Help for Ukrainian refugees in Chemnitz

Please go to the reception centre for the State of Saxony:

Aufnahmeeinrichtung Meerane
Seiferitzer Schulweg 10
08394 Meerane

All refugees will be received and registered here at any time of day or night. Refugees will be relocated to the towns and districts at a later date.
 

Please note that, due the nationwide distribution system, it is currently to be expected that persons from Ukraine seeking protection will be forwarded from Saxony to other federal states.

Exceptions to this may be considered in the following cases:

• arrival of further members of a nuclear family (spouses or underage children) that already has its main residence in the city of Chemnitz
• binding commitment to take up training, studies or employment in Chemnitz (with submission of the relevant evidence, including proof of the corresponding accommodation)
• other individual cases related to the city of Chemnitz, such as participation in competitive sports, individual integration needs of people with disabilities, specific medical treatment needs

The Immigration Authority will decide whether admission to the city of Chemnitz is possible on the basis of these criteria.

Are you a Ukrainian refugee who needs help with the translation of your documents?

The Volunteer Centre will be happy to put you in touch with a translator. Please contact the

Chemnitz Volunteer Centre (Freiwilligenzentrum Chemnitz)
Tel.: +49 (0)371 83 44 56 70
Send email
Website
 

Residence permits for Ukrainian refugees that are still valid remain valid. Holders of the permits are spared the need to apply for an extension and the associated appointments with the immigration authorities.

Ukraine residence permit extended until 2025

Under the Ukraine Residence Permit Continued Validity Ordinance, residence permits for temporary protection that are still valid as of 1 February 2024 will be automatically extended until 4 March 2025. These were and are granted in accordance with Section 24 (1) of the Residence Act for foreigners who have travelled to Germany due to the war in Ukraine. Refugees do not need to visit the relevant foreigners authority for an extension.
 

Chemnitz has lots of attractive options when it comes to accommodation, from a range of providers: housing enterprises, housing associations and other property owners. It’s up to you what you choose.

However, you will need to bear a few things in mind – not all accommodation will be suitable for you:

• if you receive social welfare benefits, the responsible service provider will only cover appropriate costs, i.e. the rent must not be too high.

The City of Chemnitz Unterkunfts- und Heizungskostenrichtlinie (Accommodation and Heating Costs Guidelines) apply to all rentals.

Depending on the number of members in the “benefit community” or household (Bedarfsgemeinschaft), the following maximum expenditure for accommodation is appropriate:

• You can also sublet a property from other tenants. A sublet agreement must be signed in this case. However, you may only do so if those tenants have the written permission of the landlord.
  
  The City of Chemnitz Unterkunfts- und Heizungskostenrichtlinie (Accommodation and Heating Costs Guidelines) also apply to sublet agreements.
   
• You must have written approval of your accommodation from the Sozialamt (Social Welfare Office) before you sign a tenancy or sublet agreement.
  
  Please use our Prospective Accommodation Enquiry form. This summarises all the information you need to provide about your prospective accommodation.
  
  > Form Anfrage Wohnungsangebot (Social Welfare Office (Sozialamt)
  
  Please give this form to your prospective landlord, and ask them to complete it and to the Sozialamt by post or by email to sozialamt-ukraine@stadt-chemnitz.de.
  
  The Sozialamt can only check whether your chosen apartment is suitable and confirm that you can rent it if they have the completed form.
   
• At the Job Centre, you may make a prospective accommodation enquiry (Anfrage zum Wohnungsangebot) informally by email: jobcenter-chemnitz@jobcenter-ge.de.
   
• Many landlords ask for a “Mietsicherheit” or “Mietkaution” when agreeing a rental contract – this is a deposit against damage or non-payment of rent.
  
  Housing associations normally ask you to purchase “Genossenschaftsanteile” (cooperative shares in the association) in order to use their accommodation. However, recipients of social benefits can often rent this accommodation without purchasing shares: housing associations will accept a deposit instead. Please ask your housing association for more details.
  
  If you have to pay a deposit and the apartment is considered appropriate, the Sozialamt will issue your landlord with a security guarantee or pay a cash deposit.

Please submit your request for furniture to the competent service provider. The following upper limits apply:

1-person household:     €990.00
2-person household:  €1,115.00
3-person household:  €1,340.00
4-person household:  €1,450.00
The amount will be increased by €110.00 for each additional person.

