Germany
Regulations on entry, stay, residence, and treatment access for people living with HIV
The categories of restriction are:
- No restrictions on entry or staying.
Restrictions on entry to Germany
We found no evidence of any official restrictions on entry to Germany based on HIV status.
According to UNAIDS and the US Department of State, Germany does not have any HIV-related restrictions on entry.
The visa application form published by the Federal Foreign Office website does not contain questions or fields in relation to any health condition or status (other languages are available here).
Restrictions on short-term stay in Germany
We found no evidence of any official restrictions on short-term stay in Germany based on HIV status.
According to UNAIDS and the US Department of State, Germany does not have any HIV-related restrictions on short-term stay.
Restrictions on long-term stay in Germany
We found no evidence of any official restrictions on long-term stay in Germany based on HIV status.
According to UNAIDS and the US Department of State, Germany does not have any HIV-related restrictions on long-term stay.
Treatment access in Germany
The following summarises available information on access to healthcare for people living with HIV in Germany. There is some evidence that non-nationals are restricted from accessing treatment in the same way as nationals.
According to Queer Refugees Welcome, a website created with queer migrants to make arrival and initial time in Germany easier, ‘an HIV infection can even constitute an obstacle to deportation’ because, according to national regulation, an obstacle to deportation is established if:
- the disease can be treated in Germany and
- there is no treatment in the person’s country of origin or it is not possible to pay for treatment there
- without treatment, the illness will get considerably worse in the foreseeable future.
Detailed information is available on this website.
IOM reports that a residence permit or certificate of refugee status and health insurance are needed in order to receive medical care. Health insurance for refugees and for all people receiving benefits is paid for by social services. The insurance covers all medications prescribed by doctors. For working migrants, the obligatory health insurance is deducted from the salary and freelancers must purchase their own health insurance.
For HIV-related care, you should go to a listed clinic or see an infectious disease doctor recommended by your local AIDS-Hilfe. The doctor that provides HIV-related care may also give a referral to another specialist. It is possible to buy ART in pharmacies, but it is very expensive.
Sources
The HIV Justice Network's Global HIV Criminalisation Database
Visit the Germany page on the Global HIV Criminalisation Database to see more information about known HIV criminalisation laws in this country, an overview of how the laws are used, and any significant advocacy developments.
UNAIDS Global AIDS monitoring data
This information about access to HIV services comes from UNAIDS https://lawsandpolicies.unaids.org/, a platform to view data on HIV-related laws and policies. This is information provided by national authorities and civil society and may contradict other sources.
Migrant populations
| Laws/policies enable documented migrants to access HIV services under the same conditions as citizens | Yes |
| Laws/policies enable documented migrants to access HIV services under the same conditions as citizens implemented (countries with such laws/policies) | Yes |
| Laws/policies enable undocumented migrants to access HIV services under the same conditions as citizens | No |
| Laws/policies enable undocumented migrants to access HIV services under the same conditions as citizens implemented (countries with such laws/policies) | N/A |
| Migrants are able to access HIV services | No |
Refugees and asylum seekers
| Laws/policies enable asylum seekers to access HIV services under the same conditions as citizens | N/A |
| Laws/policies enable asylum seekers to access HIV services under the same conditions as citizens implemented (countries with such laws/policies) | N/A |
| Laws/policies enable refugees to access HIV services under the same conditions as citizens | N/A |
| Laws/policies enable refugees to access HIV services under the same conditions as citizens implemented (countries with such laws/policies) | N/A |
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This site focuses on information about HIV travel. Please also consult your own Foreign Office/Ministry of Foreign Affairs website, or the local consulate of the country you are visiting, to see what restrictions there are specifically for you as a citizen of your country, regardless of your HIV status.
