Germany Changes Rules for Ukrainian Refugees

The German government has decided to enforce changes in its rules for the more than 800,000 Ukrainian refugees on their land. 

Until Aug. 31, Ukrainians who fled to Germany to avoid the war could stay regardless of a visa, without concern for deportation. The change, which relates to how many days someone can stay in the country without needing to apply for temporary residency, will take effect on Sept. 1, 2022.

Commonly, foreigners visiting European countries have 90 days to stay as tourists before needing to apply for residency. Ukraine’s quota of days for foreigners to visit as tourists before needing to apply for further permission, is the same.

Like in Ukraine, foreigners who have used up their 90-day limit must then leave the country for at least 90 days before re-entering. Ukrainians who arrive in Germany following the Sept. 1 rule-changing deadline will also be allowed to remain in the country for 90 days before needing to apply for the special permissions granted to them as war refugees.

The humanitarian crisis caused by Russia’s invasion has caused turmoil for tens of millions of Ukrainians. It is estimated that nearly 5.5 million Ukrainians are currently refugees outside of the nation’s border. The largest share of Ukrainians have sought safety in Poland during the conflict. It is estimated that a similar number of Ukrainians are “temporarily displaced” within Ukraine and are unable to return to their homes.

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