In short: Yes – with a residence permit under § 24 AufenthG, Ukrainians may work in Germany, also in a warehouse and also through temporary work. You do not need approval from the Federal Employment Agency. Temporary protection is currently extended until 4 March 2027.
As of: October 2026. General information, not legal or tax advice. Only the immigration office (Ausländerbehörde) decides on your residence.
May I work with § 24?
Yes. The residence permit under § 24 of the Residence Act (Aufenthaltsgesetz) (temporary protection) generally allows any job and also vocational training. When issuing it, the immigration office enters that employment is permitted. Under § 31 of the Employment Regulation (Beschäftigungsverordnung), no approval from the Federal Employment Agency is needed – so the employer does not have to apply for a check in advance.
This applies to all jobs we offer: warehouse worker (m/f/d), forklift driver (m/f/d) and production helper (m/f/d).
How long does the protection last?
The Council of the EU has extended temporary protection for people from Ukraine until 4 March 2027 (Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/1460). Germany put this into effect by amending the Ukraine Residence Permit Continuation Regulation (Ukraine-Aufenthaltserlaubnis-Fortgeltungsverordnung): residence permits under § 24 that were valid on 1 February 2026 stay valid until 4 March 2027 – automatically, without a new application. This expressly includes the permission to work.
What happens after March 2027 will be decided by the EU and the German government. Follow the information from the BAMF and your immigration office.
May I work through temporary work?
Yes. The Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (BMAS) makes clear in its FAQ for refugees from Ukraine that people with a residence permit under § 24 may also work as temporary agency workers (Leiharbeitnehmer).
In temporary work, you have an employment contract with the staffing agency – in this case with us – and you work at a client company, for example in a logistics warehouse. Your pay, social insurance and holidays are set in your contract with us. More: Who can work in Germany?
Which documents do I need to apply?
To apply, our short form is enough at first. To start work, you need:
- Ukrainian passport or another valid ID document,
- residence permit under § 24 AufenthG (electronic residence permit) or a Fiktionsbescheinigung with the note „Erwerbstätigkeit erlaubt“ (employment permitted),
- registration certificate (Meldebescheinigung) (address registration at the citizens’ office, Bürgeramt),
- tax ID (Steuer-ID), bank account and health insurance, if you already have them,
- driving licence and forklift licence, if you have them.
Tip: Check the note about employment in your document. If it says something different or the note is missing, clarify this with the immigration office before you start work.
Bürgergeld, Jobcenter and work
Many refugees from Ukraine receive benefits from the Jobcenter. When you start work:
- Report your new job immediately to the Jobcenter or the responsible office and hand in your employment contract.
- Income is counted against the benefits. Part of your pay is not counted because of allowances; the authority does the exact calculation.
For people who came from Ukraine on or after 1 April 2025, the German government has started a change from Bürgergeld to benefits under the Asylum Seekers’ Benefits Act (Asylbewerberleistungsgesetz) (the so-called Rechtskreiswechsel). Please ask your Jobcenter or social welfare office (Sozialamt) directly whether and from when this applies to you. It does not change your permission to work.
Do I need German?
For helper jobs in a warehouse, German is not strictly necessary. Many tasks are done with hand scanners, numbers and barcodes. But knowing some basic words makes things easier – you can find a word list in our article about the order picker in a warehouse. More tips: Jobs without German.
If you wish, we can hold the interview with you in Russian.
Moving, registration and accommodation
If you live in another city, we help you with moving within Germany and with address registration (Anmeldung). If you have a residence obligation (Wohnsitzauflage), clarify the move with the immigration office first – we explain what you need to watch out for. Details: Moving and registration.
Accommodation can be provided if needed.
Pay and work locations
- Warehouse workers and production helpers (m/f/d): from €15.33 per hour gross
- Forklift drivers (m/f/d): from €16.08 per hour gross
- Employment contract, social insurance, paid holidays, sick pay
Our biggest need right now is in Diemelstadt (Hesse, Waldeck-Frankenberg district): there we are looking for 30 warehouse workers (m/f/d) – more at Work in Diemelstadt. Other locations are Paderborn, Göttingen and Hanover. All offers: current jobs.
Beware of dishonest offers
Nobody can sell you a work permit. Honest staffing agencies do not charge a placement fee – applying with us is free for you. Do not send original documents to strangers.
Apply now
You can find all information for applicants from Ukraine on our page Applicants from Ukraine. Or fill in the application form directly – we will get back to you.
