Information on the Ukraine War

In this regard, we first refer to the letter from the German Academic Exchange Service, which already contains many important recommendations and which are fully shared and endorsed by the university management. This includes the request to follow these recommendations, even for projects that are not funded by the DAAD.

In summary and in addition, the following are the most important recommendations:

• All cooperation projects with Russian and Belarusian institutions should be "frozen", i.e. these should be suspended. 
• All forms of payment transactions with Russia are to be stopped.
• No HsH students, staff or teachers are to be sent to Russia from now on until further notice.
• No joint events are to be held until further notice.
• Russian students at the HsH and HsH students in Russia can continue their studies. Regarding the latter, the latest information from the German Foreign Office must always be observed.

As things stand, there are no plans to actively contact Russian partner universities.
Current information on developments in Ukraine and their significance for international exchange and mobilities can be found on the page of the German Academic Exchange Service set up for this purpose: www.daad.de/de/der-daad/ukraine/ 

In addition to current information on the situation in Hannover, you can find information on the city's website about donations in kind and money, but also about becoming active as a driver or interpreter.

Flüchtlinge in Stadt und Region Hannover - Hannover.de

Appeal for donations of the Association for International Relations (VIB) of Hannover University of Applied Sciences and Arts

The Association for International Relations (VIB) would like to specifically support and promote Ukrainian students of our university who have fallen into financial hardship due to the war and its consequences and whose studies are endangered as a result. The goal is to enable the students to continue their studies with us successfully - despite the great burden under which they have to continue their studies as before, both emotionally and financially.

The VIB is therefore asking for donations. As a non-profit organization, the VIB will gladly issue a donation receipt (old: Spendenbescheinigung), if desired.

If you decide to make a donation, please transfer the amount to the account of the Verein für Internationale Beziehungen der Hochschule Hannover e.V..

The bank details are:

IBAN: DE59 2505 0180 0005 0083 13

BIC: SPKHDE2HXXX

Bank name: Sparkasse Hannover

Keyword: „Stipendien für ukrainische Studierende".

For more information about this appeal for donations and the VIB, please click here.

The Federal Government Commissioner for Integration has compiled frequent questions and answers for refugees from Ukraine in an FAQ catalogue, which you can access here: https://www.integrationsbeauftragte.de/ukraine.

The Lower Saxony Lotto Sports Foundation has prepared a digital companion for refugees from Ukraine at  www.laskavo-prosymo.de, which will be set up and continuously expanded in the coming days. The digital publication is intended to help Ukrainian refugees settle in and learn the German language. The guide is a compact work that contains ready-made dialogue sentences for everyday situations (at the doctor's, the baker's or the office), phrases and vocabulary lists.

Information for girls and women from Ukraine traveling alone

The organization Jadwiga has launched an information and prevention campaign for girls and women from Ukraine traveling alone.
Behavioral tips for refugee girls and women in German, English and Ukrainian can be found on Jadwiga's website: https://www.jadwiga-online.de/aktuelles/55-meldungen/2022/127-fuer-frauen-aus-der-ukraine-sicherheitsinformationen

The Ministry of Social Affairs, Health and Equality has compiled information for women who have fled Ukraine and for those who help them.

Residence status

Ukrainian nationals and foreigners with other nationalities who were resident or have resided in Ukraine on 24.02.2022 are exempt from the requirement of a residence title. This also applies to Ukrainian nationals who have already resided lawfully, i.e. with a biometric passport, in the territory of the Federal Republic of Germany prior to 24.02.2022. All these persons are initially legal and lawful in Germany until 23.05.2022 even without a visa or residence permit. (Addendum of April 8: The Ukraine Residence Transition Ordinance has been extended by the Federal Council until August 31, 2022).

Temporary protection (asylum)

For certain groups of persons, admission for temporary protection has applied since 04.03.2022. An asylum application does not have to be submitted. For these groups of persons, a residence permit is initially issued for 1 year, further extensions are possible. An employment permit is associated with the application for a residence permit. The following groups of persons are covered by temporary protection, provided they have resided in Ukraine before 24.02.2022:

• Ukrainian nationals, as well as family members
• Stateless persons and nationals of other countries who have enjoyed international or national protection in Ukraine, as well as members of their families.
• Stateless persons and nationals of other countries who had a permanent right of residence in Ukraine and cannot safely return to their home country.
• The residence permit is issued as an electronic residence title (eAT). Regarding the possibility of issuing the residence permit as a sticker, we are waiting for a decision from the Federal Ministry of the Interior (BMI).

