In principle, each person who would like to travel to Germany requires a visa. This visa has to be applied for at a German diplomatic mission before entering the country. It is issued for a particular purpose – for example if you would like to work in Germany – and can only be issued if you fulfil certain conditions. It is not possible to apply for asylum from outside the country. In order to file an application one has to be physically present in Germany.

For certain refugees there are special paths of entry to Germany. These include resettlement procedures and humanitarian admission programmes. Close relatives can receive a visa for family reunification if family members are already living in Germany as refugees.