Sums are paid to individuals who are entitled to benefits or can be paid directly to landlords if they have furnished the accommodation. Please note that the sum is intended to cover all items of furniture required.

If you have found fully furnished accommodation, you will not need to buy any basic furniture. Your landlord will add the relevant charge to your rent.

If a supplement for furniture is added to the rent, the rent must still be reasonable.

Some accommodation is already partially furnished. You may submit an application to the Social Welfare Office to cover other basic furniture and items that you require. The amount of money granted will be reduced in proportion to the furniture that is already available in your accommodation.

The Freiwilligenzentrum (Chemnitz Volunteer Centre) is coordinating aid on behalf of the City of Chemnitz during the war in Ukraine. It acts as the contact point for anyone who needs – or would like to offer – help. 

Freiwilligenzentrum Chemnitz (Chemnitz Volunteer Centre)
Tel.: +49 (0)371 83 44 56 70
Send email
Website

The volunteer centre publishes a list of contact points for refugees, which is regularly updated:

> Contact points and assistance for refugees from Ukraine

This applies to anyone who holds a probationary certificate (Fiktionsbescheinigung) issued by the Immigration Authority or a residence permit under Section 24(1) of the Aufenthaltsgesetz (Residence Act) and who is unable to earn a living.

Living expenses will be the responsibility of the following service providers depending on the age of the applicant:

*The age limit refers to the cut-off date of 01.05.2023. With each successive month, the age limit shifts by another month. Example: on 01.06.2023 the age limit changes to 01.07.1957.

You can contact the following advice centres:
 

In order to cover the costs of necessary medical treatment, please contact your competent service provider, job centre or social welfare office. 

1. Ukrainian refugees receiving benefits from the Job Centre:
   
   In principle, recipients of SGB II benefits are subject to compulsory insurance in the statutory health and long-term care insurance fund.
   
   You can select a statutory health insurance institution of your choice (right to choose).
   
   Further advice and information is available from the job centre or online at: https://www.jobcenter-ge.de/Jobcenter/Chemnitz/DE/Leistungen/EAS/eas_node.html
   
    
2. Ukrainian refugees receiving benefits from the Social Welfare Office under the Asylum Seekers’ Benefits Act (AsylbLG)
   
   Recipients of basic benefits under AsylbLG receive a medical treatment certificate from the Social Welfare Office (Sozialamt) for the treatment of acute illnesses and pain conditions. Please indicate your needs by sending an email to sozialamt-ukraine@stadt-chemnitz.de. You will be sent a medical treatment certificate within a few days.
    

The following doctors and practice teams are providing medical care to refugees from the war in Ukraine.

Please present your treatment certificate when you attend the practice.
 

In an emergency, they will treat you without a medical certificate.

If you have a serious emergency, we recommend you to the hospitals in Chemnitz.

> Hospitals and medical practices in Chemnitz
 

Psychological first aid, alleviating distress through talking, coping with stress arising from flight and immigration, referral/accompaniment to other support services.

The Psychosocial Centre - Chemnitz Counselling Centre is a counselling centre for people with a refugee and migration background. The staff (psychologists and social education specialists) will advise and support you with dealing with the psychological distress of war and flight. Interpreters for various languages can accompany you to the counselling services. You can access the services of the Psychosocial Centre - Chemnitz Counselling Centre free of charge, irrespective of your legal status and health insurance coverage, and without a referral.

Contact:            
PSYCHOSOZIALES ZENTRUM - Beratungsstelle Chemnitz (PSYCHOSOCIAL CENTRE - Chemnitz Counselling Centre)
Düsseldorfer Platz 1, 09111 Chemnitz
Tel. / Fax: 0371 404672-02 / 03
www.sfz-chemnitz.de

 

Under sections 6 and 7 of the Protection against Infection Act, certain infectious diseases and conditions (notifiable diseases) must be notified to the higher regional and federal authorities.

These include, among others:

• Tuberculosis
• Head lice
• Adenoviruses
• Campylobacter
• Hepatitis 
• Scabies 
• Legionnaire’s disease
• Measles
• Meningococcus
• Norovirus
• Salmonella
• Warts

If you know or suspect that you are suffering from one of these diseases or conditions, please contact the Chemnitz Health Department (Amt für Gesundheit und Prävention) as quickly as possible. Please make sure to state which infection you are suffering from. It is absolutely essential that you make an appointment.

