Apply for benefits under the Asylum Seekers Benefits Act

Benefits under the Asylum Seekers Benefits Act must be applied for.

The application must be submitted to the locally responsible district administration or independent city (social welfare office). This can initially be done informally. In some districts, the task is transferred to subordinate departments, such as local authorities.

Entitled to benefits under the AsylbLG are foreigners who are actually resident in Germany and who

• have a residence permit in accordance with the Asylum Act,
• wish to enter the country via an airport and are not or not yet permitted to enter the country,
• have a residence permit
  • because of the war in their home country (residence permit for temporary protection)
  • because of urgent humanitarian or personal reasons or there is a considerable public interest in their continued temporary presence in the federal territory
  • if the decision on the suspension of their deportation was made less than 18 months ago,
• have a tolerated stay permit in accordance with the Residence Act,

• are obliged to leave the country, even if a threat of deportation is not yet or no longer enforceable,
• are spouses, life partners or minor children of the above-mentioned persons without themselves fulfilling the above-mentioned requirements, or
• submit a subsequent application or a second application.

The entitlement to benefits ends upon departure or at the end of the month in which

• the requirement for benefits ceases to apply or
• the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) has recognized the foreigner as a person entitled to asylum or a court has obliged the Federal Office to recognize them.

• Application for benefits
• Valid residence document (e.g. passport, residence permit, tolerated stay permit, etc.)
• Proof of income and assets
• If necessary, further documents supporting the application, e.g. medical certificates etc.

The scope of the required documents is determined by the responsible benefits authority based on the specifics of the individual case.

None - Applying for benefits under the Asylum Seekers Benefits Act is free of charge.

Benefits can only be paid from the date of application.

The processing time depends on the specifics of the individual case.

• Asylum Seekers' Benefits Act (AsylbLG)
• § Section 264 of the Fifth Social Code (SGB V)
• § Section 23 Residence Act (AufenthG)
• § Section 24 Residence Act (AufenthG)
• § Section 25 Residence Act (AufenthG)
• § Section 60 Residence Act (AufenthG)
• § Section 71 of the Asylum Act (AsylG)
• § Section 71a of the Asylum Act (AsylG)
• § 2 State Reception Act (LAufnG)

Applications/forms can be obtained from the local benefits authority. An informal application is sufficient to meet the deadline.

In Rhineland-Palatinate, the implementation of the Asylum Seekers Benefits Act is assigned to the district administrations and, in independent cities, to the municipal administrations as a mandatory task of self-administration.

Information on the application of the Asylum Seekers Benefits Act from the Rhineland-Palatinate Ministry for Family Affairs, Women, Youth, Integration and Consumer Protection can be found at the following link:

• Legal basis