Frequently asked questions about the Temporary Protection Directive for you from Ukraine
On this page you will find frequently asked questions about the Temporary Protection Directive for you who have fled the war in Ukraine.
This information is available in Ukrainian and Russian. Click on the “Other languages” button above to change the language.
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Population registration
When you have had a residence permit with temporary protection for one year, you must report your move to Sweden, for you and your children, to the Swedish Tax Agency, which will then decide if you can be listed in the Swedish Population Register. You must do this no later than four weeks after you have passed the one-year limit. Children born in Sweden can be registered with their parents even if the child has not had a residence permit for a full year.
When you submit your notification of move to the Swedish Tax Agency, you must tell them the date on which you received your first residence permit and show them the documents you have. You do not need to ask the Swedish Migration Agency for new documents. If the Swedish Tax Agency needs to have this information confirmed, they can contact the Swedish Migration Agency.
Yes, when you think you fulfil the requirements for being listed in the Swedish Population Register, you must contact the Swedish Tax Agency to notify them of your move to Sweden. The Swedish Tax Agency will then assess whether you can be registered. It is an offence to deliberately avoid being listed in the population register.
You are obligated to register with the Swedish Tax Agency as soon as you think you fulfil the requirements for registration. If you are unsure whether you fulfil the requirements for population registration, you should make a notification and provide as much information as you can to the Swedish Tax Agency, which will make the assessment.
From 1 November, if you have a residence permit with temporary protection, you must register with the Swedish Tax Agency when you have had a residence permit for one year. You then have four weeks to notify the Tax Agency of your move to Sweden. You are obligated to register with the Swedish Tax Agency as soon as you believe you fulfil the requirements for being listed in the Swedish Population Register. Deliberately avoiding registration is a criminal offence. You can be registered even if you have been in Sweden for more than a year, but you cannot get better support from society by waiting until you have had a residence permit for two years.
Once you have been listed in the Swedish Population Register, you will no longer be entitled to accommodation or financial support from the Swedish Migration Agency. Instead, you will be entitled to other help from the Swedish welfare system.
There are opportunities to receive financial support from national authorities other than the Swedish Migration Agency. For example, you can receive introduction support (etableringsstöd) if you participate in the Swedish Public Employment Service’s introduction programme to enter the labour market.
If you receive financial support from the Swedish Migration Agency, you will normally receive your daily allowance paid in advance, once a month. Once you are listed in the Swedish Population Register, you will no longer be entitled to financial support from the Swedish Migration Agency. To make sure you do not receive a daily allowance for longer than you are entitled to it,your Unit for Reception may decide that you should have your daily allowance divided into two payments. You will receive the same allowance per day as before, but it will be divided between two payment dates, the 11th and 26th of each month.
No, your financial support from the Swedish Migration Agency does not end until the Swedish Tax Agency notifies us that you have been listed in the national register.
When you are listed in the Swedish Population Register, you must move out of the Swedish Migration Agency’s accommodation. The Swedish Migration Agency hands over responsibility for helping you find accommodation to a municipality, through a process known as municipal assignment. The Swedish Migration Agency offers you a municipal assignment, but it is not always certain that it will be to the municipality in which you already live. If you feel the assignment you receive does not fit your situation, you have the option of arranging your own accommodation instead of accepting the assignment.
Once you are listed in the Swedish Population Register, you are assigned a Swedish personal identity number and you can apply for a Swedish ID card.
You will have some of the same rights to support from society as everyone else who lives in Sweden. For example, you can get help from the Swedish Public Employment Service (Arbetsförmedlingen), to increase your chances of getting a job.
You will have access to more health care, and you may be entitled to financial support and benefits from, for example the Swedish Social Insurance Agency (Försäkringskassan), or the municipality where you live.
When the Swedish Tax Agency notifies the Swedish Migration Agency that you have been assigned a personal identity number, you will no longer be entitled to accommodation or financial support from the Swedish Migration Agency. You will be discharged from the Swedish Migration Agency’s Unit for Reception, and the bank card you were issued will be cancelled. We therefore recommend that you withdraw any remaining money on the card before you become listed in the Swedish Population Register.
If you live in one of the Swedish Migration Agency’s temporary accommodations, the municipality will help arrange a new accommodation for you.
Your residence permit card will remain valid until your residence permit expires. You do not need to get a new residence permit card once you are listed in the Swedish Population Register. You will receive a new residence permit card the next time you are granted an extended residence permit.
You do not need to notify the Swedish Migration Agency that you have been listed in the Swedish Population Register. The day after they make their decision, the Swedish Tax Agency will notify us directly.
Being listed in the Swedish Population Register does not mean that you become a Swedish citizen. Being listed in the Swedish Population Register means that you are registered as a resident of Sweden and receive a personal identity number. It is the Swedish Tax Agency that decides whether you should be listed in the Swedish Population Register. To be listed, you must have been in Sweden with a residence permit with temporary protection for two years and plan to remain in Sweden for the next year with a residence permit with temporary protection.
The right to apply for asylum or any other form of residence permit is not affected by the fact that you are or have been listed in the Swedish Population Register. The Swedish Migration Agency will provide you with information about what to do if you are unable to return to Ukraine when your temporary protection under the Temporary Protection Directive expires.
