and benefits are received in accordance with the Social Security Code II.

Note:

There is no restriction on residence if your spouse, registered partner or underage child

• is taking up or has taken up employment subject to social insurance contributions for at least 15 hours per week, through which this person has at least an income in the amount of the average monthly requirement for a single person in accordance with §§ 20, 22 SGB II, or
• is taking up or has taken up vocational training or
• is in a study or training relationship.

As the employment must be subject to social security contributions, mini-jobs and marginal employment are not sufficient to justify an exemption from residence restrictions.

If there is a restriction on residence, this can be lifted on application. The requirements of § 12a Para. 5 AufenthG must be met for this. The application must be submitted to the Foreigners Office responsible for your current place of residence.

Persons entitled to protection who have been recognised as refugees have the right to privileged family reunification. This means that it is not necessary to provide proof of livelihood and sufficient living space as a prerequisite for the entry of family members. This applies to the reunification of the spouse and unmarried minor children.

To this end, the relevant application must be submitted to the German diplomatic mission responsible for the family members' place of residence within three months of the authorisation for protection being granted. If the application is submitted later, there is no entitlement to family reunification, but the diplomatic mission abroad will decide at its discretion.

Applications for family reunification for persons entitled to protection from Syria should be submitted electronically via the Federal Foreign Office's web portal

As long as the asylum procedure is ongoing, family reunification is generally not possible.

Travelling abroad is possible at any time with the travel document for refugees. Please note the visa and entry requirements of the respective destination abroad.

The travel document for refugees does not authorise you to travel to the respective country of origin.

Prerequisites

The notice of recognition from the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees must contain the wording "Refugee status is recognised".

Required documents

• Letter of recognition from the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees
• Confirmation of residence in Munich when moving to Munich
• Two biometric passport photos for issuing the travel document and for applying for the electronic residence permit
• Fully completed application forms (application for a residence permit, application for a travel document for refugees)
• Proof of salary for the last three months or notification of receipt of benefits in accordance with SGB II or AsylbLG

Further documents may be required in individual cases.

Legal basis

§ Section 25 para. 2 sentence 1, alternative 1 AufenthG, Section 4 para. 1 sentence 1 no. 3 AufenthV, Section 12a AufenthG, Section 44 AufenthG, Section 44a AufenthG, Section 3 para. 1 AsylG, Sections 29 ff AufenthG