Armed conflict in Ukraine

The GRC Tracing Service assists separated families with urgent tracing needs in this difficult situation.

Currently in Ukraine, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the Ukrainian Red Cross (URC) are strongly limited in their ability to actively search for missing persons, transmit Red Cross messages and visit detainees. Even outside Ukraine, the ongoing refugee movements make it difficult to clarify the whereabouts of relatives with who have lost contact with each other. The National Red Cross Societies in the countries bordering Ukraine, such as the Polish Red Cross, are supporting persons seeking protection by taking measures aimed at maintaining communication with their loved ones.

Persons who are searching for a relative can contact any GRC Tracing Service support centre in Germany. Contact details can be found at: Suchende Angehörige können sich an jede DRK-Suchdienst-Beratungsstelle im Bundesgebiet wenden. Die Kontaktdaten finden Sie unter: GRC Tracing Service branch near you.

Urgent tracing requests can also be addressed directly to the International Tracing Department.

Ukrainian nationals holding a biometric passport are allowed to enter the Federal Republic of Germany without a visa for a short stay of up to 90 days. The regulation issued by the Federal Ministry of the Interior and Community (BMI) of 7 March 2022, also granted a comprehensive exemption from the visa requirement for long-term stays and, in general for other groups of persons from Ukraine.

The regulation has been extended regularly since then. 

The EU Council Decision of 04 March 2022, pursuant to Article 5 (1) of EU Council Directive 2001/55/EC of 20 July 2001, establishes that, due to the armed conflict in Ukraine, persons seeking protection must be granted temporary protection status in one of the Member States with minimal bureaucratic formalities. On 18 March 2022, the EU Commission published guidelines on the uniform application of the decision in the member states.

In Germany, the decision was specified in detail by the Federal Ministry of the Interior. The following groups of persons are immediately entitled to a residence permit in Germany in accordance with Section 24 of the Residence Act: 

• Ukrainian nationals who were residing in Ukraine before 24 February 2022, as well as their family members.
• Stateless persons and nationals of third countries other than Ukraine who benefited from international protection or equivalent national protection in Ukraine before 24 February 2022, as well as their family members.
• Stateless persons and nationals of other third countries who can prove that they were legally resident in Ukraine before 24 February 2022 on the basis of a valid permanent residence permit issued under Ukrainian law and who are unable to return safely and permanently to their country or region of origin.  
• Non-Ukrainian third-country nationals who can prove that they were legally residing in Ukraine on 24 February 2022, not just for a temporary short stay, and who are unable to return safely and permanently to their country or region of origin.
• Ukrainian nationals who were already residing in Germany with a residence title, regardless of their date of entry

On 15 July 2025, the Council of the European Union adopted a new implementing decision (2025/1460). This extends temporary protection for persons from Ukraine for an additional year until 4 March 2027.  

The Second Regulation Amending the Ukraine Residence Permit Continuation Regulation (2. UkraineAufenthÄndFGV) was published in the Federal Law Gazette, BGBl. 2025 I No. 252 of 27 October 2025. According to this regulation, it is not necessary to extend the current residence permits, as these are automatically extended for the duration of the new EU implementing decision.

This means that residence permits pursuant to Section 24 (1) of the Residence Act (AufenthG) that are valid on 1 February 2026, including the conditions and ancillary provisions of the permit, will remain valid until 4 March 2027 without extension in individual cases.

For details on the subject of persons entitled to protection from Ukraine – family unity and family reunification – please refer to the specialist information of the GRC Tracing Service dated 17 March 2022.

If you have any questions about family reunification with persons entitled to protection from Ukraine, you can contact any GRC Tracing Service support centre in Germany. You can find the contact details at: GRC tracing service near you.

For further details and questions regarding residence and the associated social rights, please refer to the regularly updated websites of the Federal Government and the Information Network on Asylum and Migration:  

• Federal Ministry of the Interior and Community (BMI)
• Asylum and Migration Information Network 

If you have any questions about asylum applications, please contact a qualified asylum advice centre.
 

The Federal Office of Administration (BVA) has posted a leaflet for admission applicants from Ukraine on its website:

The central statements can be summarised as follows:

• In the written admission procedure, applications from persons residing in Ukraine, with the exception of Crimea, will be given priority, but due to the large number of applications, immediate processing cannot be expected in each individual case.
• The BVA will support the aforementioned group of persons if there should be any problems of proof in the areas of origin, language or confession.
• The BVA expressly points out the possibility of carrying out a hardship procedure if applicants for admission are not yet in possession of a notification of admission. The BVA assumes that applicants from Ukraine meet the criteria of hardship within the meaning of section 27 (1) sentence 2 of the Federal Expellees Act (BVFG).
• Even in the case of admission by way of hardship, the other admission requirements (origin, language, confession at the time of entry) must be fulfilled; a subsequent acquisition of the necessary language skills in Germany is not possible. An exception applies only if the stay in Germany is temporary (up to 6 months).
• In addition, the BVA has set up a hotline for this group of persons, telephone: +49(0)2289 / 93 58 –20255 and also refers to the possibility of making contact by e-mail ukaine-friedland(at)bva.bund.de

For further questions on the admission procedure, please contact the  GRC Tracing Service support centres in the GRC regional and district branches and the staff at the GRC Tracing Service Hamburg Office.

Since activating a National Information Bureau (NIB) is only required for parties to a conflict and the Federal Republic of Germany is not in an armed conflict, there is currently no need to activate the NIB.

In the event of war, the Geneva Conventions provide for the signatory states to set up national information centres to collect and forward information on prisoners of war and civilian internees. Through this so-called National Information Bureau (NIB), all parties to the conflict are to ensure that families receive information about the fate of their missing relatives. In the current conflict between Russia and Ukraine, both states are thus required to collect the data of prisoners of war and civilian internees. The ICRC is usually responsible for mediating enquiries. In Germany, the GRC Tracing Service was entrusted in 1966 with the planning, provision and performance of such a NIB.

The GRC Tracing Service is responding nationwide to the needs of those seeking protection due to the armed conflict in Ukraine. In view of the situation, the Tracing Service Head Office has produced new public relations materials at short notice, or has had already existing materials translated into Ukrainian, with which we would like to address family members who are looking for a relative and inform them on how the Tracing Service can help them. If you would like to receive the following materials as print-quality files, please contact suchdienst(at)drk.de, mentioning the materials and languages you require.