Application for extended protection under the Temporary Protection Directive
The application to extend a residence permit under the Temporary Protection Directive is now closed.
The EU has decided that the Temporary Protection Directive will be extended until 4 March 2026. Before that date, you will receive information about what you can do when your residence permit under the Temporary Protection Directive expires.
People who have temporary protection that is valid until 4 March 2025 will receive this information when it is time for them to apply for an extended residence permit, in early 2025.
When you submitted your application in the e-service, you received an email with a confirmation showing that you applied before the deadline. The email contains the names of all the people for whom you have applied. The email also includes a control number that you can use to check whether you have received a decision.
A few days after you have submitted the application, each person for whom you have applied will also receive their own letter confirming that the Swedish Migration Agency has received the application. The letter contains the person’s name and case number, as well as information about the fact that they retain their right to accommodation and financial support pending a new decision. This letter can be good to have if you need to prove to an authority or employer that you applied for an extended residence permit in time.
No, the time spent in Sweden with a residence permit under the Temporary Protection Directive cannot lead to a permanent residence permit.
The temporary protection directive – rules and how to apply
Stay in Sweden for 90 days
Ukrainian citizens with biometric national passports or Schengen visas can stay in Sweden for 90 days and do not need to contact the Swedish Migration Agency until the 90 days have passed.
Temporary Protection Directive
The Temporary Protection Directive means that persons who come to Sweden from Ukraine can get immediate protection and a temporary residence permit.
The permit gives you the opportunity to get help with finding accommodation, the right to work, the right to seek basic care, the right to schooling for children, and certain financial support in Sweden.
Asylum
A person from Ukraine will in the first instance be granted a residence permit in accordance with the Temporary Protection Directive. A person in need of protection, who does not meet the requirements for a permit in accordance with the Temporary Protection Directive, can apply for asylum. An application for asylum is always examined individually.
Read more about how to apply for asylum
Other grounds for residence permit in Sweden
Other grounds for residence permit in Sweden include a permit to work, study, or live with your family that already lives in Sweden. The requirements for obtaining a residence permit differ depending on the permit you are applying for. In most cases, you need to apply from outside Sweden in order to be granted the residence permit. More information about different residence permits can be found under the menu entry Private individuals on our website.
If you are a Ukrainian citizen, are in Sweden and have a valid passport or other Ukrainian identification documents, you can use the e‑service to apply. If you cannot use the e‑service or if you are in urgent need of somewhere to stay, you can visit us in person.
No, you must be in Sweden when you submit the application.
When you apply for a permit under the Temporary Protection Directive you need to show who you are. If you do not have a passport or a national ID card, you can present other documents that state your identity. For example, you can show us a driving licence, birth certificate, citizenship certificate or military service book. Such documents can help to prove that you are a person with the right to protection under the Temporary Protection Directive.
If your family member can get to Sweden and has a biometric passport or a Schengen visa, they have the right to stay here for up to 90 days without a residence permit.
Your family member can apply for temporary protection.
If you live in Sweden and your family member does not have a residence permit or citizenship in Sweden, in some cases they may have the right to apply for a residence permit on the grounds of close family ties to you. There are no special rules for people from Ukraine; the same rules apply to anyone applying on the grounds of close family ties.
If you are bringing your dog, cat or other pet from Ukraine, you need to find out which rules apply to bringing the animal into Sweden. You can read about what rules apply for pets on the the Swedish Board of Agriculture's information Movement of dogs, cats or ferrets to Sweden – both travel and trade External link, opens in new window.
No, the Swedish Migration Agency does not keep your passport. You need the passport to identify yourself during your stay in Sweden.
If you do not have any money of your own, you can get financial support from the Swedish Migration Agency when you apply for protection under the Temporary Protection Directive. You must hand in your application for financial support in person or by sending a signed form to the Swedish Migration Agency.
If you are getting financial support from the Swedish Migration Agency, it is important you tell the Swedish Migration Agency if your financial situation changes, for example, if you get a job, or if you change accommodation.
Read more about financial support from the Swedish Migration Agency
If you have a residence permit with protection under the Temporary Protection Directive and are not listed in the Swedish Population Register, you must visit one of the Swedish Migration Agency’s offices for help with accommodation. The Swedish Migration Agency will find out which municipality has space for you and instruct that municipality to arrange housing for you. The municipality then has one month to arrange housing for you. Once this is done, you will receive information from the Swedish Migration Agency about where you are going to live. While we wait for the municipality to arrange housing for you, you can stay in one of the Swedish Migration Agency’s temporary accommodations.
If you are listed in the Swedish Population Register, you are responsible for arranging your own accommodation. Some municipalities have municipal housing agencies where you can apply for housing. The municipality can also give you tips about private landlords.
After the decision has been made
If you are granted a residence permit under the EU’s Temporary Protection Directive, your permit will be valid until 4 March 2026. Before that date, you will receive information about what you must do when your residence permit under the Temporary Protection Directive expires.
