Living in Stuttgart / Wohnen in Stuttgart

During your asylum process, you will live in shared accommodation in Stuttgart. Life can be difficult in shared accommodation, as there are a lot of different people living together in cramped conditions. If you are unhappy in your shelter or feel uncomfortable with your fellow residents, or if you are experiencing any other problems, your should speak with a social worker about this. There are established rules, which make living together easier in the shared accommodation. The visitor regulations are not aimed at being restrictive but at protecting you, for example, from illegal moneymakers, drug dealers and sects.

You must adhere to the house rules at your shelter. They include various rules that apply to the building. It is a rule, for example, that you are not allowed to smoke inside the building and it is also forbidden to switch off the smoke alarm or cook in your room. These rules protect you and other people staying in the shelter from fire. There is a shared kitchen in the shelter for you to do your cooking in.

If your asylum process has not been completed within 2 years, you will be moved to new accommodation.

Germany is one of the safest countries in the world. It is illegal to use any kind of violence against another person. People acting in defiance of this law through the use of violence will be prosecuted. If you feel threatened or you can see that other people are under threat of violence, robbery or sexual harassment, you must call the police. To do this, dial 110 from a telephone. In case of fire, dial 112. There are plenty of police stations throughout the city.

If you violate the law in Germany and commit an offence, this can constitute grounds for deportation. Here are therefore a few important tips: The consumption and sale of drugs is illegal. Smoking is not permitted in public buildings. It is normally not permitted to light fires in public spaces such as parks. You are not allowed to sell goods on the street. Fruit and vegetables that can be found growing in fields cannot be picked without a licence. Hunting and fishing are only permitted with authorisation.

During your time in the shelter, it is essential that you collect and read your post on a daily basis. Key appointment times are often communicated to you in this way. If you do not understand a letter, please ask one of the social workers, volunteers or interpreters to translate it for you. You can file your letters in your folder.

Once you leave the immigrant reception centre and have been taken to a shelter in Stuttgart, you have free movement within Baden-Württemberg. Baden-Württemberg is the state in which you are currently located and in which your asylum application will be processed. If you leave the state without permission, this can have negative consequences for your asylum application. If you wish to travel to another federal state, e.g. to visit friends or family, you must provide the immigration authorities
with a leave permit.

You do not need approval for appointments at the BAMF offices outside the city. However, on the journey to and from the BAMF, you must carry with you some evidence of your appointment, for example, a written invitation.

Leave permit: What do I need to bring with me to the immigration authority?

• Valid passport documents
• Proof of arrival (or BüMA)
• Proof of reason for application (travel)

Appointment: What do I need to bring with me to the BAMF?

• Proof of appointment (BAMF)

To find our where your other family members are located within Stuttgart, you can make a civil register enquiry at the Citizens Advice Bureau in your municipal district.

You can use a Red Cross project to search for your family members, both across Germany and internationally. Further information on this can be found online at www.drk-suchdienst.org.

Making a request at the civil register: What do I need to bring with me to the Citizens Advice Bureau?

• Valid passport documents
• Proof of arrival (or BüMA)
• Proof of family relationship

If you would like to do a training course or an internship in one of many different professions, the city of Stuttgart will support you. You do not require a residence permit for this. Once you have been in Germany for three months, you are allowed to do an internship or vocational training with a work permit.

As part of a dual training programme, you learn the theoretical basics whilst at the same time working for a company. You can find out more details at the employment agency. The employment agency is responsible for consultation and arranging training places, internships and jobs. Check whether you already have a work permit. If not, you need to apply for one at the immigration authority. 

• Proof of arrival (or BüMA)
• CV (completed)
• Training/internship offer

You can also seek advice at the Stuttgart region KAUSA service centre of the Stuttgart Region Chamber of Industry and Commerce or at the job centre. The KAUSA service centre is an information and advice centre for people with a migration background and arranges training and apprenticeship places. Among other things, the job centre is responsible for consultation and arranging internships, training places and jobs.

