Travelling to or from Spain? Ukraine protection renewals may need a visit or online form

The European Council has extended the temporary protection regime for people displaced from Ukraine until 4 March 2027, and a number of countries have since set their own longer end dates running into 2028. How that extension is granted depends entirely on where the beneficiary lives: in some countries status renews itself, while in others a personal visit or an online registration is required before a deadline.

Key facts

• EU-level temporary protection now runs to 4 March 2027, with EU Member States implementing extensions domestically.
• Austria, Belgium, Denmark and Finland have extended permits beyond that date into 2028.
• Covered: Ukrainian nationals, foreign national residents in Ukraine, and their spouses or partners, minor children and cohabiting dependent family members who were resident in Ukraine on or before 24 February 2022.
• Denmark opted out of the EU directive but created a similar status through national legislation.
• Albania, Norway, Switzerland and the United Kingdom have introduced similar protection programmes.

Who is eligible?

The EU directive covers Ukrainian nationals, foreign nationals who were resident in Ukraine, and their spouses or partners, minor children and cohabiting dependent family members. Eligibility is tied to being resident in Ukraine on or before 24 February 2022.

EU Member States have considerable leeway in how they implement the directive, so the exact scope of eligible applicants and the application process can differ from one country to another.

When does protection end?

The EU regime has been extended to 4 March 2027. If the situation in Ukraine improves, EU authorities can end temporary protection, in which case residence permits granted under the rule would become invalid and EU countries would have to publish national laws on the change.

Several countries have gone further. Austria and Belgium have both extended temporary protection to 4 March 2028, Finland has automatically extended residence permits to the same date, and Denmark has extended permits granted under its Special Act to 17 March 2028, also automatically.

How do renewals work?

• Albania – extended to 30 March 2027 automatically, with no renewal application needed and no documentary requirements to apply.
• Austria – permits are automatically extended and sent to the holder's currently registered Austrian residential address.
• Belgium – status must be extended in person at the local town hall.
• Bulgaria – an automatic extension applied until 30 April 2026; to obtain the full extension to 4 March 2027, beneficiaries must visit the Bulgarian Agency of Refugees and apply for a new temporary protection card.
• Croatia – automatic extension to 4 March 2027; authorities require affected nationals to renew their identity cards, though failing to do so does not result in loss of protection.
• Cyprus – automatically extended to 4 March 2027.
• Czech Republic – beneficiaries can extend until 31 March 2027 in two steps: register online by 15 March 2026, then attend an in-person appointment with Czech immigration authorities to receive new visa documentation.
• Denmark – Special Act permits extended automatically to 17 March 2028.
• Estonia – extension is not automatic. Applications go through the Police and Border Guard Board's self-service portal, no earlier than three months and no later than one month before the current permit expires.
• Finland – residence permits granted on the basis of temporary protection have been automatically extended to 4 March 2028.

What this means for travellers

Anyone holding temporary protection status should check which rule applies in their country of residence and whether an action is required. Where a personal visit or online registration is needed, missing the stated deadline is the main risk; where the extension is automatic, the renewed permit may simply be issued or posted.

Further country-level changes remain possible. The European Agency for Asylum publishes current information on temporary protection arrangements across participating countries.