§ 19e AufenthG: Participation in the European Voluntary Service

You want to take part in a European voluntary service

The European voluntary service is a program under Directive (EU) 2016/801.

If you want to take part in it, you can get a residence permit. For this, two requirements must be met.

Requirement 1: Approval from the Federal Employment Agency

The Federal Employment Agency must have given approval under Section 39.

Or: There is a rule in the Employment Ordinance or in an agreement between states. This rule says: For this voluntary service, you do not need approval from the Federal Employment Agency.

Requirement 2: Agreement with the host organization

You must provide an agreement with the organization where you will do the voluntary service.

This agreement must contain five things:

1. A description: What is the voluntary service?
2. Information about the duration of the voluntary service and about your working hours.
3. Information about the conditions of your activity and about your supervision.
4. Information about the funds available to you for living costs and accommodation. This also includes the pocket money that must be available to you for at least the duration of your stay.
5. Information about the training you may receive, if applicable, so that you can properly carry out the tasks of the voluntary service.

If both requirements are met, the authority must grant you the residence permit. This is a legal entitlement — it is not at the authority's discretion.

How long is the residence permit valid?

The authority grants you the residence permit for the duration stated in the agreement.

The residence permit is valid for one year at most. Even if the agreement provides for a longer duration, you do not get the residence permit for longer than one year.