Consultation: What do I need to bring with me to the KAUSA service centre or job centre?

• Proof of arrival (or BüMA)
• Cover letter, CV

More information:
KAUSA Service Centre Stuttgart Region

Once you have been in Germany for three months, you are entitled to get a job with a work permit. You need to apply for the work permit at the immigration authority.

Generally, if you are looking for better paid and more demanding work in Germany, you not only require knowledge of the German language but also proof of the qualification. This can either be graduation from a college, a dual training certificate or proof of long-term professional experience.

Work permit: What do I need to bring with me to the immigration authority?

• Valid passport documents
• Proof of arrival (or BüMA)
• Certificate of registration
• Job offer

You can also seek advice at the Stuttgart region KAUSA service centre of the Stuttgart Region Chamber of Industry and Commerce or at the job centre. The KAUSA service centre is an information and advice centre for people with a migration background and arranges training and apprenticeship places. Among other things, the job centre is responsible for consultation and arranging internships, training places and jobs.

Job hunt: What do I need to bring with me to the KAUSA service centre or job centre?

• Proof of arrival (or BüMA)
• Cover letter, CV
• School/internship/university or college/work references

Job hunt: What do I need to bring with me to the employment agency?

• Application documents
• Cover letter, CV
• School/internship/work reference
• Job description

If you have completed a course of study or vocational training abroad, then you can have your qualification approved in Germany. This approval proves that your qualification is of equal value to a German qualification. This often provides you with better opportunities in the German job market. This approval is indispensable if you would like to work in certain professions.

If you need advice on this subject, then you can contact the approval and qualification consultation department of AWO Stuttgart. The consultation is held in German or English and is free of charge.

Consultation: What do I need to bring with me to the approval and qualification consultation department?

• Proof of arrival (or BüMA)
• CV
• School/educational/employer references

More information:
KAUSA Service Centre Stuttgart Region

If you or another person becomes seriously injured, you can ring the emergency doctor. To do this, dial 112 from a telephone. The hospital staff are then required to complete an emergency form for you. If you become sick, a social worker or volunteer will help you to find a suitable doctor. You are also entitled to receive medical check-ups , important vaccinations and tests during and after pregnancy.

If you have bad experiences , you can also speak to a doctor about these and he/she is not obliged to discuss this with anyone else. For instance, you can attend psychological and social counselling and support.

You need a referral note in order to be seen by a doctor. This is valid for three months and can be obtained from a social worker at your shelter.

Visit to doctor: What do I need to bring with me to my doctor's appointment?

• Proof of arrival (or BüMA)
• Referral note

There is a translation aid in the form of a Google sheet for basic terms to use when visiting the doctor - you can also create a print version and take this along with you to the doctor: www.refugeephrasebook.de/medical-phrases .

Health booklet with pictures that you can take with you to the doctor. It will thereby be easier to communicate with the doctor and for a diagnosis to be made. The health booklet has been translated into Albanian, Arabic, Dari, Farsi, Urdu and Tigrinya: Health booklet (PDF).

This video also shows you what to do whenever you visit the doctor as an asylum-seeker:

As the development of all boys and girls is important, school attendance is compulsory. This means that all children aged 6 years and above receive free education at a state school. As it is especially important to learn the German language, your child will initially be entered into a special preparatory class. You can find out at which school you are entitled to register your child at by contacting the 'Staatliches Schulamt Stuttgart' (Stuttgart State Education Authority).

You can apply for a grant to help you with the purchase of
school materials (school bag, writing materials or sports clothing). The same applies to collective school lunches.

While your asylum process is still ongoing, you can apply for the grant at the voluntary benefits department (benefits for education and participation) at your social security office.

Registration: What do I need to bring with me to school?

• Proof of arrival (or BüMA)
• Certificate of registration
• Child and their birth certificate

Grant: What do I need to bring with me to the social security office?

• Proof of arrival (or BüMA)
• Certificate of registration