Daily Life

Authorities, schools, universities, or employers may ask you for a certified translation of your documents. On the website justiz-dolmetscher.de you will find a list of sworn interpreters and translators in your area. Here, you must select the language from which you want your documents to be translated. You must also specify your federal state. Then you could view the contact details of the interpreters and translators in your area.

Important: You will have to pay for a certified translation of your documents. The amount depends on the type of documents (e.g., qualifications, marriage certificate, birth certificate) and the number of characters in the document. Therefore, ask beforehand how much the translation will cost.

Please note: If the Jobcenter is responsible for you, they may also bear the costs of the certified translation in certain cases. You can ask your case officer at the Jobcenter whether they take over the costs in your case.

SIM cards are not expensive in Germany. Nor do you have to sign a contract. You can find out more about mobile communications in the "Mobile phone contract" chapter. Important: You will need a document proving your identity in order to activate your SIM card. This can be your passport or a paper issued by a German authority.

You are allowed to open a basic bank account in Germany. To do so, you need a valid ID card. If you speak little or no German or English, an interpreter is recommended. Do not sign anything you have not understood. If you would like to receive counselling, you can contact the consumer advice centres (Verbraucherzentralen). The staff there will advise you free of charge. You can find your local consumer advice centre at verbraucherzentrale.de. Please note: The employees speak German and only occasionally other languages.

You are free to decide which bank you open your account with. Make sure that you can withdraw money free of charge. And be sure to compare the fees for account management. These vary greatly from bank to bank.

A bank account is very important in Germany. You need it to pay rent, electricity, gas and bills, for example. If you have a job, your salary will be transferred to your account. And also the social welfare office can transfer the financial support directly to your account. That way you won't have to go to the social welfare office and collect the money there.

You can learn more about bank accounts in Germany in our “Bank Account” chapter.

You can transfer money from Germany to Ukraine. This can be done by international transfer at a bank or by money transfer via a corresponding provider.
For an international transfer at the bank, you have to fill out a special form and usually pay fees. This can be up to ten percent of the amount you wish to transfer. Find out in advance how much the fees will be.

Often special money transfer providers (e.g. Western Union, Moneygram, Wise) are a cheaper and faster alternative. You pay a certain amount in Euro and the recipient in Ukraine can pick up the money in Hryvnia shortly after. As a rule, you do not pay any fees here. Compare the different providers with regard to possible fees and the exchange rate offered – you can do so, for instance, on wise.com.

Important: Check the local situation in advance. Due to the war, banks or money transfer providers may not be able to operate normally and the withdrawal of your money may be delayed or not be paid out in the desired amount.

From May 31, 2022, refugees from Ukraine will no longer be able to use buses and trains free of charge. You need a valid ticket to use public transportation. Showing a Ukrainian passport or Ukrainian ID is no longer sufficient for using public transportation for free.

If you receive support from the state - e.g., "Bürgergeld" or basic security in old age ("Grundsicherung im Alter")”– you can apply for a so-called "social ticket" (“Sozialticket”) at your Jobcenter or Social Welfare Office.

To apply for the social ticket, you need your current certificate of support from the Jobcenter or Social Welfare Office, your identity card and a biometric photo. After a successful application, you will receive confirmation from the Jobcenter or Social Welfare Office that you are entitled to a social ticket. You can then buy a social ticket from a ticket machine or ticket office. You can choose between a single-trip, daily or monthly ticket.

Please note: When you travel using public transport, you must always carry the certificate showing you can use a social ticket and the ticket. During ticket controls, you need to present both.

The price of social tickets varies from city to city. For example, the monthly social ticket known as “Berlin-Ticket S” costs €9.00 in Berlin. In Hanover, you pay €39.40 for a monthly ticket known as “Monatskarte S”; in Munich, the social monthly ticket known as “IsarCard S” costs €26.90. In Hamburg, you can buy a monthly ticket known as "Sozialrabatt" for €24.80 monthly.

Please note: The ticket prices also depend on the number of city zones in which you would like to be able to travel.

You may not give your social ticket to anyone else. In some cities, however, you can take a second person with you free of charge. Please inquire whether that is possible beforehand to avoid fines.

