Other routes: self-employment and humanitarian admission

A short note on § 21 AufenthG and on § 22 sentence 2 AufenthG, with sources.

Self-employment

A residence permit for self-employment is possible under § 21 AufenthG. The statute links it to an economic interest or regional need, positive effects on the economy and secured financing. The exact thresholds, the business-plan review by the Berlin chambers and how the Embassy handles such visas: not examined here. Do not pay anyone who promises a "company visa".

Humanitarian admission (information only)

§ 22 sentence 2 AufenthG provides that a residence permit is to be granted when the Federal Ministry of the Interior or the body it names has declared an admission to protect Germany's political interests. This is not an individual claim and not an application route that you can start yourself. Whether and which federal admission programmes currently exist for persons at risk in Russia (for example opposition members or journalists), and how to be considered: not confirmed here; official information comes from the Federal Ministry of the Interior and the Federal Foreign Office.