Eligibility Quiz
Application Process
You apply for subsidiary protection through Germany's standard asylum procedure. You cannot apply directly for subsidiary protection—instead, you submit an asylum application, and BAMF (Bundesamt für Migration und Flüchtlinge, the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees) examines your case in a fixed order: first for refugee status, then for entitlement to asylum, and finally for subsidiary protection. Subsidiary protection is granted only if you don't qualify for the stronger forms of protection.
Step 1: Submit Your Asylum Application
Go to a reception center (Erstaufnahmestelle) or contact BAMF directly to file your asylum application. There is no online application portal for initial asylum claims—you must apply in person. You do not need documents to submit an application, though any evidence you have (written documents, videos, photographs) showing you face serious harm in your home country will strengthen your case.
Where to go: The nearest reception center in the state where you arrive, or BAMF's office locator.
Step 2: Registration and Documentation
After submitting your application, you will be registered in the system. You will receive documentation confirming your application has been filed. Until your residence permit is issued, your stay in Germany is legally permitted based on this registration.
Step 3: Attend Your Hearing (Interview)
BAMF will schedule a hearing where you meet with a BAMF employee to describe your flight history and current situation. An interpreter will always be present—you will not need to speak German. You will be asked detailed questions about your biography, why you fled, your escape route, and the specific dangers you face if you return home.
Critical: Answer all questions truthfully and accurately. Focus your testimony on the serious harm you face according to Section 4 of the Asylum Act (AsylG)—that is, death penalty, torture, inhuman treatment, or serious individual threats to your life or integrity from armed conflict. Do not emphasize economic hardship or other reasons unrelated to these grounds.
Step 4: BAMF Assessment and Decision
BAMF reviews your case and issues a written decision. The office will assess whether you qualify as a refugee, are entitled to asylum, or qualify for subsidiary protection. Subsidiary protection is granted only if you do not qualify for refugee status or entitlement to asylum, but you do face serious harm as defined in Section 4 AsylG.
What qualifies as serious harm for subsidiary protection:
- Imposition or enforcement of the death penalty, torture, or inhuman or degrading treatment
- A serious individual threat to your life or integrity from arbitrary force in an international or domestic armed conflict
- General dangers to civilians in armed conflict (only if there is a high risk that violence may cause death or serious injury)
You will not qualify if you have:
- Committed a war crime, crime against peace, or crime against humanity
- Committed a serious criminal offense
- Breached UN goals or principles
- Been finally sentenced to at least three years' imprisonment for a felony (or one year under certain conditions)
- Posed a security risk to Germany
Step 5: Apply for Your Residence Permit
Once BAMF grants you subsidiary protection, you must apply for your residence permit at the local immigration authority (Ausländerbehörde) responsible for your place of residence. You will need to provide copies of the data pages of your passport or passport replacement (the pages with your photo and personal information).
Where to apply: Contact the immigration office in your city or state. Berlin's immigration office (Landesamt für Einwanderung) can be reached here.
Step 6: Receive Your Three-Year Residence Permit
The immigration authority will issue you a residence permit valid for three years. This permit grants you the right to live, work, and access social services in Germany.
Important Residence Requirement
For the first three years, you are subject to a residence requirement: you must live in the federal state (Bundesland) where you were assigned during the asylum procedure. This requirement can be lifted early if you, your spouse, registered partner, or a minor child:
- Take up employment subject to social security contributions for at least 15 hours per week with a minimum monthly income of €723 (as of current rates), or
- Begin vocational training or studies
Extension After Three Years
When your three-year permit expires, you can apply for an extension at the same immigration authority. Extensions are granted for another three years if the serious harm conditions that qualified you for subsidiary protection still exist in your home country.
Fees
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Asylum application | Free |
| Residence permit issuance | Free |
| Residence permit extension | Free |
| Family reunification visa (adult) | €75 |
| Family reunification visa (minor child) | €37.50 |
Total estimate for initial protection: €0. You pay nothing for the asylum application or residence permit.
Does not include: Document translation and apostille (if required), legal representation, travel to appointments, or costs related to family reunification visas (which are currently suspended until July 23, 2027).
Processing Time
Asylum Procedure
The research sources do not specify a fixed timeline for the complete asylum procedure leading to a subsidiary protection decision. Processing times vary significantly based on:
- Complexity of your case
- BAMF's current workload
- Your country of origin
- Availability of country information relevant to your claim
Residence Permit Issuance
Until your residence permit is formally issued, your stay remains legally permitted based on your asylum application registration. There is no specified timeline for residence permit issuance after BAMF's positive decision, but applications are typically processed within weeks at the local immigration authority.
Residence Permit Validity
Your residence permit is valid for three years from issuance. Extensions are granted for another three years each time you renew.
Family Reunification Processing
Family reunification for beneficiaries of subsidiary protection is currently suspended until July 23, 2027. After this date, if the suspension is lifted, family reunification procedures have historically experienced long waiting times at German embassies, with some cases exceeding 52 weeks.