• by emailing infektionsschutz@stadt-chemnitz.de
   
• by sending a fax to +49 (0)371 488-5396
   
• by writing to Stadt Chemnitz, Amt für Gesundheit und Prävention, Allgemeiner Infektionsschutz, Am Rathaus 8, 09111 Chemnitz.

> More information on infectious diseases and conditions

> More information on tuberculosis treatment in the City of Chemnitz

Further information on tuberculosis is available at:

- www.explaintb.org

- www.dzk-tuberkulose.de

All recommended vaccinations can be performed at the joint vaccination centre of Klinikum Chemnitz and the City of Chemnitz, Bürgerstrasse 2:

• SARS-CoV-2 (coronavirus)
• Influenza (flu)
• TBE (tick-borne encephalitis)
• Hepatitis A+B (jaundice)
• Measles, mumps, rubella, chickenpox
• Tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis (whooping cough), polio
• Pneumococcus (pneumonia/inflammation of the lungs)
• Herpes zoster (shingles)
• HPV (cervical cancer)
• Meningococcus (meningitis)

Impfstelle Klinikum Chemnitz (Klinikum Chemnitz vaccination centre)
Küchwald site, Bürgerstraße 2

Opening hours:
Wednesdays 10.00 to 13.30 and 14.00 to 18.00.

It is essential to book an appointment.

Appointments can be booked online or by calling the service number 115.

Available dates are displayed on the portal. 

• Appointment booking portal of the City of Chemnitz

If necessary, please cancel booked appointments in good time (up to six hours before the appointment) so that vaccines are not wasted. We reserve the right to charge you for the costs of non-attendance if you do not cancel in time. By booking the appointment you agree to this regulation.

If you have brought pet dogs, cats or ferrets with you, you must take them to the local veterinary office immediately:
 

Lebensmittelüberwachungs- und Veterinäramt (Office for Food Control and Veterinary Inspection)
Düsseldorfer Platz 1
09111 Chemnitz

Tel. +49 (0)371 4 88 39 00

Email: vetamt@stadt-chemnitz.de

> Form for people entering the country with pets

The Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (Bundesanstalt für Finanzdienstleistungsaufsicht, BaFin) announced on 11 March 2022 that Ukrainians fleeing the war would be able to open a bank account in Germany without any bureaucratic requirements. To do so, you simply need to present a Ukrainian identity card. This will allow you to receive social benefit payments, for example.

Please provide the account number when applying for social benefits so that a transfer can be made. If you have already submitted an application for benefits, you can also provide your bank details retrospectively.

Until further notice, Deutsche Telekom will make calls and send SMS from landline & mobile phones to Ukraine free of charge. This applies to private and business customers and to congstar. Roaming in Ukraine will also be free of charge.
> www.telekom.de
 

To enable family members, relatives and friends to stay in touch, Vodafone have taken the following measures: Phone calls and SMS from the German Vodafone network to Ukraine are now free of charge. For our customers who are currently in Ukraine, roaming charges will be waived with immediate effect.
> www.vodafone.de/ukraine.html
 

There are many private individuals, volunteers and aid organisations who are only too happy to offer you assistance.

Unfortunately, there are also people who may seek to take advantage of your situation and try to exploit you. So please be careful!

In order to protect yourself:

• Never give your passport or mobile phone to other people for safekeeping.
• Tell your family or friends where you are going and where you are living.
• Be wary of any offers of work immediately upon your arrival.
• Leave your accommodation if you do not feel safe.
• Be wary of anyone who asks you for money or tries to pressure you into doing something you don't want to do.
• Remember: Advice and assistance relating to your residence or social law issues are free of charge.

If you find yourself in immediate danger or suspect that you're in danger, please call the police on 110!

If you have the feeling that someone is trying to exploit you or your situation, please contact the free advice centre in Saxony below:

Yes, your child will be given a place in a day-care centre in Chemnitz.

Please make an appointment to request a day-care place for your child by emailing jugendamt.platzvergabe@stadt-chemnitz.de or by calling +49 (0)371 488-5900.