If you have a residence permit that expires on 4 March 2025, you will receive information about applying for extended protection at the beginning of 2025.
If the security situation in Ukraine improves so much that the EU decides that the Temporary Protection Directive should be repealed before 4 March 2026, the Swedish Migration Agency will revoke your permit. If that happens, you will be informed about it before the permit expires.
Yes, people who have been granted a residence permit under the Temporary Protection Directive are covered by the Act on Reception of Asylum Seekers (LMA). This means that they have the right to schooling for their children, care that cannot wait, work, and some financial support.
After two years of temporary protection, they can be listed in the Swedish Population Register. Once listed, they are no longer covered by the LMA, but instead have the right to other support from the Swedish welfare system.
Yes, people who have turned 16 have the right to work from the day they receive a decision on protection under the Temporary Protection Directive. Notify the Swedish Migration Agency if you start working, as this may affect your right to financial support.
People who are listed in the Swedish Population Register are entitled to SFI (Swedish for Immigrants). Some municipalities also offer SFI to people who are not yet listed in the Swedish Population Register. Contact the municipality in which you live to find out if they offer SFI.
If you have been granted a residence permit for temporary protection you will get a residence permit card as proof that you are permitted to live in Sweden. The card will show what kind of permit you have.
Your residence permit card is produced for you after the Swedish Migration Agency has decided to grant you a residence permit. Before we can order the card for you, you need to be photographed and provide your fingerprints. If you were photographed and provided fingerprints when you applied for protection or accommodation, you do not need to do anything. If you applied for protection in the e‑service and have not yet been fingerprinted and photographed, you will need to make an appointment to do so.
Book an appointment before you visit us
Once your residence permit card is ready, we will send the card to you by post or contact you and tell you where you can pick up your card. Remember to notify the Swedish Migration Agency if you change your address. You can do this by sending a completed Adressanmälan eller adressändring (Mot93) form to your nearest Unit for Reception.
After two years in Sweden, people with temporary protection under the Temporary Protection Directive can be listed in the Swedish Population Register and get a Swedish personal identity number.
Once a person is listed in the Swedish Population Register, they no longer have the right to financial support and accommodation from the Swedish Migration Agency. Instead, you they are entitled to other help from the Swedish welfare system.
When the Swedish Migration Agency has decided that you will receive financial support, you will receive a bank card and information about how it works. We will send you the bank card by post or contact you and tell you where you can pick up the bank card.
Read more about financial support from the Swedish Migration Agency
Yes, you are allowed to leave Sweden and come back as long as your residence permit is valid. If you have a residence permit in Sweden, you have the right to travel freely within the EU for up to 90 days during a six-month period.
You may lose your right to aid under the Act on Reception of Asylum Seekers (i.e., accommodation and financial support from the Swedish Migration Agency) if you leave Sweden, but if you return to Sweden while your permit is still valid, you may be entitled to receive aid under the Act on Reception of Asylum Seekers again. If you need help with accommodation when you return, there is no guarantee that you will be able to stay in the same place where you previously lived.
No, the Swedish Migration Agency will not revoke your residence permit if you travel back to Ukraine. However, your right to financial support and accommodation will stop once you leave Sweden. If you need to return to Sweden you can apply for accommodation and financial support again.
No, the Swedish Migration Agency will not revoke your residence permit if you move from Sweden, but you are only entitled to support under the Temporary Protection Directive in one country at a time. If you move to another EU country and apply for a residence permit there, the Swedish Migration Agency will be informed of this and will then stop your right to accommodation and financial support in Sweden.
Yes, you can travel up to 90 days in a six-month period within the EU without losing your residence permit. However, if you leave Sweden you may lose your right to aid under the Act on Reception of Asylum Seekers (i.e., accommodation and financial support from the Swedish Migration Agency).
The residence permit that you receive from the Swedish Migration Agency only gives you the right to live in Sweden. If you want to move to another EU country, you must register in that country in accordance with the Temporary Protection Directive.
All EU countries share information about people receiving protection under the Temporary Protection Directive in a common database. If you are granted a residence permit under the Temporary Protection Directive in another EU country, the Swedish Migration Agency will receive information about this, and we will then stop providing you with accommodation and financial support.
If you have been listed in the Swedish Population Register, you must notify the Swedish Tax Agency that you are planning to move from Sweden.
Your residence permit under the Temporary Protection Directive in one EU-country does not automatically give you the right to live in another EU-country. The rules for who may be granted temporary protection might vary slightly from country to country. If you wish to live in Sweden, you must apply to the Swedish Migration Agency for protection under the Temporary Protection Directive.
Read about who can be granted protection under the Temporary Protection Directive in Sweden
If you are granted a residence permit in Sweden under the Temporary Protection Directive, the Swedish Migration Agency will upload your personal data to an EU-wide database. The authorities in the country where you were first granted protection will receive information about the fact that you have been granted a residence permit in Sweden, and will then stop providing you with financial support.
No, a person with a residence permit under the Temporary Protection Directive can not receive a travel grant or other help from the Swedish Migration Agency to move back home.
If you have been listed in the Swedish Population Register, you must notify the Swedish Tax Agency that you are planning to move from Sweden.