If you fled Ukraine for Munich and have been sleeping badly for months, flinch at sudden noises, or have a child who has gone quiet since the journey, there is a free place to turn: the Refugio München treatment centre. Registration for a first consultation opens only twice a year, and the current window closes on 31 October 2026.
Refugio says it offers psychotherapy and social counselling for refugees with trauma-related disorders, with interpreters for Russian and Ukrainian. “Our service is free of charge,” the website states, and staff are bound by confidentiality. The work is funded in part by the City of Munich.
Who can register, and when?
According to Refugio’s registration page (last modified on 2 October 2026), applications from adults aged 18 and over and from children and teenagers up to 17 are accepted in October 2026, from 1 to 31 October. The overview page for Ukrainians still carries an older note about November 2025 for children; the registration page is the one to follow. If in doubt, phone first.
You can register in writing: the form (easy-language versions exist for children up to 12 and for 13- to 17-year-olds) goes by email to info@refugio-muenchen.de or by fax to 089 / 98 29 57-57, one form per person. Adults can also register by phone or in person, but only on two days: Monday 26 October, 10:00–12:00, and Thursday 29 October, 14:00–16:00. Phone: 089 / 98 29 57-0; address: Rosenheimer Straße 38, 81669 Munich.
A tip on the forms: Refugio asks applicants to describe how the problems show up and what the person says about them in the “reason” field, rather than a single keyword, and to attach any medical certificates. The person concerned should be asked first whether they want to be registered.
What happens next – and who is not eligible
Within a month of registering, Refugio will reply by letter or phone: either you are on the waiting list for an initial consultation, with a maximum wait of six months, or the centre cannot take you. One limit is stated explicitly: people with severe addiction or serious psychiatric symptoms cannot be treated there as outpatients. Those with a German health insurance card who speak German or English are referred to the Kassenärztliche Vereinigung’s appointment service.
Refugio also runs a native-language parenting course, “Eltern aktiv”, and a free art workshop for refugee children and teenagers from Ukraine (Wednesdays, 16:00–19:00 at Kunstlabor2, with a tea room for parents; contact marvin.scheler@refugio-muenchen.de).
If waiting is not an option, or you first want to talk about parenting questions only, the city runs a network of 22 family counselling centres (Erziehungsberatung) that it describes as free. The city’s page does not say which languages are available – ask when booking. In an acute crisis the Krisendienst can be reached around the clock on 0800 655 3000 (as listed by Refugio); if life is in danger, call 112.
Editorial assessment: with two registration windows a year and waits of up to six months, sending the form now is better than waiting for a “better moment”. Whether a place becomes available cannot be predicted from outside.
Sources: Refugio München – registration, Refugio München – offers for Ukrainians, Willkommen in München, City of Munich – family counselling
