Temporary protection: Liechtenstein
🛰️ Varta monitors 8 official sources for this country — checked daily.
Legal basis: Ukraine Protection Ordinance (government ordinance of 16.03.2022 based on the Asylum Act, AsylG) — first-ever activation of Schutzstatus S; amended as of 21.07.2026 following EU decisions
Steps
- 1
Enter Liechtenstein
Ukrainian citizens may enter visa-free and stay lawfully for 90 days regardless of protection status. There are no direct flights — arrival is usually via Switzerland or Austria.
📍 Border (Schengen)⏰ 90 days of lawful stay💳 Free - 2
Book a registration appointment with the APA
Email asyl@llv.li to get a registration appointment at the Ausländer- und Passamt (APA). Those who already filed an asylum application need not re-apply: their status is reviewed automatically.
📍 Email: asyl@llv.li⏰ Before your 90 visa-free days end💳 Free - 3
Registration and expedited procedure
After registration the APA grants Schutzstatus S in an expedited procedure — without a full asylum process. You receive the Ausweis S (status S identity card).
📍 APA, Städtle 38, 9490 Vaduz⏰ At your appointed time💳 Free - 4
Housing and social support
Status S holders are provided housing (flats, houses or collective accommodation) via the Flüchtlingshilfe Liechtenstein (FHL). Welfare payments, pocket money and care are provided; the state covers mandatory health insurance premiums. Those employed contribute to costs per the Asylum Act.
📍 Flüchtlingshilfe Liechtenstein / Social Services Office💳 Free (contribution only if you have income) - 5
Work — with prior APA approval; children — to school
Adults with status S may work, but only after prior APA approval (the request is usually initiated by the employer). School-age children attend school.
📍 APA (work) / local school⏰ Before starting work💳 Free - 6
Annual status renewal
Status S is granted for 1 year and renewed while the Ukraine Protection Ordinance is in force. The ordinance is open-ended; the government has committed not to revoke it before March 2028 (following the EU decision). It is a return-oriented status — it may be revoked once the situation in Ukraine improves substantially.
📍 APA⏰ Annually💳 Free
Documents
Passport or other identity document
requiredVisa-free Schengen entry normally requires a biometric passport. If you only hold a non-biometric passport or other documents — contact the APA (asyl@llv.li) about registration.
Proof of residence in Ukraine before 24.02.2022
requiredPassport stamps, permits, certificates — any available evidence.
Children’s birth certificates / family documents
if availableFor registering children and school enrolment.
Permission to leave Ukraine (for men of conscription age)
if availableSince 21.07.2026, new arrivals without permission from the Ukrainian authorities to leave are generally not granted protection. Existing statuses are unaffected.
Map
Document samples and how to fill them
Briefly: “Registrierung Schutzstatus S — Ukraine”.
Name and surname in Latin letters as in the passport, date of birth, citizenship — for each family member.
Type and number of passport or other document; mention if the passport is non-biometric.
When you arrived and where you currently stay (address in Liechtenstein or the neighbouring region).
Phone number and email you actually use.
❌ Showing up at the APA without an appointment ❌ Not listing all family members at once ❌ Letting the 90 visa-free days lapse without registering
Issued by the APA after registration in the expedited procedure — no separate asylum application needed.
Carry the Ausweis S with you — it is your proof of lawful stay.
Status is valid for 1 year and renewed via the APA while the ordinance is in force.
Report address or family status changes to the APA.
❌ Confusing the Ausweis S with a residence permit — it is a return-oriented status ❌ Not reporting an address change to the APA ❌ Missing the annual renewal
Agree with the employer: the prior-approval request goes to the APA before your first working day.
Name as in the Ausweis S, status number, position and workload.
Start work only after the APA decision.
Income is taken into account: residents of supported housing contribute to costs under the Asylum Act.
❌ Starting work before APA approval ❌ Not informing the FHL about income ❌ Assuming the approval covers a different employer
Benefits
Welfare payments (monthly maintenance)
Schutzstatus S holders without sufficient own income (asylum-support regime).
How to apply: Assigned automatically within the FHL care system
Pocket money (Taschengeld)
Status S holders who meet the conditions.