Registration (Bürgeramt)

At the moment, it is not possible to answer whether the registration under registration law can also take place at a branch office at the fair or whether a regular appointment at the Citizens' Registration Office will be necessary for this. However, the Foreigners' Registration Office can also issue the residence permit/transitional certificate without registering the persons, provided you are staying in Hannover (or at the fair). The current handout is attached.

Registration and identification

Registration of the refugees will be carried out by the Foreigners' Registration Office (Ausländerbehörde), unless the persons have already been registered with the state reception authorities. The refugees themselves do not have to take any action for this.

In principle, it is also planned that every refugee (even those with a valid passport) will be subjected to identification services. So far, we have only done this for persons who could not show any identification documents. We are waiting for a response from the BMI or the Land. According to current planning, we will start issuing residence permits even if no identification has been carried out yet, but the identity has been clarified by passport or other proof.

Finally, here are some links with further information:

Information from the City of Hannover:

www.hannover.de/fluechtlinge

Questions and answers on entering Ukraine - Information from the Federal Ministry of the Interior:
https://www.bmi.bund.de/SharedDocs/faqs/DE/themen/ministerium/ukraine-krieg/faq-ukraine-artikel.html

Questions and answers from the State of Lower Saxony:

https://www.niedersachsen.de/startseite/themen/krieg-in-der-ukraine-fragen-und-antworten-209095.html

Hotline of the State Reception Office of Lower Saxony:

https://www.lab.niedersachsen.de/startseite/aktuelles/presseartikel/situation-in-der-ukraine-landesaufnahmebehorde-schaltet-hotline-209201.html

(as of 9 March)

Detailed formulation of the Residence Act §24, letter of the BMI of 5 March.

The residence permit according to § 24 of the Residence Act can now be applied for at the foreigners authorities.

1. With the residence permit according to § 24, any employment is to be permitted (this applies to self-employment anyway). Even with a fictitious certificate before the residence permit is issued, employment should already be possible.
2. Even before the residence permit is granted, there is a claim to benefits under the AsylbLG according to § 1 (1) no. 1a AsylbLG, as the request for accommodation, food and medical care is to be regarded as a "request for protection" or asylum application. A proof of arrival and a "start-up certificate" are then issued. After the residence permit has been issued, there is later entitlement to the AsylbLG according to § 1 para. 1 no. 1a or no. 3a AsylbLG.
3. Admission to integration courses pursuant to section 44 (4) of the Residence Act should be possible with section 24 of the Residence Act.
4. Distribution between the federal states should only take place if persons are not accommodated with friends, relatives or elsewhere.
    

Source: https://ggua.de/fileadmin/downloads/tabellen_und_uebersichten/CDR_22-03-04ALSchreibenBLTARII_endg.pdf

Update of April 8: According to the protocol of the "Meeting of the Federal Chancellor with the Heads of Government of the Federal States on April 7, 2022," Ukraine refugees are to be transferred from the AsylbLG to SGB II/SGB XII as of June 1, 2022. In addition to access to job market measures, there will be higher benefits, asset allowances and amounts from gainful employment. The prerequisite for this will be registration in the Central Register of Foreigners and the presentation of a fictitious certificate issued on the basis of registration or a residence title in accordance with Section 24 (1) of the Residence Act.

Source: https://s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/cdn.kommunal.de/public/2022-04/BundLaenderBeschlussFinanzierungFluechtlinge.pdf

Decree of the Lower Saxony Ministry of the Interior on Entry and Right of Residence of 8 March 2022.

The most important points of the decree can be found here:

• The entry of Ukrainians is visa-free (positive nationals).
• Since 4 March, there has been a legal basis for granting a special status according to §24 of the Residence Act:
  • Ukrainians and third-country nationals in need of protection with permanent right of residence who fled after 24.02.2022 and cannot return to their country of origin are eligible.
  • The admission of further third-country nationals who were legally residing in Ukraine and "cannot safely and permanently return to their country or region of origin" is being examined.
  • All people benefiting from §24 of the Residence Act will receive a work permit.
  • Admission to integration courses is to be made possible in future
• After registration as a war refugee according to §24 AufenthG, the (fictitious) asylum procedure is suspended. However, it is permissible to take up the asylum procedure.
• All war refugees with AE according to §24 AufenthG are entitled to benefits according to the AsylbLG.
  • Update as of April 8, 2022: According to the protocol of the "meeting of the Federal Chancellor with the heads of government of the federal states on April 7, 2022," Ukraine refugees are to be transferred from the AsylbLG to SGB II/SGB XII as of June 1, 2022. (Source: https://s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/cdn.kommunal.de/public/2022-04/BundLaenderBeschlussFinanzierungFluechtlinge.pdf )
• Those who have not yet registered with the authorities are free to choose their place of residence. Anyone who registers as a protection seeker with the municipal foreigners authority receives an allocation to the respective municipality and does not have to visit an initial reception centre.  Those who do not have accommodation and need help register at a branch office of the Land Reception Authority and are distributed from there.

