Residency/Accommodations (Wohnen/Unterbringung)

Individuals who are still completing the asylum application process (Asylverfahren) or who are subject to tolerance (Duldung), have to comply with mandatory residency requirements (Residenzpflicht) and/or a mandatory domicile (Wohnsitzauflage) under certain circumstances.

Mandatory residency requirements (Residenzpflicht) mandate that the individual who is subject to them must not leave a certain location. In other words, this is a geographic restriction (anyone subject to a mandatory domicile (Wohnsitzauflage) must stay in a specific place and/or a specific residence/shared housing unit and is not allowed to relocate).

The domicile regulation (Wohnsitzregelung) requires a person to reside in a certain German federal state. Anyone who wants to move to a different federal state or county, must file an application for reappropriation.

In some cases, the provisions governing accommodations, the place of residence and relocation can be extremely complex. The support publication of the Thuringia IvAF Network BLEIBdran defines three terms - residency mandate (Residenzpflicht), domicile mandate (Wohnsitzauflage) and domicile regulation (Wohnsitzregelung) in more detail and explains the conditions that will have to be met for the individual to relocate. The publication also contains references to different application samples.

To find these publications, please visit: https://www.ibs-thueringen.de/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Residenzpflicht_Wohnsitzauflage_Wohnsitzregelung.pdf