Free Services for Migrants in Europe: The Complete Guide (2026)
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Last updated: June 19, 2026 | Category: Practical Guides | Region: Europe
Every EU country has a social infrastructure built to support migrants. Most migrants never find it.
Language barriers, bureaucratic opacity, and the simple fact that nobody tells you these services exist — this is the gap this guide series was built to close. Across seven European countries, we have mapped the free services that legal residents, asylum seekers, and in many cases undocumented migrants are entitled to — services that are funded, available, and largely invisible unless someone points you toward them.
This page is the central hub for the entire series. Use it to navigate to the country guide that applies to your situation, or read the cross-country comparison below to understand how the systems differ.
Navigate by Country
Country | Key services covered | Read the full guide |
🇩🇪 Germany | Faire Integration, MBE counseling, IQ credential recognition, free debt advice, psychological support | |
🇵🇹 Portugal | CLAIM centers, free Portuguese courses (PLA), SNS healthcare, AIMA helpline, EU Health Insurance Card | |
🇪🇸 Spain | CPAS social aid, extraordinary regularisation 2026 (deadline passed), Cruz Roja legal aid, SEPE training, IMV income support | |
🇫🇷 France | AME healthcare for undocumented, CIR + 600h free French, Aide Juridictionnelle, PASS clinics, domiciliation | |
🇮🇹 Italy | STP card, Patronato navigation, SAI reception, ASGI anti-discrimination, gratuito patrocinio, CPIA Italian courses | |
🇳🇱 Netherlands | Free lawyer from day one, zorgtoeslag (up to 4 years backdated), CAK undocumented healthcare, inburgering, bijstand | |
🇧🇪 Belgium | CPAS/OCMW, UMA medical aid, Fedasil Info Point, Voyaach Legal Helpdesk, CALL appeals court, Myria rights watchdog |
What Every European Country Has in Common
Despite significant differences in how systems are organized, six rights exist across every country covered in this guide:
1. Free legal aid for asylum seekers Every EU country is legally required to provide free legal assistance to asylum seekers during their procedure. The mechanism differs — in the Netherlands it's assigned automatically; in France it's through the Aide Juridictionnelle; in Italy through gratuito patrocinio — but the right exists everywhere. If you have not been assigned a lawyer, you have the right to request one.
2. Emergency healthcare regardless of status No EU country can legally refuse emergency medical care to anyone, documented or not. What varies is the pathway to non-emergency care: France has AME, Italy has the STP card, the Netherlands has CAK, Belgium has UMA through CPAS. These systems require navigating specific procedures — but emergency care is universally accessible.
3. Free language courses Every country offers government-funded language courses for migrants. Germany provides up to 900 hours through the integration course system; France up to 600 hours through the CIR; Portugal's PLA courses can count toward citizenship requirements; the Netherlands organizes inburgering through municipalities. In every case, these courses are free for eligible participants and lead to official certification.
4. Access to civil society support without documentation Caritas, Red Cross, Médecins du Monde, and their national equivalents operate across all seven countries with no documentation requirements for initial access. These organizations bridge the gap between what the state provides and what people can actually reach.
5. Children's right to education In every EU country, children of migrants — including undocumented migrants — have the right to enroll in public schools. This right is guaranteed by both EU law and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. No country in this guide can legally deny school enrollment based on parents' immigration status.
6. The right to challenge decisions Every negative immigration decision in the EU — asylum rejection, residence permit refusal, deportation order — can be challenged before an independent court or tribunal. In France it's the CNDA and tribunal administratif; in Belgium the CALL; in the Netherlands the rechtbank; in Italy the tribunale ordinario. The appeals deadlines are strict and often short (30 days is common), but the right exists everywhere.
How the Seven Countries Compare
Healthcare Access Without Legal Status
Country | System | Who administers it | Pre-authorization required |
🇩🇪 Germany | Krankenkassenkarte for asylum seekers | Health authorities | No for emergency |
🇵🇹 Portugal | SNS direct enrollment | Local health center | No |
🇪🇸 Spain | Tarjeta sanitaria via empadronamiento | Regional health service | No |
🇫🇷 France | AME (undocumented) / PUMa (asylum seekers) | CPAM | AME: yes (apply first) |
🇮🇹 Italy | STP card | ASL | No |
🇳🇱 Netherlands | CAK reimbursement system | CAK / healthcare provider | No |
🇧🇪 Belgium | UMA via CPAS/OCMW | Municipal CPAS | Yes — contact CPAS before appointment |
Practical takeaway: Belgium is the most procedurally demanding for undocumented healthcare access — contact CPAS before the medical appointment. Italy and the Netherlands are the most accessible — present yourself at any public health facility.
Free Lawyer Access
Country | When assigned | How to request |
🇩🇪 Germany | On application — through Rechtsantragstelle | Apply at local court |
🇵🇹 Portugal | Through CPR (asylum) or legal aid system | CPR, Jesuit Refugee Service |
🇪🇸 Spain | Through Turno de Oficio | Colegio de Abogados |
🇫🇷 France | Through Aide Juridictionnelle | Local courthouse BJB/BAJ |
🇮🇹 Italy | Through gratuito patrocinio | Local Bar Association (Ordine degli Avvocati) |
🇳🇱 Netherlands | Assigned automatically from first IND contact | No action needed — automatic |
🇧🇪 Belgium | Through BJB/BAJ or Voyaach Helpdesk | Walk-in Helpdesk (Brussels Mon/Wed/Fri) |
Practical takeaway: The Netherlands has the most automatic system — a lawyer is assigned without you having to request one. Belgium's Voyaach Helpdesk is the fastest walk-in option in the EU.
