COVID-19 , Date: 2020.03.18, format: Report, area: Authority , Information on the impact of the Corona virus

On this page we will provide you with regular reports on the impact of the Corona virus (COVID-19) in connection with the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF). This will provide you with an overview of the current information in the various areas (most recent update: 24 April 2020, 09:50 am).

You will find further important information on the websites of the Federal Government, the Federal Ministry of the Interior, Building and Community, and of the Robert Koch Institute.

Effects of coronavirus on voluntary return

Due to COVID-19, voluntary returns via the REAG/GARP programme cannot take place until further notice - initially until May 31, 2020.

The Federal Office for Migration and Refugees provides information on current situation on the information page on voluntary return www.ReturningfromGermany.de.

Entry and residence as part of EU mobility

Students, researchers and intra-corporate transferees who already hold a residence title from another EU Member State can enter and stay in Germany as part of EU mobility. They do not need a German residence title for this purpose; the host entity or company in the first EU Member State only has to send a notification to the Federal Office. The normal regulations for entry and residence apply in spite of the current situation:

  • As a matter of principle, mobile students may enter Germany 30 days after the Federal Office has received the complete notification if the Office has not issued a rejection within this period.
  • Mobile researchers and intra-corporate transferees may enter the country as soon as the Federal Office receives the complete notification.

Please however note that entry restrictions are currently in place at the borders. Due to the measures that have been imposed concerning Corona, there may therefore be controls on entry, and people may even be turned back. If a subsequent rejection is issued, the mobile third-country nationals must terminate their residence without undue delay and leave the country.

Residence as part of mobility is only possible via a valid residence title issued by another EU Member State. The Federal Office should be notified without undue delay if the residence title of the other State expires during residence in Germany and it is not possible to have it extended in time due to the current situation. [The mobility certificate may then be extended by way of exception for up to 90 days beyond the period of validity of the residence title that was issued by the first Member State. At the same time, however, mobile third-country nationals should continue their efforts to apply for an extension of the residence title in the first Member State.]

You can find more information on EU mobility on our website.

Information in terms of the law concerning residence regarding the current situation

Expiring residence titles

If an application for an extension is submitted before the residence title expires, the fiction of the continued validity of the residence title comes into effect by force of law on submission of the application (section 81 subsection (4), first sentence, of the Residence Act [AufenthG]). This also applies if the application is submitted informally. Schengen visas form an exception to this rule.

Please contact the responsible immigration authority in good time to apply for an extension. The immigration authority that is responsible for you can be identified using WebGIS.

Transfers to and from Germany under the Dublin Convention suspended until further notice

In the interests of containing the COVID-19 pandemic and preventing further chains of infection within the EU, the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees has been instructed to suspend all transfers to and from Germany under the Dublin Convention for the time being. This directive applies with immediate effect. Various member states have already suspended transfers under the Dublin Convention in the past few days and cancelled planned transfer dates. The Federal Office for Migration and Refugees will inform the member states about this decision forthwith.

Drawing short-time work allowance

Drawing short-time work allowance has no effect on the validity of a residence title. A person’s livelihood is considered secure as a matter of principle if it can be financed without recourse to public funds. Having said that, drawing benefits based on contributions does not constitute recourse to public funds (section 2 subsection (3), second sentence, No. 6 of the Residence Act). A person’s livelihood is therefore considered to be secured even if they are receiving short-time work allowance.

Drawing short-time work allowance also does not have a negative effect on residence titles such as the Blue Card, for which a salary threshold exists, if the salary falls below the respective salary threshold as a result.

Please always contact the competent immigration authority if you are affected by short-time work.

Overstaying the six-month limit period with regard to stays abroad

As a rule, a residence title expires if its holder remains abroad for more than six months without interruption (section 51 subsection (1) No. 7 of the Residence Act). Generous extensions can be granted to persons with German residence titles who are currently staying abroad and who are unable to return within the six-month period due to the current situation, provided that they apply before the end of the period.

Please immediately contact the competent immigration authority in this regard.

BAMF currently only accepting asylum applications in writing in standard cases

The Federal Office for Migration and Refugees has changed its policy of accepting applications in person in order to comply with the need to avoid contact, and is currently only accepting applications in writing. These are not "written asylum applications" in accordance with section 14 subsection (2) of the Asylum Act (AsylG), which are intended for example for unaccompanied minors or for applicants who are in detention or in hospital, but continue to be regarded as personal applications with "form applications", which are now permissible as part of a controlled procedure.
A prerequisite for applying by means of a "form application" is that applicants must have registered in an initial reception facility of the Federal Länder, where a proof of arrival (Ankunftsnachweis – AKN) is also issued. The "form application" is then completed, signed by the applicant in person, and then sent to the Federal Office, together with a copy of the proof of arrival. Once it has arrived, the Federal Office issues permissions to reside (Aufenthaltsgestattungen), and sends them to the applicant together with written instructions on the asylum procedure.

The Federal Office is currently concentrating its asylum efforts on taking decisions, if possible without conducting interviews. The Office has already taken 11,000 decisions in March 2020. Interviews are still also being held in special cases, particularly those relating to security. Mobile teams are being deployed for this purpose.

The Federal Office is currently creating interview facilities in the branch offices that comply with the regulations on infection protection. This is however not possible at all locations due to the space available. Within this framework, the BAMF plans to recommence interviews after Easter, prioritising urgent cases.
The personal interviews of all applicants concerning their individual reasons for flight, and the associated further processing of all asylum applications, will take place as soon as this is possible again due to the Corona pandemic.
These measures were taken in order to protect all those concerned and to break the chain of infection. The Federal Office is awaiting the further development of the stipulations on infection protection, and will adapt its interview practice accordingly should this be necessary.

Temporary suspension of asylum procedure counselling

In the light of current developments relating to coronavirus, asylum procedure counselling by the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees has been temporarily suspended. Information on the asylum procedure is available on this homepage.

Branch Office in Suhl temporarily closed

Due to the current spread of the Corona virus, the Suhl Branch Office of the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees is closed until 27 March. No asylum applications will be accepted in Suhl until that date, nor will any asylum interviews be held there.

Questioning in revocation proceedings suspended

The BAMF has suspended questioning in the revocation procedure, initially until 29 March 2020. Applications are currently only being accepted and interviews held in the asylum procedure if applicants either present a negative test for COVID-19, or a 14-day isolation period has been observed prior to the application or interview. However, due to the extremely dynamic nature of the developments, it cannot be ruled out at present that applications or interviews may have to be cancelled, including at short notice.

ERRIN (European Return and Reintegration Network)

As a result of the spread of COVID-19 (Corona), personal contact with the ERRIN Service Provider is currently only possible to a limited extent. Please contact the Service Provider via telephone, e-mail or Skype before your planned departure. Please always include contact details in your application so that you can be reached. ERRIN’s partner OFII has closed its offices in Cameroon, Mali, Morocco and Senegal, and has suspended all assistance.