Please bring an official identity document (passport or ID card) and your registration certificate (Meldebescheinigung) from the Residents’ Registration Office with you to your appointment.
 

Which day‑care centre will my child attend?

The staff at the placement office will work with you to find a suitable centre and put you in touch with it.


What documents do I need to enrol my child in a day‑care centre?

You need to present the following documents in order to conclude a childcare contract with your day‑care centre:

• Application for admission to the day-care centre
• Official identity document
• Registration certificate (Meldebescheinigung) from the Residents’ Registration Office
• Medical certificate from a doctor
• Proof of immune protection against measles

How many hours a day can my child spend in childcare?

Crèche/day‑care centre: 7.5 hours

After‑school centre: 4 hours, in conjunction with attending a primary school

The hours may be increased if you can present proof that you have started work.


Do I have to pay a parental contribution?

Yes, the regulations on contributions payable by parents require you to pay.

Examples of parental contributions per month (first child in a two-parent family):

Crèche, 7.5 hours:           €157.14

Kindergarten, 7.5 hours:   €107.02

After-school centre, 4 hours:  €48.35

> Overview of the parental contributions payable by individual families depending on their situation (Parental Contributions Regulations)
 

Can parental contributions be waived, in part or in full?

Yes. If you can present proof that you are receiving benefits under the Asylum Seekers’ Benefits Act, you can apply to have your parental contributions waived. Further information is available from your day‑care centre or the service portal:

> Apply for a waiver

How do I register my child to receive meals in a day‑care centre?

Your day‑care centre will give you a meals contract for the centre’s meals service.


Can contributions to meals be waived, in part or in full?

Families on low incomes in Chemnitz have the opportunity to receive subsidies for school and kindergarten lunches through the “education and participation package” (Bildungs- und Teilhabepaket).

After registering with the immigration authorities, Ukrainian children and young people in Saxony should quickly be given access to a school education with all the associated rights and duties.

The plan is to use the existing, proven, step-by-step approach to integration to enable children and young people who have fled Ukraine to continue their education. Wherever possible, it is also planned to provide instruction in the language of origin in order to enable pupils to form a link between their current learning and their previous education.

When enrolling, all children and young people are required to participate in a special education counselling session held at the State Office for Schools and Education, Chemnitz, Annaberger Strasse 119. This always takes place on Tuesdays from 13.00 to 17.30. We recommend booking a session in advance to reduce waiting times.

Contact for questions to the Saxon State Office for Schools and Education (Landesamt für Schule und Bildung), Chemnitz office:

Claudia Elsner, telephone: +49 (0)371 5366-355; email: claudia.elsner@lasub.smk.sachsen.de

Further information:

> Letter to parents from the Saxon State Office for Schools and Education
 

If you hold a residence permit pursuant to Section 24 of AufenthG or a probationary certificate (Fiktionsbescheinigung) pursuant to Section 81 (5) and (5a) of AufenthG, you may qualify for child benefit for one child if you

• are in employment or
• are receiving unemployment benefit I having been in employment, or
• are on parental leave.

The residence permit referred to above must expressly declare that you are allowed to work; this is indicated on the permit by the words “Erwerbstätigkeit erlaubt” (“permitted to work”).

If you are not in employment, you are only entitled to child benefit if you have been resident in Germany for at least 15 months.

If you have several children, you can apply for child benefit for each child.

Minors and young people who have a residence permit and have arrived in Germany without their parents are entitled to child benefit in the first 15 months of their residency. They are not required to be in employment.

However, this only applies for children whose parents have died or have been declared dead (orphans), and for children who do not know where their parents are.

Child benefit is currently set at:

A maintenance advance is a state welfare benefit that aims to ensure children continue to receive maintenance support.

To apply for a maintenance advance, please download the relevant form from the City of Chemnitz service portal.

> Apply for maintenance advance

Applications for a maintenance advance is to be posted to:

Stadt Chemnitz
Jugendamt
Unterhaltsvorschussstelle
09106 Chemnitz

Or placed in the letter box at Moritzhof, Bahnhofstrasse 53 (please write “Unterhaltsvorschuss” [“maintenance advance”] on the envelope).