Language Courses
Country | Program | Hours | Counts toward residency/citizenship |
🇩🇪 Germany | Integrationskurs | Up to 900h | Yes — B1 required for permanent residency |
🇵🇹 Portugal | PLA | Varies | Yes — replaces paid citizenship exam |
🇪🇸 Spain | Via SEPE / municipal programs | Varies | Partially |
🇫🇷 France | CIR (OFII) | Up to 600h | Yes — A2 now required for multi-year permit |
🇮🇹 Italy | CPIA | Varies | Yes — A2 for long-term permit, B1 for citizenship |
🇳🇱 Netherlands | Inburgering | Varies | Yes — B1 strengthens permanent residency path |
🇧🇪 Belgium | Regional (Flanders/Wallonia/Brussels) | Varies | Yes — varies by region |
Practical takeaway: Portugal has the clearest direct link between free courses and citizenship — PLA completion can replace the paid CIPLE exam. France made language requirements mandatory from January 2026 — CIR enrollment is now directly linked to getting a multi-year permit.
Financial Support
Country | Minimum income benefit | Amount (approx. 2026, single person) | Key requirement |
🇩🇪 Germany | Bürgergeld | ~€563/month | Legal residency |
🇵🇹 Portugal | RSI | ~€230/month | 1 year legal residency |
🇪🇸 Spain | IMV (Ingreso Mínimo Vital) | ~€734/month | Legal residency + means test |
🇫🇷 France | RSA | ~€635/month | 5 years legal residency (refugees: immediate) |
🇮🇹 Italy | Municipal programs | Varies | Varies by municipality |
🇳🇱 Netherlands | Bijstand | ~€1,187/month | Legal residency |
🇧🇪 Belgium | RIS/Leefloon | ~€1,186/month | Legal residency (cohabitant rules apply from March 2026) |
Practical takeaway: The Netherlands and Belgium offer the highest minimum income support. France's RSA requires 5 years of legal residency for most migrants — but recognized refugees qualify immediately.
The Most Common Mistakes Migrants Make
Waiting until a crisis to make contact with support services. These services are not emergency services — they are navigation services. The CLAIM center in Portugal, the MBE in Germany, VluchtelingenWerk in the Netherlands: all of them are more useful before you have a problem than after. Make contact in your first week.
Not knowing that CPAS/OCMW authorization is needed before medical appointments in Belgium. This is the single most commonly reported practical failure in Belgian healthcare access for undocumented migrants. Contact CPAS first. Always.
Assuming a rejected asylum application is final. In every country in this guide, a first-instance rejection can be appealed. Deadlines are short — typically 30 days. The appeal must be filed by a lawyer. If you receive a rejection and do not immediately contact a legal aid organization, you risk losing the right to appeal.
Not claiming the zorgtoeslag in the Netherlands. The Dutch healthcare allowance can be claimed retroactively for up to 4 years. Many migrants who have been legally resident and insured for years have never claimed it. Check your entitlement at toeslagen.nl.
Not registering for language courses immediately upon arrival. In Germany, France, the Netherlands, and Italy, language course waitlists are long. Registering the day you arrive gives you the longest possible runway before a deadline matters. In France, since January 2026, A2 French is now a legal requirement for a multi-year permit — CIR enrollment is urgent.
Country-Specific Emergency Contacts
Country | Key helpline | Available in |
🇩🇪 Germany | Faire Integration: faire-integration.de | DE, EN, AR, TR, RU |
🇵🇹 Portugal | AIMA Helpline: +351 218 106 191 | PT, EN, FR |
🇪🇸 Spain | Cruz Roja Migrar: cruzroja.es/migrar | ES, EN, AR, FR |
🇫🇷 France | La Cimade: lacimade.org | FR, EN, AR + others |
🇮🇹 Italy | ASGI anti-discrimination: +39 351 554 2008 | IT, EN + others |
🇳🇱 Netherlands | Het Juridisch Loket: 0900 8020 | NL, EN (interpreter) |
🇧🇪 Belgium | Fedasil Info Point (Brussels) | FR, NL, EN + others |
About This Guide Series
This series was researched and written by The Immigrants in June 2026. Each country guide covers 8–9 specific services with contact details, eligibility information, and a comprehensive FAQ section covering the questions migrants actually ask — not the questions government websites answer.
The guides are updated as legislation changes. The EU Migration and Asylum Pact entered full application on June 12, 2026 — all guides in this series reflect the post-Pact legal landscape.
Individual country guides:
About The Immigrants - Free Services for Migrants in Europe
The Immigrants is an independent publication covering the policies, systems, and decisions that shape the lives of people who move across borders.
We started this project because we believe the people most affected by immigration law are also the people least served by immigration coverage. Most of what's written about migration is written for politicians, policymakers, or audiences watching from a distance. We write for the people living it.
Information is infrastructure. Knowing your rights is not a luxury. For millions of people navigating unfamiliar systems in unfamiliar languages, accurate information is the difference between accessing a service and not knowing it exists. We treat that gap as a problem worth solving.
The Immigrants is independent and does not accept advertising or sponsored content. If this work is useful to you, the best thing you can do is share it with someone who needs it.
Free Services for Migrants in Europe
Legal Disclaimer: The information on this page and in the linked guides is provided for general informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Immigration law and social policy change frequently and vary significantly by country, region, and individual circumstance. Always verify current conditions directly with the relevant institution or a qualified legal organization before acting on any information above. The Immigrants is not affiliated with any of the services mentioned in these guides.
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