You can also buy the "Deutschland Ticket. The ticket costs €49 per month and is only available as a subscription. You can use the ticket with buses, trams, U-Bahns, S-Bahns and regional trains throughout Germany. Remember that you cannot use long-distance buses, IC/EC and ICE trains with the ticket. You can find further information in our chapter "Public Transportation in Germany".

In principle, you can drive in Germany with a valid Ukrainian driving licence.

In accordance with the European Union’s decision of July 2022, Ukrainian driving licences will be recognised in Germany and throughout the EU. Ukrainians who have received temporary protection in Germany may use their Ukrainian driving licence and do not have to exchange it for an EU driving licence after 6 months of stay in Germany.

Non-Ukrainian citizens and stateless persons who were recognised as refugees in Ukraine or had another international or national protection status are also covered by this regulation.

This regulation applies to you as long as you have temporary protection in Germany. That means you do not have to pass a theoretical or practical driving test. Furthermore, you currently do not need to have a translation of your driving licence.

Currently, the regulation is valid until February 2024. And unless the EU decides otherwise, it will be automatically extended by six months. The automatic extension is possible until February 24, 2024. If the situation in Ukraine does not improve by this time, the validity of the regulation can be extended by another year (i.e. until February 24, 2025).

You can learn more (in German) at eur-lex.europa.eu.

On the bmvi.de, you will find a leaflet with essential information in Russian for all drivers who want to drive their car in Germany.

Important: Driving without a licence in Germany is against the law.

You can find more information about driving licences in Germany on our the "Driving Licence" chapter. On the crash-kid.de, you can learn how to apply for a driving licence in Germany in Russian.

If your Ukrainian driving licence is lost or stolen, the authorities in Germany can issue you a new one. For you to be issued a new driving licence in Germany, the Ukrainian authorities must first confirm that you held a valid driving licence in Ukraine. The German authorities check the national electronic driving licence register for such a confirmation. 

The authorities may order a medical examination before a new driving licence is issued. During this test, it is verified that you are physically and mentally capable of driving a car or other vehicle. The examination is carried out by doctors, and the type of medical examination depends on the class of vehicle you drive. Eyesight and hearing are usually checked. All further examinations are case-specifically determined – if you are physically restricted, for instance, there may be further examinations.

Important: The newly issued driving licence is only valid for the duration of your temporary protection.

Please note: The "Dokument" passport centres (located in several major European cities) cannot issue you a new driving licence if you don’t already have one. The passport centres only exchange old driving licences for new ones. That means you must hand in your old driving licence there when you apply for a new driving licence. For more information (in Ukrainian), visit pasport.org.ua.

Important: From June 1st, 2022, every car with a Ukrainian registration that is on the road in Germany must have motor vehicle liability insurance (“Kfz-Haftpflichtversicherung”).

You need the so-called "Green Card" (International Insurance Card for Motor Transport) or border insurance (“Grenzversicherung”) to drive a car with a Ukrainian registration. You can obtain the “Green Card” from your Ukrainian insurer, often also digitally.

You must carry it with you at all times when driving your car in Germany - in the event of an inspection, you must show the "green card". You can learn more about obtaining a “Green Card” in Ukrainian at mtsbu.ua.

You can purchase border insurance either in Germany or at an external EU border. With it you can travel throughout the EU and in the countries listed in the border insurance. On dieversicherer.de you will find a list of insurance companies where you can buy border insurance.

You are not allowed to use your car in Germany without insurance.

From October 1, 2024, all cars with a Ukrainian registration that have been in Germany for more than a year must be registered at the local registration office. The Federal Ministry of Transport, together with the federal states, has stipulated a procedure for such a reigistration.

What is needed for registration?

● Identity papers with name in Latin letters - only in physical form, digital versions are not accepted.

● Ukrainian vehicle registration certificate and license plates (also only in physical form)

● Individual approval in accordance with Section 21 Road Traffic Licensing Regulations (StVZO) or an EU Certificate of Conformity (CoC). In addition, a main inspection must be carried out in accordance with § 29 Road Traffic Licensing Regulations (StVZO).

● Proof of insurance (eVB code) - the green insurance card or frontier insurance is not sufficient here, as they are only valid for international journeys.

● SEPA direct debit mandate with IBAN and BIC. If the account belongs to someone else, you need the person's written consent.

Important: Digital documents are not accepted. Please ensure that you have all documents with you in physical form. For further information, please contact your local registration office (“Straßenverkehrsamt”).

