Temporary protection: Italy
🛰️ Varta monitors 3 official sources for this country — checked daily.
Legal basis: EU Temporary Protection Directive 2001/55/EC + Ukraine Decree • 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 at the questura
Apply for protezione temporanea at the police headquarters (questura). You receive a permesso di soggiorno for temporary protection — grants residence, work, healthcare, education.
📍 Local questura⏰ As soon as possible💳 Free - 3
Get your codice fiscale
The tax code — needed for work, healthcare, banking, renting. Issued by Agenzia delle Entrate or automatically with the permesso.
📍 Agenzia delle Entrate💳 Free - 4
Healthcare and social services
Register with the regional Servizio Sanitario Nazionale (SSN) for doctors. Social services via the Comune (municipality).
📍 SSN / Comune💳 Free
Documents
Foreign passport
requiredChild’s birth certificate
requiredProof of residence before 24.02.2022
if availablePhoto
requiredUkrainian 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.
Address in Italy: street, number, city, CAP (postcode).
❌ Name in Cyrillic ❌ Missing signature ❌ Wrong CAP (postcode)
As in the passport, in Latin letters.
Format DD/MM/YYYY.
City of birth (as in the passport).
❌ Birth city doesn’t match the passport (no code issued) ❌ Name in Cyrillic
Benefits
Labour market access
Protezione temporanea holders.
How to apply: Automatic
Public healthcare (SSN)
Protection holders.
How to apply: Regional SSN registration
Comune social services
Families without income.
How to apply: Local Comune
Wise — transfers without hidden fees
A multi-currency account and transfers between Ukraine and Europe at the real exchange rate. Handy for receiving salary and sending money to family.
Open a Wise accountThe price for you does not change; the commission supports our free guides.
Where to apply
What happens after protection ends
After protection: permesso di soggiorno on other grounds (work, study, family), EU long-term residence permit 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.
💼 Single work permit
Those with a valid employment contract in this country.
Passport; employment contract; proof of residence. Authority: Questura (police).
- Foreign passport
- Employment contract
- Proof of residence
- Health insurance (optional)
Questura (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 — Italy
Enrolment at an accredited institution.
Acceptance letter; proof of funds; housing; insurance.
- Foreign passport
- Acceptance letter
- Proof of funds
- Health insurance (optional)
Questura (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 — Italy
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
Questura (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 — Italy
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
Questura (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 — Italy
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)
Questura (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
6 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 Italy protection is never extended automatically: the permesso di soggiorno per protezione temporanea must be renewed each cycle on the holder's own application, in person at the local Questura (passport, expired permit, photos, EUR 16 stamp, EUR 30.46 card fee, proof of residence). As of 3 September 2026 Italy has NOT yet announced the procedure for the next term: current permits run to 4 March 2027, and no national act implementing the extension to 4 March 2028 has been adopted — so no application dates exist yet. Where: The Questura (Ufficio Immigrazione) for your place of residence — an in-person visit is mandatory. There is no online booking for temporary protection: depending on the Questura it is a phone line (e.g. Udine, 0432 413176), PEC (e.g. Lodi), the PrenotaFacile platform or a walk-in queue. Legal basis: decreto-legge 31.12.2025 n. 201, converted into law on 27.02.2026; an equivalent act for the next cycle does not exist yet. Important: There is no automatic extension in Italy: if you do not apply, the permit simply expires and you are left without legal status. The dates are deliberately blank — the Italian act for the 2027→2028 cycle has not yet been adopted, and any specific date now would be made up. A guide from the previous cycle (not a guarantee): the decree came out only on 31.12.2025, the conversion law on 27.02.2026, and the Questure published instructions in February 2026 — so check your Questura's website from January–February 2027. In past cycles the Questure accepted applications even after the expiry date (renewing permits "scaduti il 4 marzo 2026"), but in the gap you are left without a valid document. Source: https://questure.poliziadistato.it/it/Roma/articolo/199867b85c08de1f5642927550 (checked 03.09.2026).
What is the codice fiscale?
The tax code — required for work, healthcare, banking, renting. Issued free.
How fast is protection granted?
The permesso is usually issued same day or within weeks depending on the questura.
Can I work?
Yes, protezione temporanea grants work rights without extra permits.
Can I travel to Ukraine without losing my protection?
The official answer: you may return to Ukraine at any time and your residence permit is preserved. We found no Italian rule on maximum absence at all. One caveat about freshness: the document with this wording is dated 2022, and we could not find a newer official text saying the same. The statement does not contradict anything later, but if you are going for a long time, check with the questura that issued your permit.
This information is for reference only and is not legal advice.