Information for Ukrainians arriving in the European Union

16.03.2022

EDF

This information is available in Ukrainian at the bottom of the page.
This information is to be shared with EDF members and partners, and it will be updated daily.

Інформація для громадян України, які прибувають до Європейського союзу

On March 4th 2022 the European Union adopted a new rule, called the ‘temporary protection directive’ to help people escaping from the Ukraine war to arrive and settle in the European Union (in each of the 27 countries included in the European Union).

There are two options when you cross the border into the European Union:

You can move freely for up to 90 days on a standard tourist visa
You can claim temporary protection for 1 year, which may be renewed for up to 3 years in total depending on the circumstances

The Temporary Protection Directive gives you a series of rights, including access to housing, education, employment and self-employment, necessary assistance in terms of social welfare and means of subsistence, and medical care.

Please note that once you have claimed temporary protection in one Member State, you cannot normally claim it in another Member State.

You should therefore only register for temporary protection when you have reached the country in which you want to stay for a longer period.

We can advise you and put you in contact with organisations in different countries that can support you.

In addition, please note that you can lose the benefit of temporary protection if you apply for asylum. The situation may depend on the rules in the Member States in which you are, so we advise you to seek legal advice if you wish to apply for asylum.

For more information visit the European Commission webpage on temporary protection