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Return counselling and REAG/GARP

BAMF · Voluntary return, confidential and with no predetermined outcome

In personConfidential

Return counselling is an offer, not a demand. It is free of charge, confidential, and without any predetermined outcome – you can find out more without having to decide, and a counselling session does not commit you to anything.

The federal-state programme REAG/GARP can provide financial support for a voluntary departure. Since 2024, organisation and delivery have been the responsibility of the Federal Office; before that, it was carried out by the International Organization for Migration. Older information sheets therefore sometimes still name the wrong body.

On the level of support, we deliberately give no single figure. It is made up of several components, and whether and to what extent a start-up allowance (Starthilfe) is added depends on the country of origin and on the individual case. A figure found on the internet may simply not apply to your case – and this is a decision that cannot be reversed. Have the amounts that apply to you confirmed in writing before you decide.

Last updated27 August 2026
Legal basisFederal-state programme REAG/GARP · § 60a AufenthG · § 75 AsylG
VerificationChecked against bamf.de
Written and reviewed byAndrés Sánchez Botta
Independent information site: we are not the BAMF, not an authority, and not a paid advisory service — we do not submit applications on your behalf. All information comes from official sources and is explained simply here; the competent body is always the one that is binding. Not legal advice. Eligibility for support and its level depend on the country of origin and the individual case and are determined with binding effect solely by the competent body. All information is provided without guarantee. We are neither lawyers nor tax consultants: we document administrative procedures and check the information against the official source — this is information, not legal or tax advice.
AdviceFree of chargeAnd non-binding
NatureNo set outcomeConfidential
Level of supportDepending on country of originNo flat figure
Carried out bySince 2024, BAMFPreviously the IOM
Required documents

What you need

Travel documents, or details of their absence

Passport or passport substitute. If these are missing, obtaining them becomes part of the counselling – this is often the most time-consuming part, and the reason why a departure needs longer to prepare than many assume.

Documents on your residence status

Aufenthaltsgestattung (permission to remain pending the asylum decision), Duldung (temporary suspension of deportation), notices (Bescheide) from the Federal Office, and ongoing court proceedings. Your status also determines which programmes come into consideration at all.

Information on accompanying family members

Important, because several benefits are capped per family and do not simply grow with the number of people. Clarify this explicitly before you count on any sum.

Medical documents in the event of illness

They matter for two questions: fitness to travel, and whether the necessary treatment is available in the destination country. Both belong before a decision, not after.

Your questions about the situation in the destination country

Housing, work, school, medical care, safety. Good counselling also answers what speaks against a return – that is exactly what no predetermined outcome means.

Step by step

How to proceed

  1. 1

    Find a counselling centre

    The nearest return counselling centre can be found through the information portal returningfromgermany.de. Counselling is also available from welfare organisations and local authorities. An initial conversation does not commit you to anything.

  2. 2

    Assess your own situation with an open mind

    A counselling session should look at both directions: what speaks for and what speaks against a return. Ask explicitly about the consequences for an ongoing asylum procedure or court proceedings as well – a withdrawal can end rights that cannot be restored later.

  3. 3

    Clarify eligibility for support in your specific case

    Whether REAG/GARP applies to you depends, among other things, on your country of origin, your status, and your personal need. Find out which components apply in your case: coverage of travel costs, a travel allowance, and, where applicable, a one-off Starthilfe.

  4. 4

    Ask about reintegration support

    In addition, there is StarthilfePlus as support in the destination country. According to the Federal Office, the standard benefit is €1,000 per person, up to a maximum of €2,000 per family, and the reduced benefit is €400 per person, up to a maximum of €800 per family. The cap per family is the point that is most often overlooked.

  5. 5

    Have everything confirmed in writing

    Before you decide: have the amounts, conditions, and timetable that apply to you given to you in writing. For a decision of this magnitude, verbal information is not enough, and nothing can be corrected once you are in the destination country.

  6. 6

    Prepare departure and reintegration

    Preparation includes travel documents, medical questions, handling ongoing contracts and administrative matters in Germany, as well as the points of contact in the destination country. Start on this early – experience shows that obtaining documents takes the longest.

Fee information

Costs and payment

What can be supportedWhy we do not give a total sum here
AdviceFree of charge, non-binding
Travel costsCoverage possible
Travel allowanceIn addition
StarthilfeOnly for certain countries of origin
StarthilfePlus, standard€1,000/person, max. €2,000/family
StarthilfePlus, reduced€400/person, max. €800/family

The counselling is free of charge and non-binding. For the support, we deliberately give no total sum, and this is not caution for its own sake: this is a decision that cannot be reversed, and a false expectation would be particularly harmful. The support consists of several components – coverage of travel costs, a travel allowance, and, where applicable, a one-off Starthilfe, which, according to the Federal Office, is only granted to nationals of certain countries of origin. Only the counselling centre can tell you whether and to what extent this applies in your case. What can be stated in concrete figures is the supplementary reintegration support StarthilfePlus: the standard benefit is €1,000 per person and up to a maximum of €2,000 per family, and the reduced variant is €400 per person and up to a maximum of €800 per family. Note the cap per family – the benefit does not grow in a straight line with the number of people. Have the amounts that apply to you confirmed in writing before making any decision.

