OpenZen: Help in NRW

INDEPENDENT, NOT A GOVERNMENT APP
OpenZen is a private, independent information service. The app and its developer do not represent a government authority and do not act on its behalf. It does not replace legal advice or binding official information.

What should you do next? OpenZen helps you find your way through everyday situations in Germany, including arrival, money worries, official letters, housing and family matters. Its local contact directory focuses on North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW).

ONE STEP AT A TIME
Choose your situation and answer a few short questions. OpenZen shows prepared next steps, document checklists and links to official information. Mark completed tasks and return to your saved progress later.

SUPPORT CONTACTS IN NRW
Search by town, postal code and topic. Open available phone numbers, email addresses and websites, or start directions in a maps app. Sources are included with the contacts. If an office's responsibility for your situation is not confirmed, OpenZen links to an official search instead of presenting an unsuitable contact as responsible.

OPTIONAL AI HELP
Describe your situation in your own words. OpenZen AI suggests a prepared section. You decide whether it fits, then continue with the regular questions and steps. AI assistance requires an internet connection. The included guidance and NRW directory are also available offline. External websites and maps may need a connection.

SIX LANGUAGES
German, English, Russian, Ukrainian, Arabic and Turkish. Ready-made German phrases can help you speak to a support service. Arabic uses a right-to-left layout.

YOUR DATA
No user account and no ads. Your profile, answers and progress are stored on your device and can be exported or deleted. When you send an optional AI request, the text you enter, your language and the catalogue version are sent to the OpenZen service. Your saved profile and answers to the guided questions are not automatically included.

It does not submit applications for you or guarantee benefits or deadlines. Check important information with the responsible office and follow the instructions in the original letter.

SOURCES AND VERIFICATION
Sources for the included guidance and directory; further references are linked in the relevant step or contact. Not every support organization is a government body.

Residence / asylum:
https://www.bamf.de/DE/Themen/Asyl/Ankunft/ankunft-node.html
https://www.germany4ukraine.de/DE/einreise-aufenthalt-und-rueckkehr/ukraine-aufenthaltserlaubnis/seite_node.html
Work / basic support:
https://www.arbeitsagentur.de/arbeitslos-arbeit-finden/arbeitslosengeld/ihre-schritte-wenn-sie-arbeitslos-werden/wie-sie-sich-arbeitslos-melden
https://www.arbeitsagentur.de/grundsicherung/finanziell-absichern/antrag-bescheid
Housing benefit / housing crisis:
https://www.bmwsb.bund.de/SharedDocs/faqs/DE/wohnen/wohngeld/wohngeld-faq-liste.html
https://sozialplattform.de/wohnungsnotfallhilfe
Family:
https://familienportal.de/familienportal/familienleistungen/kindergeld/faq/wie-wird-kindergeld-beantragt-und-ausgezahlt--124954
https://familienportal.de/familienportal/lebenslagen/ausbildung-beruf/kinderbetreuung
Address registration:
https://verwaltung.bund.de/leistungsverzeichnis/de/leistung/99115005104000
Legal information / deadlines:
https://service.justiz.de/beratungshilfe
https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/kschg/__4.html
Access to healthcare:
https://www.bundesgesundheitsministerium.de/faq-medizinische-hilfe-ukraine
Municipal administrations:
https://www.statistikportal.de/de/veroeffentlichungen/anschriftenverzeichnis
OpenStreetMap (not a government source):
https://www.openstreetmap.org/copyright