We would like to help you with the most important steps and to arrive safely here in Bremen. The road is not always easy and in many situations it is not clear how to go on. For these situations there are various information centres, which can be found on this website. This guide summarizes the most important first steps and contact points:
Immediately on or after your arrival in Germany you have to contact a government authority and inform them about your asylum seeking. You can do this either upon your entry at the border or in the country. At the border you have to address the border agency, who will pass you on to the nearest reception centre (“Erstaufnahmestelle”). In the country you can address a safety authority (for example the police), an immigration authority (“Ausländerbehörde”) like the migration office, a reception centre or directly an arrival centre. If you want to stay in Germany, you necessarily have to claim for asylum.
Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (“Bundesamt für Migration und Flüchtlinge” – BAMF)
Lindenstraße 110
28755 Bremen
Migration Office (“Migrationsamt”)
Stresemannstraße 48
28207 Bremen
Tel.: +49 421 36188630
Central Reception Centre (“Zentrale Aufnahmestelle” – ZAST)
Lindenstraße 110
28755 Bremen
Once you have arrived in Bremen, following steps are necessary for the asylum procedure:
1. Registration
You have to register with a reception centre like the Central Reception Centre (“Zentrale Aufnahmestelle” – ZAST). Therefor take all your documents along. On site fingerprints and passport photos will be taken. After this, you get a list (“Laufzettel”) with various tasks; for example you have to contact certain institutions. You will receive a confirmation called “Auskunftsnachweis” (originally called “Anlaufbescheinigung”), which proves that you are authorized to stay in Germany and to receive public services. After your registration you will get an accommodation.
Central Reception Centre (“Zentrale Aufnahmestelle” – ZAST)
Lindenstraße 110
28755 Bremen
2. Appy for a consultation at BAMF
If the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (“Bundesamt für Migration und Flüchtlinge” – BAMF) does not get in touch with you autonomously, you have to apply for a consultation at BAMF. At the consultation it will be decided, whether and how long you are allowed to stay in Germany.
Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (“Bundesamt für Migration und Flüchtlinge” – BAMF)
Lindenstraße 110
28755 Bremen
3. Complete the tasks of your “Laufzettel” from the Central Reception Centre (“Zentrale Aufnahmestelle” – ZAST):
– Make appointments and visit doctors
– Visit institutions (for example the immigration authority (“Ausländerbehörde”) or the city office (“Stadtamt”))
– Get awarded services (for example tickets for tramway)
– If necessary, make further appointments
4. Consultation
During your consultation you have to explain why and how you came to Germany. You are allowed to bring a caregiver or an interpreter along. After the consultation the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (“Bundesamt für Migration und Flüchtlinge” – BAMF) will check your application for asylum and will inform you about their decision. You get a temporary resident permit (“Aufenthaltsgestattung”) until you receive the decision.
** If you have questions about your arrival in Bremen and the asylum procedure, please ask for additional assistance from independent information centres. For more information click here. **
5. Residence obligation
You are not allowed to leave your residential district until the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (“Bundesamt für Migration und Flüchtlinge” – BAMF) has taken their decision. The BAMF can take several decisions:
You are receiving a residence permit (“Asylgestattung”)
You are receiving a temporary resident permit (provisional asylum – “vorläufiges Asyl”)
You are receiving a excaptional leave to remain or a “Duldung” (asylum application is withdrawn)
The decision of the BAMF affects the further procedure in your case.
In the first time refugees are accommodated in reception centres for immigrants. Depending on your country of origin you are accommodated in such an institution for up to six months or until the decision about your application is taken.
During your stay in an accommodation you are supplied with food, clothes, toiletries, sickness services and further individual services for you and your children. If you have important appointments, you receive tickets for the tramway and the bus. Moreover, you receive an amount of money each month to cover your personal needs. These services are regulated by the “Asylbewerberleistungsgesetz”. You also have the right to receive these services in your next accommodation. You find the information about where and when you get your money on the documents from the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (“Bundesamt für Migration und Flüchtlinge” – BAMF). You can use the money for example to do something in your free time. In Bremen there are a lot of different offers for recreation and culture activities, which are partly for free.
As soon as you are legally recognized as refugee you are allowed to move and reside freely throughout Germany. You do not have to stay in Bremen. If you want to travel to another German state, inform yourself about the costs you have to bear yourself.
The people who work in your accommodation will be pleased to help you with questions. Apart from your accommodation you can receive support from councelling offices in Bremen as well.
** If you are legally recognized as a refugee, in most cases you get a residence permit for three years. Afterwards it will be checked again, whether the circumstances in your home country have changed or not. If you keep the entitlement of asylum, you are allowed to apply for a permanent residence permit (“Niederlassungserlaubnis”). This permission is valid unlimited – even if the situation in your home country becomes stable, you do not have to leave Germany with a permanent residence permit. **
Once you have submitted a request for asylum at a reception centre (for example the ZAST – “Zentrale Aufnahmestelle”), you get an appointment for medical examination. In this medical examination vaccinations will be refreshed. Moreover, a doctor checks, whether you unknowingly suffer from tuberculosis. In case of health problems, pregnancies or a childbirth, refugees directly receive medical care. You get a replacement card from the ZAST, which is valid for three months until your stay in Bremen is clarified. Afterwards you get a health card.
In cases of emergency you can go to a doctor or into a hospital without a medical treatment certificate.
We have listed informations and contact points regarding the subject health here.
You live in Bremen and want to learn German quickly. That’s important to get to know new people, to communicate in everyday life, to find work or to educate yourself. Also children have to speak German to go to school.
There are a lot of possibilities to learn German. Here we present you a choice of institutions, where you can learn German. Please keep in mind, that you need a certificate of eligibility (“Berechtigungsschein”). Please contact the immigration authority (“Ausländerbehörde”) or the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (“Bundesamt für Migration und Flüchtlinge” – BAMF) to receive a “Berechtigungsschein”. Some of the language courses are connected with integration courses, which help you to integrate yourself into the society of Bremen.
Migration office (“Migrationsamt”)
Stresemannstraße 48
28207 Bremen
Tel.: +49 421 36188630
Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (“Bundesamt für Migration und Flüchtlinge” – BAMF)
Lindenstraße 110
28755 Bremen
If you are recognized as a refugee from the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (“Bundesamt für Migration und Flüchtlinge” – BAMF), you have the possibility to leave your present accommodation and to move into an own apartment. You can move into an apartment on your own or together with your family. In doing so, a housing association like the BREBAU or the GEWOBA can support you. Of course, you can also move into a shared living arrangement (“Wohngemeinschaft” – WG). On the page “Flüchtlinge Willkommen” it is described, how you can find a shared living arrangement. On the page “WG-Gesucht”, you can look for a room in a shared living arrangement or place a request. In the case of questions or difficulties please contact appropriate counselling offices or the people, who work in your current accommodation.
If you want to work in Germany, you need a work permit (“Arbeitserlaubnis”). It is often necessary, that your professional qualifications, which you have acquired in your home country, are recognized in Germany, too. Moreover, you must have a good knowledge of the German language. On our website you can find offers in Bremen, which will help you to work in Germany. Especially the Central Information Point for Refugees (“Zentrale Anlaufstelle für Flüchtlinge” – ZAF) of the job centre Bremen will support you in finding a job.
Central Information Point for Refugees (“Zentrale Anlaufstelle für Flüchtlinge” – ZAF)
Utbremer Straße 90
28217 Bremen
Tel: +49 421 56600