Source: Flüchtlingsrat Niedersachsen e.V., https://www.nds-fluerat.org/tag/ukraine/

• Studieren in Hannover: Eine Anleitung für Geflüchtete (DEUTSCH)


• Studying in Hannover: a Guide for Refugees (ENGLISH)


• Навчання в Ганновері: посібник для біженців (УКРАЇНСЬКА)

On behalf of the KMK and BMBF, the DAAD has established the National Contact Point Ukraine, which can now be reached via the following website: https://www.daad-ukraine.org/de
Students and prospective students with questions can contact the website. The site is available in German and English, the Ukrainian version is constantly being expanded.

Information on support services, emergency aid and financing options for our international students can be found here.

For individual counselling and further questions, please contact our Refugee Officer and Counsellor for International Students Mascha Rex.

On behalf of the KMK and BMBF, the DAAD has established the National Contact Point Ukraine, which can now be reached via the following website: https://www.daad-ukraine.org/de
Students and prospective students with questions can contact the website. The site is available in German and English, the Ukrainian version is constantly being expanded.

General information about studying in Lower Saxony can be found (also in Ukrainian) here.

Ukrainian prospective students apply via the Uni Assist application portal like all international applicants.

B1 German language skills are sufficient for the application via Uni Assist. For enrolment in our degree programmes, however, you need C1 German language skills.

Whether you are allowed to study directly in Germany with your school leaving certificate or would have to attend the Studienkolleg beforehand depends on your certificates. These will be checked by Uni Assist. For a prior assessment of your certificates, please contact our staff at the Student Advisory Service for Applicants with Foreign Certificates of Education.

Further counseling and funding opportunities are also available from the Bildungsberatung Garantiefonds Hochschule. This is an educational counseling service for immigrants and is primarily aimed at recognized refugees. Nevertheless, initial counseling is also open to all other refugees.

Our Refugee Officer Mascha Rex will be happy to answer any general questions you may have about your admission to our university.

Psychological-Therapeutic Counselling

The counsellors of the Psychological-Therapeutic Counselling (ptb) support students with study-related and personal problems such as:

• Disruptions and crises in the course of studies 
• Relationship and partnership problems 
• Loneliness and isolation

Counselling is free of charge and confidential. To the information page for students.

Network for traumatized refugees (NTFN)

Refugees are here because they experienced things in their homeland that stripped them of their existence. Most develop an amazing strength in dealing with experiences of torture, war and flight. But not all of them manage to do so. And even those who have spent years of energy steering their lives and those of their families through persecution and flight can at some point collapse under the weight. The NTFN wants to help people who can no longer cope on their own.

The NTFN e.V. advocates for migrants who have suffered traumatizing experiences through torture, persecution, war or flight and who suffer physically and/or psychologically from the short- or long-term consequences and are thus limited in their ability to cope with stress, to work and to live, as well as for their family members, in particular also children and adolescents (§ 2 of the statutes) Further information here

Ukrainian students who have already resided in Germany on 24.2.2022.

They have the possibility to change to a residence permit according to § 24 (granting residence for temporary protection), if their study stay cannot be extended,

•     because they were only guest students
•     because they no longer have financial means
•     the maximum period of study or residence has expired, or
•     because they have been exmatriculated.

This also offers the possibility of a change of study place after a considerable period of residence, which would otherwise have been difficult to enforce.
Nevertheless, not all Ukrainian students should transfer immediately now, as they are also entitled to the possibility of such a transfer in the long term.
If the passport is not renewed due to military service, it is possible to apply for a travel document for foreigners or to have the residence title issued as a substitute for an identity card.

Source: Deutsches Studentenwerk

Students from Russia

Many Russian students do not wish to return to Russia for fear of being called up for military service or as reservists.
However, an application for asylum should be carefully considered. Although the existing residence title under Section 16b of the Residence Act is initially retained, if it is not extended, the legal residence ceases to exist and then no new residence permit can be applied for during an ongoing asylum procedure.

In many cases, there are initially other options:

•     If Russian students cannot renew their national passports because of military service, an application for a travel document for foreigners should be applied for and no asylum application should be filed.
•     With an application for a residence permit, if necessary also for humanitarian reasons, e.g. for temporary stay according to § 25 Abs. 4 Satz 1 AufenthG, the legal residence is maintained by the fiction effect.
•     Asylum applications are also not advisable as long as it is not clarified whether the decisions will be postponed during the current acts of war. This can lead to a long-term impairment of earning opportunities.

