Becoming Self-Employed as a Refugee From Ukraine

In short: with protection status under § 24 AufenthG, you may start your own business in Germany. Gainful employment is permitted by law, provided your residence permit carries the entry “Erwerbstätigkeit erlaubt” (“gainful employment permitted”). While you receive basic income support, the Jobcenter supports the start with the entry allowance (Einstiegsgeld, § 16b SGB II), material resources (§ 16c SGB II), and start-up coaching with an Activation and Placement Voucher (Aktivierungs- und Vermittlungsgutschein, AVGS) that is 100% funded after written approval. We prepare the business plan and the proof of viability with you, in Russian if you like.

Am I Allowed to Become Self-Employed as a Ukrainian?

Yes. Anyone who holds a residence permit under § 24 AufenthG (temporary protection under the EU Mass Influx Directive) may work in Germany, and this expressly includes both employment and self-employed activity (§ 2 para. 2 in conjunction with § 4a AufenthG). Gainful employment is permitted by law; a separate act of permission from the immigration authority (Ausländerbehörde) is not necessary. All that matters is that your residence permit (or your provisional residence certificate, Fiktionsbescheinigung) carries the entry “Erwerbstätigkeit erlaubt” (“gainful employment permitted”); the authority must record this notation. Important: under § 24 AufenthG, you are legally not an “asylum seeker”; that is a different legal category (no asylum procedure). This makes a difference for applications and in conversations with authorities.

The EU has extended temporary protection until March 4, 2027; § 24 permits that were valid on February 1, 2026 remain valid in Germany until then without an individual extension. For regulated professions (e.g., medical professions or trades with a master craftsman requirement), the respective professional license is additionally required; this does not affect the residence-law permission, however.

Which Benefit Do I Receive: Basic Income Support?

Refugees from Ukraine are generally supported by the Jobcenter through basic income support (SGB II).

Legal situation in flux (as of October 2026)

Anyone who arrived before April 1, 2025 continues to receive basic income support under the current legal situation. For those who arrived on or after April 1, 2025, a switch to the Asylum Seekers Benefits Act (Asylbewerberleistungsgesetz, AsylbLG) is planned. The related “Leistungsrechtsanpassungsgesetz” (Benefits Law Adjustment Act) had not yet been adopted in October 2026, however (deliberation in the committees of the Bundestag, dispute over the distribution of costs). The targeted date of July 1, 2026 has therefore passed, and a new date has not yet been set. According to the draft law, anyone already receiving basic income support will not switch until the end of the current approval period, but no later than three months after the law enters into force. Please clarify your current status with the Jobcenter; we take it into account in the consulting.

Start-Up Funding While Receiving Basic Income Support

• AVGS start-up coaching (§ 45 SGB III): 100% funded by the Jobcenter or Employment Agency (Agentur für Arbeit) after written approval; business plan, financial plan, and preparation in one, possible in Russian (discretionary benefit, Ermessensleistung).
• Entry allowance (Einstiegsgeld, § 16b SGB II): a grant in addition to basic income support when you start self-employment, for a maximum of 24 months; a discretionary benefit of the Jobcenter.
• Support for self-employed people (§ 16c SGB II): loans and grants for necessary purchases; the grant is a maximum of €5,000.

More on this: Entry allowance · AVGS start-up coaching · Viability certificate

Estimate for yourself how much entry allowance (§ 16b SGB II) is possible for your start:

Note: The entry allowance is a discretionary benefit. There is no legal entitlement and no fixed formula; the Jobcenter decides case by case. This estimate follows the usual assessment recommendation and is for orientation only.

Basis: § 16b SGB II. Besides the entry allowance, benefits for material expenses under § 16c SGB II and, after written approval, 100% funded consulting through an AVGS (§ 45 SGB III) are possible. Standard rate 2026: €563 (no increase). Check amounts against the current source before applying. Non-binding estimate, does not replace advice. As of June 2026.

Financing Without Equity Capital

Many refugees bring no equity capital with them and do not yet have a credit history in Germany. Realistic routes:

• Microloans through regional state programs, such as the NRW.Mikrodarlehen (NRW microloan; up to €50,000, generally without collateral; full financing possible in individual cases).
• § 16c funding from the Jobcenter for material resources (see above).
• Guarantee banks (Bürgschaftsbanken), which replace missing collateral toward the house bank with a (modified) default guarantee, usually up to 80%; through “Bürgschaft ohne Bank” (guarantee without a bank) also in advance without a house bank.

Contact Points & Free Consulting

Besides us, these bodies are there for you: your Jobcenter, the IHK/HWK (chambers of commerce and industry and of crafts; also for the expert opinion on viability, the fachkundige Stellungnahme), the IQ Fachstelle Migrantenökonomie (free consulting), and the official portal germany4ukraine.de. We work with this network and prepare your path in a targeted way.

Sources & legal bases

• § 24 AufenthG
• § 4a AufenthG (gainful employment)
• § 16b SGB II (entry allowance)
• § 16c SGB II (self-employed people)
• § 45 SGB III (AVGS)
• Federal Employment Agency (Bundesagentur für Arbeit) – Ukraine
• germany4ukraine.de

As of June 21, 2026 · General information, not legal advice. Residence and benefits law for refugees from Ukraine is changing; the current information from the Jobcenter, immigration authority, and legislature is what counts.