Temporary protection: Spain
🛰️ Varta monitors 6 official sources for this country — checked daily.
Legal basis: EU Temporary Protection Directive 2001/55/EC + Ministerial Order • status valid until 04/03/2027 • already extended until 04/03/2028
Steps
- 1
Cross the border
Visa-free entry. Arrival date is recorded.
📍 Border crossing💳 Free - 2
Apply for temporary protection
Apply at a police station (Oficina de Extranjería) or a reception centre (CREADE). You receive a decision and a protection document granting residence and work rights.
📍 Oficina de Extranjería / CREADE⏰ As soon as possible💳 Free - 3
Get your NIE (foreigner number)
NIE is the ID number needed for work, banking, renting, benefits. Assigned automatically during protection registration or separately via Extranjería.
📍 Extranjería💳 Free - 4
Register for benefits and healthcare
Protection holders get public healthcare, child schooling, regional social aid and labour market access. Contact local Social Services (Servicios Sociales).
📍 Servicios Sociales💳 Free
Documents
Foreign passport
requiredBiometric or other travel document.
Child’s birth certificate
requiredProof of residence in Ukraine before 24.02.2022
if availableStamp, certificates.
Photo
requiredFor the protection document.
Ukrainian Embassies and Consulates
Map
Document samples and how to fill them
First name and surnames in LATIN letters as in the passport.
Format DD/MM/YYYY.
Foreign passport number.
Address in Spain: street, number, city, postcode.
❌ Name in Cyrillic ❌ Wrong date format ❌ Missing signature
As in the passport, in Latin letters.
Foreign passport number.
Reason: "protección temporal".
❌ Without NIE you cannot legally work/rent ❌ Forgot cita previa (no appointment, no service)
Benefits
Labour market access
Protection holders without extra permits.
How to apply: Automatic with status
Regional social aid
Families without income; varies by region (Madrid, Catalunya, Andalucía, etc.).
How to apply: Local Servicios Sociales
Public healthcare
Protection holders.
How to apply: Health card at a health centre
Wise — transfers without hidden fees
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Where to apply
Oficina de Extranjería / Police
CREADE — reception centres
What happens after protection ends
After protection ends: standard residence grounds (work, arraigo residence, study, family reunification). Arraigo social available after 2 years of continuous residence.
What happens when protection ends
These are options for the future — you will need to choose ONE, and not now.
These routes are available outside temporary protection — work, study, family, business, etc.
The description below is a general scheme, similar across countries. Check exact requirements, fees and timelines via the official link in each card — they differ by country and change over time.
💼 Residence and work permit
Those with a valid employment contract in this country.
Passport; employment contract; proof of residence. Authority: Oficina de Extranjería / Police.
- Foreign passport
- Employment contract
- Proof of residence
- Health insurance (optional)
Oficina de Extranjería / Police
The employer or the applicant files; the immigration authority decides.
Before the current status or permit expires.
- Collect the card/decision
- Register address and social number
Renewable together with the contract.
Usually switchable from temporary protection without leaving.
🎓 Study — Spain
Enrolment at an accredited institution.
Acceptance letter; proof of funds; housing; insurance.
- Foreign passport
- Acceptance letter
- Proof of funds
- Health insurance (optional)
Oficina de Extranjería / Police
Apply via the institution or the immigration authority.
Before the semester starts.
- Register at the institution and locally
Yearly with continued studies.
Usually switchable from temporary protection without leaving.
👨👩👧👦 Family reunification — Spain
Spouse, children or relatives of a resident or citizen.
Marriage/birth certificates; housing; sponsor income.
- Foreign passport
- Marriage/birth certificate
- Sponsor income proof
- Proof of residence
Oficina de Extranjería / Police
The sponsor or family files; documents need apostille and translation.
Before the current status expires.
- Collect the family member card
Renewable; a path to permanent residence.
Usually switchable from temporary protection without leaving.
🏢 Self-employment/business — Spain
Company or self-employment registration; business plan or contracts.
Registration documents; tax number; funds; housing.
- Foreign passport
- Company/self-employment registration
- Business plan or contracts (optional)
- Proof of residence
Oficina de Extranjería / Police
Register the business, then apply for residence as an entrepreneur.
Before the current status expires.
- Tax registration and bank account
Tied to the company activity.
Usually switchable from temporary protection without leaving.
🏠 Permanent residence — Spain
Usually after 5 years of continuous legal residence.
Stable income; housing; integration/language per national rules.
- Foreign passport
- Income proof
- Proof of residence
- Language/integration certificate (optional)
Oficina de Extranjería / Police
Apply once the required residence period is met.
After the required residence period is met.
- Obtain permanent resident status
Permanent status; card replaced periodically.
Temporary protection time often counts towards the period (per national rules).
Opportunities: housing, jobs, grants
8 verified programmes: housing support, job portals, business grants, free courses — with direct official links and verification dates. Available with Varta.
Forms & samples (PDF)
FAQ
Do I need to do anything to keep my protection after the current period?
Nothing has to be done: Spain extends temporary protection itself — each year the Interior Ministry issues an order (Orden INT) that automatically extends the validity of TIE cards already issued, with no application, no appointment and no card replacement; they are currently valid until 4 March 2027. As of 3 September 2026 the order covering the next period (to 4 March 2028) has not yet been published — based on the last three years it is expected in the BOE around late February 2027. Where: The Ministerio del Interior (Oficina de Asilo y Refugio) does this itself, through an Orden INT published in the official gazette BOE (boe.es). You are not required to make an application, book an appointment, visit a Comisaría de Policía or CREADE, or obtain a new card. Information pages: ucraniaurgente.inclusion.gob.es (Ministerio de Inclusión) and interior.gob.es. Important: If you do nothing, your status and your right to reside and work are preserved: the extension applies «directa y automáticamente» to all cards already issued. The practical trap is different: the old expiry date is printed on the TIE plastic card and does not change. Employers, banks, mutuas or border officers may not know this, so it is worth carrying a printout of the relevant BOE order (currently Orden INT/96/2026, BOE-A-2026-3712). Source: https://www.boe.es/buscar/doc.php?id=BOE-A-2026-3712 (checked 03.09.2026).
What is the NIE and why do I need it?
The foreigner ID number. Without it you cannot legally work, open an account, rent or get benefits. Assigned during protection registration.
Do I need a cita previa?
For Extranjería — usually yes, book online. CREADE centres accept walk-ins. Protection is usually granted same day or within days.
Can I work right away?
Yes, the temporary protection document grants work rights without additional permits.
Can I travel to Ukraine without losing my protection?
There is no official limit on absence: the list of grounds for ending protection is worded as exhaustive, and travel is not in it. The two real risks are different. First, a declaration of voluntary return: by filing it you end your own protection. Second, failing to appear within 45 days after a summons. What we could NOT confirm officially: whether the Spanish authorities apply the general rule on ending temporary residence after six months outside Spain to temporary-protection cards. If you are going for a long time, ask the authority that issued your card.
This information is for reference only and is not legal advice.