Alternatively, you can get applications for maintenance advances from the following offices:

⦁    Moritzhof Approvals Service (Bahnhofstrasse 53)
⦁    Telephone number: +49 (0)371 / 488-5971
⦁    by email

Please note the advice on the Information sheet about the documents you need to submit.

If you have taken in children or adolescents without their parents, the youth welfare office (Jugendamt) must check whether the parents agree to you providing care as a relative, friend or acquaintance. We will be happy to contact you about this. Please contact Jugendamt Chemnitz at jugendamt.clearing@stadt-chemnitz.de or by phone on +49 151 72012471.

We will make an appointment with you and discuss everything else in person.

If you take in a child for an extended period of time, you need a fostering licence from the youth welfare office (Jugendamt). You can also get help here with any questions you may have.

You can contact the Foster Care Service (Pflegekinderdienst) by email at jugendamt.pkd@stadt-chemnitz.de or by phone on +49 151 72012471.

Do you need help because you yourself are seriously ill or because you have to accompany one of your children to the hospital?

In emergencies like these, please contact the Emergency Service for Children and Young People (Kinder- und Jugendnotdienst). This service is open 24/7, and children can be taken into care in an emergency:

Kinder- und Jugendnotdienst
Flemmingstraße 97
09116 Chemnitz
Tel.: +49 (0)371 3344566
 

There are four family and education advice centres in Chemnitz that can advise you on questions relating to childcare, education and educational issues.

AWO, tel.: +49 (0)371 91 89 97 80

KJF, tel.: +49 (0)371 49 50 21 50

City of Chemnitz, tel.: +49 (0)371 4 88 51 65

Stadtmission (City Mission), tel.: +49 (0)371 6 00 48 50
 

Are unaccompanied minors who are refugees from Ukraine being received?

Occasionally, unaccompanied minors from Ukraine have entered the country as refugees. Due to their young age, in the past accommodation has been found for these individuals in residential groups for adolescents.

What will the procedure for receiving unaccompanied minors in Chemnitz be?

Children and young people who arrive in Chemnitz without their parents will be taken in by the initial reception centre for asylum seekers initially. Chemnitz Children’s Services (Jugendamt) will be informed if a minor unaccompanied refugee is received, and the child will be taken into a care facility run by the City of Chemnitz.

Are there enough places available in care facilities for child refugees from Ukraine?

Chemnitz Children’s Services (Jugendamt) are obliged to take in minor unaccompanied refugees who arrive in Chemnitz. There are two care facilities in our city available for this purpose. In order to ensure that we can meet any additional demand for places, we are currently working very intensively to expand our capacity at short notice.

The National Centre for Early Prevention (Nationales Zentrum Frühe Hilfen, NZFH) has put together an overview of advisory services and important information, which is continuously updated and available in German, Ukrainian and English.

> www.elternsein.info
 

Refugees from Ukraine who hold a residence permit under Section 24 of AufenthG (German Residence Act) can now access to national advice and language-learning services with immediate effect.

These include:

• Migrationsberatung für Erwachsene (MBE) – Migration Advice Service for Adult Immigrants
• “MiA” courses: “Migrant women simply strong in daily life”, a service specifically for women
• Initial orientation courses
• Integration courses and
• German for professional purposes
• Courses for young people and women
• Learning a new alphabet

As a refugee from Ukraine, you have protected status under an EU directive. This means that you don’t have to apply for asylum. You'll also be given a residence permit that allows you to work, study, or undertake vocational training in Germany.

If you're looking for a job or a training position in Chemnitz, the employment agency is the place to go. The staff there will help you find a suitable job.

> Employment agency information
 

The Stadtsportbund Chemnitz (Chemnitz Sports Association) can provide information on sports clubs in Chemnitz.

Contact:
Jenny Julian
Integration durch Sport (Integration Through Sport) Project Coordinator at the Stadtsportbund Chemnitz e.V.
Tel. +49 (0) 371 335600040 or
Email: jenny.julian@sportbund-chemnitz.de

Further information: www.sport-in-chemnitz.de

Chemnitz City Library offers up-to-date media services, also in Ukrainian and English.

You can temporarily use these free of charge. Please bring your Ukrainian ID card with you for this.
 

Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk (“mdr”), the broadcaster for central Germany, has set up a Ukrainian online portal:

> www.mdr.de/nachrichten/willkommen-ukraine/index.html