Residence permit - beneficiaries of subsidiary protection

If you have been recognised by the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees as a person entitled to subsidiary protection, you will receive a residence permit.

Description of the course

The residence permit is issued for three years and can be extended for three years.

The residence permit is issued on a replacement identity document if no valid national passport is available.

It is not possible to travel abroad with the replacement passport. A valid national passport is generally required for travelling abroad.

The residence permit gives you unrestricted access to the German labour market, i.e. you are permitted to work both as an employee and as a self-employed person.

The residence permit entitles you to participate 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 you receive benefits in accordance with the German Social Security Code II.

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 equivalent to 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 Section 12a (5) AufenthG must be met for this. The application must be submitted to the Service Centre for Immigration and Naturalisation responsible for your current place of residence.

Prerequisites

The notice of recognition issued by the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees must contain the wording "Subsidiary protection 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
  • valid national passport
  • current biometric passport photo, which is sent digitally by a certified photo studio or drugstore. Alternatively, you can use one of the photo terminals at the Immigration and Naturalisation Service Office for a fee.
  • Fully completed application form (application for a residence permit)
  • Proof of salary for the last three months or notification of receipt of benefits in accordance with SGB II or AsylbLG

Note

  • The documents submitted (such as proof of identity and language certificates) will be checked for authenticity. We will report any forgeries to the police.
  • Further documents may be required in individual cases.

Duration and costs

Processing time

10 to 12 weeks

Questions about the processing status cannot be answered during this time.

We can only finalise your application if you have submitted all the required documents. If we have to request additional documents, this will delay the process.

Fees and charges

  • First issue of the residence permit: 100 euros
  • Extension of the residence permit for two years: 93 euros
  • Replacement of residence permit: 32 euros

Questions & Answers

Family members of persons entitled to protection who have been granted subsidiary protection can be granted a residence permit for humanitarian reasons in accordance with Section 36a AufenthG.

However, only members of the core family, i.e. spouses, parents of underage foreigners and underage unmarried foreigners, are entitled to family reunification. There is no entitlement to family reunification for this group of people.

With the Act on the Suspension of Family Reunification for Beneficiaries of Subsidiary Protection (BGBl. 2025 I No. 173), which came into force on 24 July 2025, family reunification for beneficiaries of subsidiary protection is now suspended for two years up to and including 23 July 2027, whereby hardship cases remain unaffected.

The provision of Section 104 para. 14 AufenthG does not apply to persons who are already in Germany with a residence permit in accordance with Section 36a AufenthG (or with a corresponding visa). The processing of applications for the extension of a residence permit in accordance with Section 36a AufenthG can therefore continue as normal.

Legal basis

§ Section 25 para. 2 sentence 1 alt. 2 AufenthG, § 104 Para. 13 AufenthG, § 12a AufenthG, § 44 AufenthG, § 44a AufenthG, § 4 AsylG, §§ 29 ff AufenthG

Ausländerbehörde (Asyl)

Internet address

Postal address

Ausländerbehörde (Asyl)

Ruppertstraße 19
80466 München

Fax: +49 89 233-45595

Address

Ruppertstraße 19
80337 München

Lagehinweis: Eingang A
Room: 2. Obergeschoss, Bereiche 21 bis 24

Monday 7.30 a.m. - 12 p.m
Tuesday 8.30 am - 12 noon and 2 pm - 6 pm
Wednesday by appointment only
Thursday 8.30 a.m. - 3 p.m
Friday 7.30 a.m. - 12 noon

Related services

Residence permit - admission promise from the federal government

If you have been granted admission, the Service Centre for Immigration and Naturalisation will issue you with a residence permit.

Residence permit for the asylum procedure

If you have submitted an application for asylum to the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees, you will receive a residence permit to carry out the asylum procedure.

Travel document for foreigners

If you do not have a passport or passport replacement, the Foreigners Office can issue you with a travel document for foreigners in individual cases.

Residence permit – Sustainable integration

Tolerated persons or holders of the right of residence with an opportunity (§ 104c AufenthG) can receive a residence permit if they have integrated sustainably.

Residence permit - refugee status and travel document for refugees

If you have been recognised as a refugee under the Geneva Refugee Convention, you will receive a residence and travel permit for refugees.

Apply for asylum

Foreigners who invoke the right of asylum (asylum seekers) must undergo a recognition procedure that is laid down in the Asylum Act.

Residence permit - Humanitarian residence without protection status

Residence permit for rejected asylum seekers, by order of the highest state authority or if it is impossible to leave the country.

Assistance under the Asylum Seekers Benefits Act

Asylum seekers who have little or no income receive economic assistance in accordance with the Asylum Seekers' Benefits Act (AsylbLG).

Travel document for stateless persons

If you are stateless, the Service Centre for Immigration and Naturalisation can issue you with a travel document for stateless persons in individual cases.