Last updated 11 February 2021
The outbreak of COVID-19 affects many countries worldwide. Germany has been affected as well.
Germany has started vaccinating against COVID-19. The Federal Minister of Health Jens Spahn presented the priorities of the German vaccination campaign on 18 December 2020 (see here). Population groups at particular risk will be prioritised in the immunisation campaign. They are divided into three priority categories: “highest”, “high” and “heightened” (see also Vaccinations Regulation CoronaImpfV).
Asylum-seekers and refugees living in initial reception centres and communal collective accommodation facilities belong to the second group (“high priority”), and will be prioritised accordingly in Germany’s vaccination campaign. All asylum-seekers and refugees not living in such a centre will be granted access to vaccination according to the general criteria. Accordingly, if they fall among one of the priority groups they can be vaccinated as part of that group. Otherwise, they can be vaccinated as part of the remainder of the population after vaccination of the third priority group has been finished.
The German Laender are responsible for the administration of the COVID-19 vaccination. They set up and operate the vaccination centres and allocate time slots. Please refer to the COVID-19 Websites of the Laender for further information.
More information on COVID-19 vaccinations in Germany can also be found here:
Robert Koch Institute (RKI) is Germany’s leading research institute on infectious disease epidemiology and advisory body to the Government: it offers information on COVID-19 in English and information leaflets on the COVID-19 vaccination in different languages
Federal Commissioner for Migration, Refugees and Integration: Information on COVID-19 and vaccinations in different languages
Amal, Berlin! (online news channel offered by a group of Berlin-based journalists originally from Syria, Afghanistan, Egypt and Iran): Video with FAQs on vaccinations in Arabic
WDRforyou (WDR is a German TV channel that offers information specifically for refugees in four languages online and on social media): It contains information on vaccinations in Arabic, English and Persian
Infomigrants: FAQs on vaccinations in Germany in different languages
Further resources with reliable information on COVID-19 in multiple languages can be found below:
World Health Organisation (WHO)
How to protect yourself – English | French | Arabic | Chinese | Russian | Spanish
Questions and answers English |French | Arabic | Chinese | Spanish
Offical information by the German Federal Government compiled by the Federal Government Commissioner for Migration, Refugees and Integration
Podcast of Chancellor Dr. Angela Merkel in German and Arabic
Questions and answers in Farsi | French | Turkish | Russian | Arabic
Questions and answers by the Federal Ministry of the Interior on travel restrictions and border controls in English
10 important hygiene measures in English | Turkish | Russian | French | Arabic
Useful leaflet on hygiene, quarantine and contacts in Arabic | Kurdish | Pashto | Turkish
Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF)
The German asylum authority informs about the impact of the Coronavirus outbreak on the German asylum procedure.
Association for Unaccompanied Refugee Minors (B-umF)
The B-umF links information on by Johanniter in several languages, notably Dari | Arabic | Farsi
Berlin State Office for Refugee Affairs (LAF – Landesamt für Flüchtlingsangelegenheiten)
The Berlin authorities offer a wide range of information in multi-language podcasts and leaflets.
If you had personal contact with a person who has the coronavirus or suspect you have symptoms of the disease, call your doctor, your local public health authority (Gesundheitsamt) or the emergency medical service (Ärztlicher Bereitschaftsdienst) and tell them about your situation. Do not go to the doctor before calling one of the above-mentioned instituations. The line may be busy if a large number of people are calling at the same time.
In any case, familarize yourself with the latest guidance on how to protect yourself and prevent the disease from spreading. The links above are a good starting point.
If you live in a reception centre or shared accommodation, immediately inform the management of the facility or social services. Also inform your school, language school, the place where you are being trained or work etc.
All relevant phone numbers can be found on the website of the Federal Ministry of Health.