How to apply: Via the FHL care system
Accommodation
Status S holders needing housing; those employed contribute to costs under the Asylum Act.
How to apply: Via the Flüchtlingshilfe Liechtenstein
Health insurance
Schutzstatus S holders within the support system.
How to apply: Arranged upon registration
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
Ausländer- und Passamt (APA) — Immigration and Passport Office
Flüchtlingshilfe Liechtenstein (FHL) — housing and care
Contacts
What happens after protection ends
Schutzstatus S is deliberately return-oriented: it does not automatically lead to a residence permit (a 2026 bill confirms this explicitly). Ordinary residence permits in Liechtenstein are quota-limited and scarce (including lotteries for EEA nationals and separate third-country quotas). Realistic alternatives: moving to an EU country with temporary protection, quota-based labour immigration, or study. Many services for Ukrainians (the Ukrainian embassy) are in neighbouring Switzerland (Bern).
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.
💼 Work-based residence — Liechtenstein
Those with a valid employment contract in this country.
Passport; employment contract; proof of residence. Authority: Ausländer- und Passamt (APA) — Immigration and Passport Office.
- Foreign passport
- Employment contract
- Proof of residence
- Health insurance (optional)
Ausländer- und Passamt (APA) — Immigration and Passport Office
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.
Processed per national rules; often before entry.
🎓 Study — Liechtenstein
Enrolment at an accredited institution.
Acceptance letter; proof of funds; housing; insurance.
- Foreign passport
- Acceptance letter
- Proof of funds
- Health insurance (optional)
Ausländer- und Passamt (APA) — Immigration and Passport Office
Apply via the institution or the immigration authority.
Before the semester starts.
- Register at the institution and locally
Yearly with continued studies.
Processed per national rules; often before entry.
👨👩👧👦 Family reunification — Liechtenstein
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
Ausländer- und Passamt (APA) — Immigration and Passport Office
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.
Processed per national rules; often before entry.
🏢 Self-employment/business — Liechtenstein
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
Ausländer- und Passamt (APA) — Immigration and Passport Office
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.
Processed per national rules; often before entry.
🏠 Permanent residence — Liechtenstein
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)
Ausländer- und Passamt (APA) — Immigration and Passport Office
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
3 verified programmes: housing support, job portals, business grants, free courses — with direct official links and verification dates. Available with Varta.
Forms & samples (PDF)
FAQ
What changed on 21.07.2026 for men of conscription age?
Following the EU decision, Liechtenstein amended the Ukraine Protection Ordinance: newly arriving men without permission from the Ukrainian authorities to leave due to military obligations are generally NOT granted Schutzstatus S. Persons already holding status in Liechtenstein keep it unchanged.
Can I work with status S?
Yes, but only with PRIOR approval from the APA — usually requested by the employer before you start. If you live in supported housing and work, you contribute to maintenance costs under the Asylum Act.
I have a non-biometric passport. What should I do?
Visa-free Schengen entry normally requires a biometric passport. If you only hold a non-biometric passport or other documents, email asyl@llv.li in advance — the APA will explain the registration procedure. Consular services (passport issuance) for Ukrainians in the region are provided by the Ukrainian Embassy in Switzerland (Bern).
Until when is protection valid?
Status S is granted for 1 year and renewed annually. The ordinance itself is open-ended, and the government has committed not to revoke it before March 2028 — in step with the EU. There is no fixed individual “end date”; follow government decisions.
Can I travel to Ukraine?
Schutzstatus S is a return-oriented status for people who cannot safely go back. Regular or extended trips to Ukraine may call your status into question. Always check the consequences with the APA (asyl@llv.li) before travelling.
- liechtenstein.li — Regierung aktiviert vorübergehende Schutzgewährung ✓
- regierung.li — Im Fokus: Krieg in der Ukraine (Hilfe und Unterstützung) ✓
- landtag.li — Kleine Anfrage «Schutzbedürftige aus der Ukraine» (виплати, житло) ✓
- lie:zeit — Verordnung zum Schutzstatus S wird angepasst (07.2026)
- Flüchtlingshilfe Liechtenstein — Ukraine-Krieg
This information is for reference only and is not legal advice.