Residence permit under the Temporary Protection Directive

The EU has decided that people who have fled Ukraine can obtain a residence permit under the Temporary Protection Directive.

Application for a residence permit

If you have fled the war in Ukraine and were already in Sweden when the war broke out, you may be entitled to a residence permit with temporary protection in Sweden under the EU’s Temporary Protection Directive. The application is submitted in Sweden.

Whether you have applied for a residence permit under the Temporary Protection Directive or if you have applied for asylum (protection status), your case will be tried under the Temporary Protection Directive if you are covered by it.

Those covered by the Temporary Protection Directive must have fled Ukraine on or after 24 February 2022 and

be Ukrainian a citizen or
have the status or residence permit of a person in need of protection in Ukraine; or
be an accompanying family member of someone belonging to either of the two groups mentioned above.

You may also be entitled to protection under the Temporary Protection Directive if you were legally residing in Sweden before 22 December 2023 and if you belong to one of the groups in the list above.

If you do not meet these requirements but still need protection in Sweden, you can apply for asylum instead.

If you have applied for a residence permit under the Temporary Protection Directive, you have

the right to housing, daily allowance and special grant
the right to subsidized healthcare and costs for medication

Residence permit on other grounds

If you want to apply for a residence permit on grounds other than to be granted asylum or temporary protection under the Temporary Protection Directive, the main rule is that the application must be submitted from your home country. The permit must then be issued before you travel to Sweden. This applies, for example, if you want a residence permit for work, studies or to be reunited with your family.

Residence permits

The residence permit (under the Temporary Protection Directive) is valid until 4 March 2026. The permit means that you have the right to work in Sweden and that you are covered by the Reception of Asylum Seekers Act (LMA).

After receiving a decision on residence permit under the EU Temporary Protection Directive

Questions and answers about the Temporary Protection Directive if you come from Ukraine

If you have further questions and cannot find the answers on the Swedish Migration Agency's website, you can contact your reception unit.

Decision - simplified service

You will always receive the decision in writing. Simplified service means that the Swedish Migration Agency will send the decision in an ordinary letter to the address where you have said you live. The following day, we will send another letter to the same address with information that we have sent the decision. We do this to reduce the risk of a mistake. In this way, the Swedish Migration Agency will be under the assumption that you have received the decision (been served) two weeks after we sent it to you.

Appeal

If you are not satisfied with the decision you have received, you can appeal the decision. An appeal must be submitted in writing and you do not need a special form. If you wish, you can write the appeal in your native language. When two weeks have passed since the Swedish Migration Agency sent the decision to you, you have three weeks to appeal.

Residence permit cards

Anyone who is granted a residence permit will receive a residence permit card (UT-card) as proof that you have a residence permit in Sweden. The card is not an identity document or a travel document but merely proof of your residence permit.

Once the residence permit card is ready, it will be sent to you by post, or you will be contacted and given information about where to pick it up. If you have questions about how or when to get the card, you can contact your reception unit.

You can travel in and out of the country during the time that your permit is valid, but if you leave Sweden you must have both a valid passport and your residence permit card to be able to come back.

The UT Card also shows that you are covered by the Reception of Asylum Seekers Act (LMA). Take your residence permit card with you when you go for medical care or pick up prescribed medication from a pharmacy. The card entitles you to medical care and medicine at a lower price.

If you lose your residence permit card or if it is stolen, you must first report this to the police. Then you must make an appointment with the Swedish Migration Agency to be photographed and fingerprinted for a new card. Bring a copy of the police report to the visit.