Source: Deutsches Studentenwerk

If you do not have the necessary German language skills for a regular course of study at Hannover University of Applied Sciences and Arts, or if you are unable to enroll for other reasons, you can take advantage of the opportunity to attend individual courses as a guest auditor at the university. Details can be found here.

Recognized refugees do not pay guest auditor fees, so they can be exempted from guest auditor fees by providing proof of their refugee status.

The main language of instruction at our university is German. However, Hannover University of Applied Sciences and Arts also offers individual English-language courses at the faculties. If you are interested in guest auditor status, please contact Mascha Rex.

If you would like to learn more about the English-language courses offered by the individual faculties, you can find details and contact persons here (International Faculty Officer).

"According to a decree issued by the Lower Saxony Ministry of Science and Culture, universities can also waive the administrative fee due at the beginning of the semester for refugees with Ukrainian citizenship. Lower Saxony's Minister of Science Björn Thümler appeals to the presidents of the universities: "Our common goal is to help Ukrainian refugees who want to continue or start their studies at one of our universities in an unbureaucratic and appropriate way."
The existing possibilities are to be used by the universities.

For example, the Higher Education Act provides for hardship cases, according to which the administrative fee of 75 euros per semester can be waived."

Source: Lower Saxony Ministry of Science and Culture 14.04.2022

If you are interested, please contact our Student Administration, Department III, for more details on how to proceed.

Students who are unable to complete their secondary education in Ukraine due to refugee status can still apply to study in Germany. This has been decided by the Conference of Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs.

The reason for this decision is that in 2022 there will be no regular state examinations in Ukraine for the acquisition of the secondary school leaving certificate II and that refugees from Ukraine will not be able to complete their school year or academic year in a regular manner. "The affected students should not suffer any disadvantage as a result," said Karin Prien, President of the Conference of Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs and Minister for Education, Science and Culture of the State of Schleswig-Holstein.

The same applies to students in Ukraine in their first year of study. Even if the academic year could not be completed, it is possible to start studying at a German university.

In principle, with the Ukrainian Secondary School Certificate II, access to higher education in Germany is possible via the Studienkolleg. Prospective students with academic achievements apply directly to a German university.

The resolution of the Conference of Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs of December 3, 2015, remains unchanged for applicants who are unable to provide proof of the higher education entrance qualification acquired in their home country due to their flight. The resolution provides for a three-stage plausibility check procedure in the case of missing or incomplete evidence.

The resolutions of the Conference of Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs can be found here:

https://www.kmk.org/fileadmin/Dateien/pdf/ZAB/Hochschulzugang_Beschluesse_der_KMK/220405_KMK_Beschluss_Hochschulzugang_Ukraine.pdf

https://www.kmk.org/fileadmin/Dateien/veroeffentlichungen_beschluesse/2015/2015_12_03-Hochschulzugang-ohne-Nachweis-der-Hochschulzugangsberechtigung.pdf

Further information on university access is provided by the Central Office for Foreign Education (ZAB) in the Secretariat of the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs via its information portal anabin:
https://anabin.kmk.org/no_cache/filter/bildungswesen.html?tab=first&land=37

Source: https://www.kmk.org/aktuelles/artikelansicht/kultusministerkonferenz-regelt-hochschulzugang-fuer-gefluechtete-aus-der-ukraine.html  (as of 20.04.2022)

Many foundations and funding organisations are currently creating opportunities for researchers from Ukraine or expanding their existing programmes.

• Philipp Schwartz-Initiative Alexander von Humboldt Foundation Extended deadline for nominations of researchers at risk from Ukraine to 18 March
• Walter Benjamin-Programm  German Research Foundation Opening for fledged researchers from Ukraine and Russia
• Gastforschungsprogramm für geflohene ukrainische Wissenschaftlerinnen und Wissenschaftler Volkswagen Foundation Funding for PhD students and postgraduates for 6 to 12 months
• Hilde-Domin Programm German Academic Exchange Service Support programme for at-risk doctoral candidates

Support with the application process is available from the Strategic University Development Office (contact: Natalie Janus)

You can find a list of international support services on the ScienceforUkraine page.

The Refugeeks program helps you to start your career in the field of Data Science / Web Technology.

After only 12 months you can call yourself an IT expert in Data Science / Web Technology. You will have had 9 months of intensive programming training and at least 6 weeks of exposure to a company.  You can find more information here.