Good to know

Important notes

The counselling has no predetermined outcome. You are free to find out more without having to decide, and a conversation does not commit you to anything. Counselling that pressures you into something does not fulfil its purpose.

The level of support depends on the country of origin. According to the Federal Office, a Starthilfe is only granted to nationals of certain countries. Figures from the internet or from acquaintances may simply not apply to your case.

Several benefits are capped per family. With StarthilfePlus, for example, €2,000 per family despite €1,000 per person. Anyone who simply multiplies by the number of people is planning with the wrong figure.

Have everything given to you in writing. Amounts, conditions, timetable. For an irreversible decision, a verbal promise is not enough.

Clarify the consequences for ongoing proceedings. Withdrawing an asylum application or legal action can end rights that cannot be restored later. Ask about this before you sign anything.

Since 2024, the Federal Office has been running the programme itself. Before that, delivery lay with the International Organization for Migration. Older information sheets sometimes still name the old body.

Obtaining documents takes the longest. If a passport or passport substitute is missing, this determines the timetable – not the approval. Start on this early.

Check medical care in the destination country. If treatment is ongoing, this question belongs before the decision. This too is part of proper counselling.

Avoid these mistakes

Common mistakes

Planning on a figure from the internet. The support depends on the country of origin and the individual case. For a decision that cannot be reversed, an unchecked figure is about the worst possible foundation.

Overlooking the cap per family. Benefits do not grow in a straight line with the number of people. Families therefore regularly overestimate the sum.

Withdrawing an asylum application without knowing the consequences. This can end rights permanently. This question explicitly belongs in the counselling session, before anything is signed.

Relying on a verbal promise. Have amounts and conditions confirmed in writing – nothing can be clarified any more once you are in the destination country.

Planning the departure at too short notice. Nothing is possible without valid travel documents, and obtaining them often takes weeks to months.

Misunderstanding the counselling as a demand and avoiding it for that reason. It has no predetermined outcome and is confidential. Anyone who avoids it loses mainly information – including information that speaks against a return.

Frequently asked questions

Questions and answers

Is return counselling binding?

No. It is free of charge, confidential, and without any predetermined outcome. You can find out more without having to decide, and a counselling session does not commit you to anything. Proper counselling expressly also covers what speaks against a return – such as the security situation, medical care, or the consequences for ongoing proceedings.

How much money will I get for a voluntary return?

We cannot tell you that, and no one should give you a flat figure for it. The support consists of several parts: coverage of travel costs, a travel allowance, and, where applicable, a one-off Starthilfe, which, according to the Federal Office, is only granted to nationals of certain countries of origin. Whether and to what extent this applies in your case depends on the country of origin, the status, and the personal situation. Because this decision cannot be reversed: have the amounts that apply to you confirmed in writing beforehand.

What is StarthilfePlus and how much is it?

Supplementary reintegration support in the destination country. According to the Federal Office, the standard benefit is €1,000 per person, but no more than €2,000 per family; the reduced benefit is €400 per person, up to a maximum of €800 per family. Note the cap per family: the benefit does not keep growing with each additional person. Whether you receive the standard or the reduced variant, and whether you fall within scope at all, is clarified by the counselling centre.

Who runs the REAG/GARP programme?

Since 2024, the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) – both the organisation and the delivery. Until the end of 2023, the Federal Office organised the programme on behalf of the Federal Ministry of the Interior and the federal states, while the International Organization for Migration delivered it. Older information sheets and websites therefore still name the IOM as the delivering body. The information portal for counselling centres and programmes is returningfromgermany.de.

What happens to my ongoing asylum procedure?

This is the most important question before any decision, and it explicitly belongs in the counselling session. Withdrawing an asylum application or legal action can end legal positions permanently – including ones that would benefit you later. Do not sign anything before the consequences for your specific procedure have been explained to you, and have this explanation given to you in writing wherever possible.

How long does preparing a departure take?

This almost always depends on the travel documents. If a passport or passport substitute is missing, the diplomatic representation of the country of origin must issue it, and experience shows that this takes weeks to months – often considerably longer than the processing of the support application itself. Start on this early, therefore, and allow a generous timeframe; a fixed departure date without valid documents is not sustainable.

Is the counselling really confidential?

Yes, confidentiality is part of the character of this offer. You are free to receive counselling without having to decide. If you are unsure, you can additionally seek independent counselling from a welfare organisation – for a decision of such far-reaching consequence, a second assessment, independent of the administration, is sensible and entirely legitimate.

Does the support also apply to onward migration to another country?

The programme is aimed at voluntary return to the country of origin as well as onward migration to a third country willing to receive you. Whether the second option is open to you depends on whether a state is willing to admit you – and that is a precondition that must be clarified before you plan anything else. Here too: only what is confirmed in writing can be relied on.

Related official procedures

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Integration course
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700 hours
Recognition of qualifications
Who really decides
Depends on the body

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