Important: Driving without a licence is an administrative offence in Germany. You may receive a fine and “points” on your driving record for this.

Further information on registering Ukrainian vehicles in Germany can be found in the Federal Ministry for Digital Affairs and Transport in German and Ukrainian leaflet. You can also find out how the safety check of your vehicle works and what exactly is checked in the Ministry's leaflet in German and Ukrainian.

If you have already registered your car in Germany, you should note the following when travelling to Ukraine:

• You can only drive your own vehicle (possibly with a trailer) into Ukraine.
• You must be the owner of the car or the person in whose name the car is registered. If you are not the owner of the vehicle, the vehicle owner must grant you power of attorney
• You must have all vehicle documents (registration certificates part 1 and part 2, driving licence, operating permit) with you.
• You must have liability insurance valid within Ukraine.
• You must go through consular registration in Germany (temporary or unlimited). The registration is carried out in the Embassy of Ukraine in Germany. On mfa.gov.ua you will find the most important information about consular registration in Ukrainian. Please note: If you have not registered at the consulate and still want to drive to Ukraine by car, you must go through the customs clearance procedure (“Zollabfertigung”) before leaving for Ukraine. This procedure is usually quite expensive. You cannot enter Ukraine without customs clearance.

You can find a podcast by Cosmo with current news in Ukrainian on wdr.de. On ard.de, you will find a lot of news updates in Ukrainian and Russian. Deutsche Welle broadcasts news in Ukrainian every day.

On Arte, you will find numerous reports on the war in Ukraine in Ukrainian. There you can also find cultural programmes and concerts in different European countries in support of Ukraine.

You can also find accurate information about the war in Ukraine at stopfake.org where the journalists from the Kiev Mohyla Academy report on current events in Ukrainian, Russian, English and German.

You can also find the latest news in Ukrainian on a daily basis on the Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk (MDR) website. 

People who are registered in Germany and have a flat here have to pay a public broadcast licence fee. With this licence fee, you are paying for the public broadcasting outlets which are available for all – It doesn't matter if you actually use it or not. The monthly contribution is €18.36.

Refugees from Ukraine have to register for the licence fee if they live in their own flat.

But under certain conditions, you can be exempted from paying the fee. That's usually when you are receiving:

• "Bürgergeld",
•  Asylum Seeker Benefits
• Basic security in old age or social assistance.

Trainees and students who receive vocational training allowance (BAB) or BAföG and no longer live with their parents can also be exempted from the fee.

For exemption, you must fill out an application in German and send it back to the contribution service. You must also send the respective proof to show why you are entitled to an exemption with this application (e.g. certificate from the Jobcenter, Social Welfare Office or BAföG Office). You can find the address of the broadcasting service at rundfunkbeitrag.de.

Important: If you live in a reception centre or shared accommodation facility, you do not have to register for the broadcasting fee.

Please note: If you receive letters from the contribution service, although you are exempt from the broadcasting licence fee, make sure you respond to these letters. By doing so, you avoid unauthorised payment requests and reminders. You can respond to the letters using an online form.

You can find more information about the broadcasting fee in Ukrainian at rundfunkbeitrag.de and in our chapter "Licence Fees for Public Broadcasting".

If your pet is missing, you can check with local animal shelters to see whether anyone has found and dropped it there. You can find the nearest animal shelter on tierschutzbund.de by choosing your state. You will then be shown the addresses and contact details of all animal shelters in your region.

You can also create a missing pet poster with your pet's photo and put them up in your neighbourhood or start a search campaign on social media.

To ovoid the problem in the future, you can have your pet microchipped by a veterinarian. During this procedure, a chip is inserted under your pet’s skin. Each chip has a specific number, with which you can register your pet free of charge on findefix.com or tasso.net. This way, you can always locate your pet if it runs away or gets lost. In case someone finds your pet and takes it to a veterinary practice or animal shelter, the doctor or shelter staff can read the chip and contact you.

You can also get help with creating a missing pet poster to find your missing animal. Check out findefix.com to find more information in Ukrainian, English and. In addition, Findefix has set up a hotline for refugees from Ukraine. You can reach the hotline staff on: 0228 6049635. They speak German, English and Russian and are available around the clock. The call costs some money, but the help is free.