Asylum is a right protected by the German constitution. People who are
fleeing violence, war and terror in other parts of the world may be protected here in
Germany. Find out how the asylum procedure works, about the right to asylum and the
different types of protection, as well as about the European context.
If you are in possession of a residence permit for reasons of international law, humanitarian or political reasons, you can obtain a permanent settlement permit after five years under certain conditions.
If you receive social benefits or are financially needy, you can take part in an integration course free of charge under certain conditions. This also applies to employees whose gross salary does not exceed a certain amount.
If you have successfully completed the integration course within 2 or 3 years, you can apply for a refund of 50 percent of your cost contribution under certain conditions.
If you are a recognised person entitled to asylum, a refugee under the Geneva Convention or a resettlement refugee, you can, under certain conditions, obtain a permanent settlement permit after three or five years.
If you have not reached level B1 in the final test of your integration course, you can repeat the language course once under certain conditions for a maximum of 300 teaching units.
If you are in possession of a residence permit for employment (gainful employment) and would like to change employers, this is possible under certain conditions.
If you would like to know what information about you is stored in the Central Register of Foreigners, you can obtain information under certain conditions. German citizens are not stored in the Central Register of Foreigners.