Temporary protection: France
🛰️ Varta monitors 6 official sources for this country — checked daily.
Legal basis: EU Temporary Protection Directive 2001/55/EC + national law (APS) • status valid until 04/03/2027 • already extended until 04/03/2028
Steps
- 1
Cross the border
Visa-free entry.
📍 Border crossing💳 Free - 2
Apply for APS at the préfecture
Autorisation provisoire de séjour (APS) for temporary protection is issued by the department préfecture. APS grants residence, work, healthcare (PUMA), child schooling.
📍 Department préfecture⏰ As soon as possible💳 Free - 3
Apply for ADA allowance
After obtaining APS, contact OFII about ADA. The amount depends on household size, resources and accommodation; it is not a fixed amount for every adult. See the Benefits section for the current base rate.
📍 OFII⏰ After APS💳 Free - 4
Healthcare (PUMA) and school
With APS you enrol in Protection Universelle Maladie. Children enrol in school by residence (mandatory from age 3).
📍 CPAM / school💳 Free
Documents
Foreign passport
requiredChild’s birth certificate
requiredProof of residence before 24.02.2022
if availablePhoto
requiredProof of address (justificatif de domicile)
if availableBill, lease, host attestation.
Ukrainian Embassies and Consulates
Map
Document samples and how to fill them
Surname and first name in LATIN letters as in the passport.
Format DD/MM/YYYY.
Foreign passport number.
Proof of address: bill, lease or host attestation.
❌ Name in Cyrillic ❌ Missing justificatif de domicile ❌ Missing signature
Case number from the APS.
Family composition — the ADA amount depends on it.
French IBAN for payments.
❌ Applying before APS (APS first) ❌ Wrong family composition (amount reduced)
Benefits
ADA (allowance)
APS holders; apply via OFII.
How to apply: OFII after APS
Public healthcare (PUMA)
APS holders.
How to apply: Local CPAM
Labour market access
APS holders.
How to apply: Automatic; France Travail for job search
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Where to apply
Department préfecture
What happens after protection ends
After protection: carte de séjour on other grounds (work, study, vie privée et familiale), carte de résident after 5 years.
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.
💼 «Salarié» residence permit
Those with a valid employment contract in this country.
Passport; employment contract; proof of residence. Authority: Department préfecture.
- Foreign passport
- Employment contract
- Proof of residence
- Health insurance (optional)
Department préfecture
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 — France
Enrolment at an accredited institution.
Acceptance letter; proof of funds; housing; insurance.
- Foreign passport
- Acceptance letter
- Proof of funds
- Health insurance (optional)
Department préfecture
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 — France
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
Department préfecture
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 — France
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
Department préfecture
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 — France
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)
Department préfecture
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
5 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?
In France temporary protection does not roll over by itself: it is documented by an APS card valid 6 months, and every six months you must personally apply for renewal at the prefecture of your place of residence — file the request (in most departments online via Démarches Simplifiées, in some by e-mail or post) and then attend in person for fingerprints and checking of originals. The deadline that matters is not 4 March 2027 but the expiry date printed on your own APS: apply roughly 3 weeks before it expires (some prefectures require at least 1 month). As of 3 September 2026 France has not published a separate procedure for the extension beyond 4 March 2027; prefecture pages still refer to that date. Where: Préfecture (or sous-préfecture) of your department of residence — service des étrangers. Filing channel differs by department: online téléservice on demarches-simplifiees.fr / demarche.numerique.gouv.fr (e.g. Gard since 2 Sept 2025, Hauts-de-Seine, Calvados), by e-mail (e.g. Seine-et-Marne: pref-suivi-ukraine@seine-et-marne.gouv.fr), or by appointment at the counter (e.g. Yvelines). Important: Дат національного «вікна» не існує — я їх не ставлю навмисно. У Франції немає однієї спільної дати подачі: кожен подає в межах строку своєї власної APS (6 місяців), тому до березня 2027 більшість людей встигне продовжитись ще двічі-тричі. Строки подачі різняться по департаментах і подекуди суперечать один одному: Гар і Івлін — «максимум за 3 тижні до закінчення» (раніше не приймають), Сена-і-Марна — «щонайменше за 1 місяць». Обов'язково звіряйтесь зі сторінкою СВОЄЇ префектури перед кожним поданням. Source: https://www.yvelines.gouv.fr/Demarches/Accueil-des-etrangers-dans-les-Yvelines/Ressortissants-ukrainiens-Protection-temporaire-en-France (checked 03.09.2026).
What is ADA?
ADA is an OFII allowance for which APS holders may qualify under the applicable conditions. It is calculated for the household, taking family size, resources and accommodation into account. Apply after obtaining APS; see the Benefits section for the current base rate.
Do I need an address for APS?
Justificatif de domicile is often requested: bill, lease or host attestation. Without a fixed address, a CADA or social services can help.
Can I work?
Yes, APS grants work rights without extra permits.
Can I travel to Ukraine without losing my protection?
Prefectures state plainly that temporary trips to Ukraine are free — the status does not disappear because of them. The risk concerns housing, not status: material reception conditions end if you leave the accommodation assigned to you (CESEDA, art. L551-16). What we could NOT find at national level: what exactly happens to the ADA payment during a trip abroad, as opposed to leaving the accommodation. The wording about free trips comes from prefecture pages — official, but prefecture level, not a national act. Tell your accommodation before you leave.
This information is for reference only and is not legal advice.