UK Nationals Support Fund (UKNSF) project

THIS PROJECT ENDED IN NOVEMBER 2021

IOM Germany provided additional support to UK Nationals who may find it harder to complete all their residency applications to secure and maintain their residency rights in Germany now that the United Kingdom has left the EU. Until the end of November 2021, through the UK Nationals Support Fund (UKNSF), IOM sought to assist those living in Germany in settling their residence status by offering various forms of support for 12 of Germany’s Federal States. 

Guidance on residence requirements for at-risk nationals

The project was aimed at UK nationals who may be particularly at risk or facing specific challenges, such as people living with disabilities, those grappling with chronic illness, language and literacy barriers, or barriers in accessing technology. IOM addressed UK Nationals' different needs from awareness raising to practical guidance on application procedures. Within the framework of the project, IOM supported people in Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Berlin, Brandenburg, Hesse, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Schleswig-Holstein and Thuringia. Please note that this project has now ended.

Residence rights support and information

If you are a UK national who was living in Germany before the end of 2020 you should report your residence to your local foreigners’ authority if you have not already done so in order to receive your new residence document (Aufenthaltsdokument-GB). See the German Interior Ministry’s FAQs and the UK Government’s guidance.

Please be aware that we are no longer able to take on new cases at this stage. For more information on your residence rights please see our UKNSF FAQ relating to any questions you may have regarding the process to obtain the residence document.

For general information about living in Germany, please take a look at the UK Government’s Living in Germany guide.

For all residence rights related matters, we recommend you reach out to your local foreigners’ authority which can be found here.

If you are in need of urgent assistance as a UK national living in Germany, please contact the consular support by the British Embassy here.

The project was conducted in close coordination with the British embassy in Berlin.

Information for UK Nationals returning to Germany after the 31 December 2020

If you have already lawfully been living in Germany before the end of 2020 and were abroad over the end of the transition period, we advise you to carry proof of your residence with you when returning home from 1 January 2021. For example, an official certificate of application (“Fiktionsbescheinigung”) from your local foreigners’ authority or alternatively proof of notification to your authority or if not available proof of the registration of your address (“Meldebescheinigung”).

Please refer to the travel advice by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office if you have any other concerns as well as for COVID-19 updates.

After the end of the transition period (on the 31 December 2020) UK nationals not resident in Germany will still be able to enter or travel to Schengen countries visa free for short visits (90 in 180 days). UK nationals will need to have at least 6 months left on their passports to travel to countries in the European Union from 1 January 2021.

Further information (as of November 2021): 

• Living in Germany Guide by the United Kingdom Government 
• Frequently Asked Questions - FAQs 
• BMI's Application Notes for the Withdrawal Agreement