Section 24 in Germany: how long it is valid and how to switch to another permit

Section 24 permits have been extended automatically until 4 March 2027, and EU protection until March 2028. Here is what Section 24 gives and how to move in advance to work, the EU Blue Card, studies or family without leaving Germany.

In detail

Section 24 of the Residence Act is a German residence permit for people who left Ukraine because of the war. Permits that were valid on 1 February 2026 have been extended automatically until 4 March 2027. With them you work without restrictions, travel in the Schengen area and switch to a work, study or family residence permit without leaving Germany.

Below: how long Section 24 is valid, what it gives and how to move in advance to a ground that does not depend on extensions.

How long Section 24 is valid

Section 24 permits that were valid on 1 February 2026 have been extended by a government regulation until 4 March 2027. There is no need to extend each one separately or to visit the foreigners authority: the permit stays valid on the same terms.

The EU has already extended temporary protection until 4 March 2028. The German government's official portal for people from Ukraine says it will update the information on the dates. The reliable plan is not to wait for another extension but to move in advance to a ground that does not depend on it.

Arriving from Ukraine now

People who enter Germany from Ukraine before 4 December 2027 can stay for 90 days without a residence permit and get one inside Germany.

Since 9 October 2026 men who have military obligations to Ukraine need to prove they have met them to use this rule. The new condition does not apply to people who already live in the EU under protection.

In the first 90 days after arrival you can apply straight away for a study or work residence permit instead of Section 24. The official portal notes that this route may be more advantageous.

What Section 24 gives

• Work for any employer without restrictions, including through staffing agencies.
• You can also work with a provisional document if it carries a note that work is allowed.
• Diploma recognition is needed only for professions with special licensing: doctor, teacher, architect.
• Pay is at least the minimum wage, as for every worker in Germany.
• Schengen travel for up to 90 days in any 180 days.

How to switch from Section 24 to another residence permit

You can change the ground without leaving Germany: the application goes to the local foreigners authority. Leaving the country for a visa is generally not needed - the Federal Ministry of the Interior has explained this to the state authorities.

The authorities have to tell people about this option. What matters:

• some grounds are held in parallel with Section 24;
• for others, such as the EU Blue Card, Section 24 is given up;
• if the new ground is later dropped, Section 24 can be requested again while protection lasts.

Which ground to choose depends on education, work and family. The main options are below.

Work: EU Blue Card and work residence permit

The EU Blue Card is for specialists with a university degree recognised in Germany. You need an employment contract and a salary above the threshold. In 2026 the threshold is about $57,000 a year before tax. For shortage occupations and graduates who got their degree no more than 3 years ago it is about $52,000.

If the salary is below the threshold or the education is vocational rather than higher, the work residence permit for skilled workers fits. More in the articles German residence for specialists and German work residence permit.

Studies and vocational training

University studies require admission, knowledge of the language of instruction and money to live on. The money is usually shown in a blocked account: currently about $1,200 a month, or about $14,000 for a year.

Vocational training in a German company is another route. It gives a residence permit for the training period and then a path to a work residence permit.

Family

If a husband, wife or parent lives in Germany on another ground - work, studies or citizenship - family reunification fits. The conditions are in the article family reunification in Germany.

Your own business

Your own company in Germany is also a ground for a residence permit. How to set one up is covered in company registration in Germany.

What comes next: permanent residence and citizenship

Work, study and family grounds lead to permanent residence and then to German citizenship. Timelines and conditions are in the articles permanent residence in Germany and German citizenship in 2026.

How the switch after protection works in Poland, Czechia, the Netherlands and Spain is covered in what happens after EU temporary protection ends.

Money for the move and life in Germany

Studies and many residence permits require proof of money in an account. Since 11 August 2026 the National Bank of Ukraine has raised the main limits: payments abroad from a hryvnia account - up to 200,000 hryvnias (about $4,500) a month, payments for studies and medical treatment - with no cap.

All legal routes are in the articles how to transfer money out of Ukraine and how to send money to Germany, and a plan for a large sum is on the capital relocation page.

Not sure which ground fits you? Ask us in the chat - a manager will look at your case and suggest the next step.

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