Jewish immigrants , Date: 2019.10.08, format: Article, area: Migration and residence

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Special conditions apply in Germany to the admission of Jewish immigrants from the countries of the former Soviet Union. Here you will find the most important general information as well as special rules applying to victims of National Socialist persecution.

Admission requirements for Jewish immigrants

Good to know!

Your family members, that is your spouse and minor, unmarried children who share a common household with you, can also be admitted. The marriage must have been in existence for at least three years at the time of filing your application. Spouses and minor-age children also need to provide proof of basic German proficiency (level A1 CEFR). Children aged under 14 do not necessarily need to prove such basic proficiency.
You will receive a settlement permit after coming to Germany. Your family members will receive residence permits. Both types of permit allow you to work in Germany.

Certain conditions apply to the admission of Jewish immigrants into the Federal Republic of Germany. The Federal Office can only approve your application

  • if you are a national of a successor state to the former Soviet Union (excluding the Baltic states) or have been resident there as a stateless person since 1 January 2005 at least (following the accession of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania to the European Union on 1 May 2004, Jewish nationals from these countries are no longer able to obtain admission via this procedure),
  • if you are of Jewish nationality or are descended from at least one Jewish parent or grand-parent and hold Jewish beliefs to the exclusion of other religions,
  • if you can furnish proof of proficiency in German corresponding at least to level A1 of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR),
  • if you can support yourself in the Federal Republic of Germany on a permanent basis (The Federal Office for Migration and Refugees will draw up an integration prognosis for this purpose), and
  • if you can provide evidence that you can become an active member of a Jewish community in Germany.

Grounds for exclusion

The admission procedure for Jewish immigrants stipulates grounds which fundamentally preclude admission into the Federal Republic of Germany:

  • You must not have previously migrated to another country in the past, such as Israel or the USA, or already be permanently resident in Germany.
  • Admission is also ruled out for example for persons who held a position in the former Soviet Union which was of significance to the Communist regime or who have been punished for offences which are to be regarded in Germany as deliberate criminal offences - except where such punishment was imposed by Soviet courts for politically-motivated reasons.

Victims of National Socialist persecution

The admission process for Jewish immigrants from the former Soviet Union has come into being out of an awareness of Germany’s historical responsibility. As a consequence, the following special arrangements apply to victims of National Socialist persecution:

All persons born in the region of origin before 1 January 1945 are assumed to be victims of National Socialist persecution. The following exemptions apply to such persons: The integration prognosis and the requirement of proof of German proficiency are waived.

Detailed information on the conditions applying to admission and the admission procedure can also be found in our information leaflet.

The legal basis

  • Section 23 subsection (2) of the Residence Act - Granting of residence by the supreme Land authorities; admission when special political interests apply; resettling persons seeking protection
  • Order of the Federal Ministry of the Interior of 4 May 2007, in the version of 22 April 2020, in accordance with section 23 subsection (2) of the Residence Act, on the admission of Jewish immigrants from the former Soviet Union with the exception of the Baltic states