Submitting an asylum application

As a general rule, two weeks from service (§ 74 AsylG). In certain cases, the time limit is shortened to one week – namely where the application for interim relief under § 80 Abs. 5 VwGO must also be lodged within one week, and in the cases under Article 67(7)(a) of Regulation (EU) 2024/1348. Which time limit applies in your case is stated in the instructions on legal remedies in your notice. We cannot and will not give you a blanket figure here, because a wrong assumption can end the procedure. Check the notice on the day it is served and seek advice immediately.

Not automatically. § 36 AsylG expressly provides that the “enforceability of the deportation notice … remains unaffected”. To provisionally prevent deportation, an application for interim relief under § 80 Abs. 5 VwGO is additionally required, which in these cases must likewise be lodged within one week of notification. Legal action and an application for interim relief are two different things – anyone who does only one of the two may not be protected.

Since 12 June 2026, the reformed Common European Asylum System has applied. The key points: Regulation (EU) 2024/1351 replaces the Dublin III Regulation, and the determination of jurisdiction is now a separate administrative procedure. Newly introduced beforehand is a screening within a few days, which is not part of the asylum procedure. The former airport procedure is now called the asylum border procedure. Hearings are recorded, there are accelerated procedures, and the Federal Office determines age where there is doubt. Important for you: much of what you hear on the internet or from acquaintances still describes the old system.

It exists, and it costs nothing – but it is not an enforceable right. § 12a AsylG states that the Federal Government “supports asylum procedure advice that is independent of the authorities, open-ended, free of charge, individual and voluntary”. It “should already take place before the hearing” and can be continued until the procedure is concluded with final and binding effect. In practical terms, this means: do not wait for someone to approach you. Ask about it at your accommodation, at welfare organisations or directly at the Federal Office – ideally immediately, and in any case before the hearing.

This cannot be reliably reduced to a single figure, and we deliberately do not give one. The duration depends on the country of origin, the type of procedure – accelerated, border procedure or standard procedure – the determination of jurisdiction and current caseloads. Figures such as “three to six months” are statistical averages from previous years and are worthless for your individual case; following the GEAS reform, they are additionally unreliable, because the procedure has changed structurally. What you can do: ask the Federal Office for the current status of your case and keep your documents complete in the meantime.

Possibly – but it is a permission, not a right. Under § 61 AsylG, economic activity may be permitted at the earliest three months after registration of the asylum application, provided the procedure is still ongoing and the Federal Employment Agency gives its approval. The waiting period extends to six months in cases that include a request for transfer within the EU, among others. Economic activity is excluded in accelerated procedures and for persons from a safe country of origin who lodged the application after 31 August 2015. While staying at the reception facility, it is generally deemed prohibited.

The hearing is the core of the procedure. Under § 25 AsylG, you must state all facts and circumstances that preclude deportation – and submissions made later “may be disregarded” if they would delay the decision. Prepare a written chronology with dates and places in advance, in your own language. Say also what is uncomfortable for you. You may be accompanied by an authorised representative or support person, and you can communicate particular needs – such as a female interviewer, breaks or consideration for trauma – beforehand. The hearing is recorded; the recording must not be published.

No. Missing documents are not a reason for exclusion – many people flee without papers, and the procedure is set up for this. What matters is that you openly explain why the documents are missing, and that your statements remain internally consistent. What is dangerous is not missing papers, but false statements: if an untruth is established, this damages your credibility throughout the whole procedure – even where you told the truth. Bring whatever you have, including photos on your phone or incomplete documents.