FAQ

What is “Handbook Germany : Together”?

“Handbook Germany : Together” – the central digital hub (HBGT) is a project of the Neue deutschen Medienmacherinnen e.V.* The project duration is from 01.01.2023 to 31.12.2025.

What are the goals of the “Handbook Germany : Together” project?

We provide reliable information, exchange, and initial advice for people who are neither from an EU member state nor the European Economic Area (EEA) and have a perspective to stay in Germany. The project team develops orientation aids and access to support and advisory services, clarifies the responsibilities of different authorities, and provides understandable insights into procedural processes. This also includes explaining the rights of those affected alongside their obligations. We offer guidance on what legal, i.e., lawful, options individuals have according to the rule of law in Germany.

The rule of law also includes informing people about the possibility of appealing against decisions made by authorities. Ultimately, people are integrated when they are aware of their rights and duties in Germany and can manage their everyday lives well. Through our informational work, we contribute to this objective. Our task is to disseminate information online in various languages. As a democratic state, Germany ensures that even people with limited German skills can exercise their right to access information.

A far-reaching portal plays a significant role in integration with its multilingual offerings. In 2024 alone (01.01.2024–15.09.2024), we had over 20.7 million page views.

Digitalisation is a profound and continuous transformation process that fundamentally changes how we live, work, and interact. Therefore, our central goal is actively shaping digital transformation in migration and integration. We are creating a digital infrastructure used by organisations, municipalities, and institutions that serves as a central interface to digital services and information from authorities and ministries. This infrastructure is continuously being further developed. Digitalisation is crucial, In particular, For Germany as an immigration country to remain attractive in the global competition for skilled workers and their families and to support people with a perspective to stay in their participation in society.

What content does the “Handbook Germany : Together” project offer?

“Handbook Germany : Together” offers texts, videos, and a forum on a variety of topics. With content from previous funding periods of the project "Central Information Platform for Refugees www.handbookgermany.de," we currently offer a total of over 160 topic pages in nine languages in the following areas:

Until 19.11.2024:

Living: Information on everyday life in Germany, such as housing search, waste separation, banking, and public transport.

Work: Guidance on job search, recognition of foreign qualifications, labour law, social security, and taxes.

Learning: The essentials about daycare centres, schools, universities, and vocational training in Germany.

Language: Information on integration and language courses, German for the workplace, and other ways to learn and improve German.

Rights & Laws: Explanations about fundamental rights, residence, naturalisation, and support systems like youth services and police, as well as information on dealing with discrimination.

Migration to Germany: Information on visas, especially for skilled workers, residence permits, and family reunification.

Family: Support regarding child benefits, parental leave, child-rearing, and issues of marriage and custody.

Health: Explanations on the health system, doctor visits, prevention, and emergency care.

Since 19.11.2024:

Living: Information on everyday life in Germany, such as waste separation, banking, and public transport.

Housing: Advice on renting, housing search, living, and moving.

Work: Guidance on job search, recognition of foreign qualifications, labour law, social security, and taxes.

Education: The essentials about daycare centres, schools, universities, and vocational training in Germany.

Language: Information on integration and language courses, German for the workplace, and other ways to learn and improve German.

Migration: Information on visas, especially for skilled workers, residence permits, and family reunification.

Family: Support regarding child benefits, parental leave, child-rearing, and issues of marriage and custody.

Health: Explanations on the health system, doctor visits, prevention, and emergency care.

The content of the "Handbook Germany : Together" project has been integrated into the existing system (since 19.11.2024) within the current digital infrastructure from previous funding periods (see: History). 

How is the “Handbook Germany : Together” project funded?

The project is 90% co-financed by the Asylum, Migration, and Integration Fund (AMIF) of the EU, as well as by the Federal Ministry of the Interior (BMI) and the Federal Government Commissioner for Migration, Refugees, and Integration, who is also the Federal Government Commissioner for Antiracism, and the International Rescue Committee. The total funding amount for the period from 01.01.2023 to 31.12.2025 is EUR 9,943,423.23.

Since when has the website handbookgermany.de existed?

The website handbookgermany.de went online on 01.02.2017. In the previous funding period (from 01.09.2016 to 31.12.2022), the project was officially called “Central Information Platform for Refugees www.handbookgermany.de” and was funded by the Federal Government Commissioner for Migration, Refugees, and Integration. All asylum-related content on the website was created at that time and has only been updated voluntarily since then. The platform also provided extensive information for students and people with residence permits on various topics such as work, housing, family, etc. The total funding amount for the different project phases was EUR 5,228,701.42.

Breakdown by funding periods:

2016/ Information platform for refugees, Federal Government Commissioner for Migration, Refugees, and Integration: EUR 135,616.66

2017/ Information platform for refugees, Federal Government Commissioner for Migration, Refugees, and Integration: EUR 476,239.61

2018/ Central Information Platform for Refugees www.handbookgermany.de, Federal Government Commissioner for Migration, Refugees, and Integration: EUR 804,206.96

2019/ Central Information Platform for Refugees www.handbookgermany.de, Federal Government Commissioner for Migration, Refugees, and Integration: EUR 852,568.00

2020/ Central Information Platform for Refugees www.handbookgermany.de, Federal Government Commissioner for Migration, Refugees, and Integration: EUR 917,068.00

2021/ Central Information Platform for Refugees www.handbookgermany.de, Handbook Germany: Women in Focus - Active Information Work, Federal Government Commissioner for Migration, Refugees, and Integration: EUR 1,018,353.00

2022/ Central Information Platform for Refugees www.handbookgermany.de, Federal Government Commissioner for Migration, Refugees, and Integration: EUR 1,024,649.19

What is the connection between the project "Together in Germany" and the project "Handbook Germany: Together"?

The full project name of “Together in Germany” was: “Building a Community Platform for Third-Country Nationals Living in Germany.”

The project's objective was to design and build a multilingual, mobile-optimised community platform for people from “third countries” with a perspective to stay. This platform allowed both advisors and the target group to participate actively. It provided a GDPR-compliant digital space, independent of social networks, where support for questions could be found and access to the existing advisory landscape was facilitated. The community platform is being merged with the informational pages and further developed within the ongoing project “Handbook Germany : Together” and migrated to the new digital infrastructure.

The funding period began on 15.11.2020 and ended on 31.12.2022.

The project was co-financed by the Asylum, Migration, and Integration Fund (AMIF) of the EU by 90%, as well as by BAMF, the Senate Administration for Integration, Work, and Social Affairs - Berlin, and later by the International Rescue Committee Germany (IRC). The total funding amount was EUR 1,821,001.32.

After the Solingen attack: Since 28.08.2024, our website has been the target of false claims.

Contrary to some accusations, we do not provide guidance on how laws can be circumvented. Instead, we offer comprehensive information on the legal situation. Quotes circulating on certain blogs regarding this matter are false. It is claimed that we, funded by the Federal Ministry of the Interior and Homeland as well as the Federal Commissioner for Migration, Refugees, and Integration, give tips to people required to leave the country on how to avoid deportation. This is untrue.

With the "Handbook Germany" project, we provide a platform that informs people who have migrated to Germany about life here. We offer practical assistance and explain their rights and obligations. Part of this work focused on the asylum process. We explain how the process works, what types of residence permits exist, and what obligations individuals must meet. This also includes providing information on the legal options available after a rejected asylum application, as is customary in the rule of law.

We aim to support people in their integration by helping them understand their rights and responsibilities in Germany. Through our informational work, we make an essential contribution to this objective.