You want to apply Apply for protection under the Temporary Protection Directive

You have fled the war in Ukraine alone or with your family and want to apply for protection in Sweden.

  • Important to know
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The information on this page is aimed at people who have fled the war in Ukraine and want to apply for protection in Sweden under the EU’s Temporary Protection Directive.

These requirements must be met in order for you to be granted a residence permit with temporary protection under the Temporary Protection Directive:

You must be in Sweden

You must be one of the following

  • a Ukrainian citizen
  • a person who had international protection or equivalent national protection in Ukraine prior to 24 February 2022
  • an accompanying family member of someone belonging to either of the two groups described above.

You must show your identity and citizenship
If you do not have a passport or a national ID card, you can present other documents that state your identity and citizenship. For example, you can present a driving licence, birth certificate, citizenship certificate or military service book.

You must have lived in Ukraine and left the country because of the war on 24 February 2022 or later
Even if you were already in Sweden when the war in Ukraine broke out, you may still be entitled to protection under the Temporary Protection Directive, if you were legally in Sweden before 22 December 2023. You must belong to one of the three groups listed above. If you have been convicted of a crime punishable by at least two years’ imprisonment, your application may be rejected.

You must have fullfilled your military obligations in Ukraine
If you are a man aged 23 to 65, you must show that you have fullfilled your military obligations in Ukraine or that you are exempt from the compulsory military service requirement, This requirement only applies if you are applying for temporary protection for the first time on or after 5 August 2026.

You must attach copies of these documents to your application. Make sure that the information in the documents you include is clearly visible.

Correctly made copies of your passport
Read more about what the passport copies must show

Correctly made copies of your co-applicant family members’ passports
Read more about what the passport copies must show

Certificate showing that you have no military obligations
If you are a man aged 23 to 65, you must show that you have fulfilled your military obligations in Ukraine or that you are exempt form the compulsory military service requirement. You can show this, for example, by providing a copy of your passport showing a valid exit stamp (the stamp must not be more than 90 days old), a certificate form the Reserv+ app (known as an e-VOD), or other official documents showing that you are entitled to leave Ukraine.

Your family members can get residence permits under the Temporary Protection Directive if they came to Sweden with you. Your co-applicant family members do not need to be Ukrainian citizens, but each must have a valid passport or other identification document.

When you apply for a residence permits for yourself, you can apply for residence permits for your family members at the same time.

People who have committed serious criminal acts (for example war crimes, or other serious crimes) or who pose a threat to Sweden’s security cannot be granted a residence permit under the Temporary Protection Directive or international protection (asylum).

If you cannot arrange your accommodation on your own, you are entitled to accommodation provided by the Swedish Migration Agency once you have applied for a residence permit under the Temporary Protection Directive.

Read more about accommodation

If you do not have your own money, you may also be entitled to financial aid from the Swedish Migration Agency.

Read more about financial aid

The EU has decided to extend the Temporary Protection Directive until 4 March 2028. The decision came into force on 5 August. If you received a decision on a residence permit before 5 August 2026, your permit is valid until 4 March 2027. Before your residence permit expires, you will receive information about what you must do if you want to stay in Sweden.

It costs nothing to apply for a residence permit under the Temporary Protection Directive.

It usually takes a few weeks for the Swedish Migration Agency to check whether you are entitled to protection. We will contact you if we need more information.

If you are 16 years of age or older and are granted a residence permit in Sweden, you have the right to work, and children are allowed to attend school.

Your residence permit with temporary protection under the Temporary Protection Directive in one EU country does not automatically apply in other EU countries. Different EU countries may have different rules about who can receive protection under the Temporary Protection Directive. If you wish to live in Sweden, you must apply to the Swedish Migration Agency for protection.

If we see from your application that you do not meet the requirements for a residence permit under the Temporary Protection Directive, we will ask you if you want to apply for international protection (asylum) or a residence permit on other grounds.

The Swedish police have a team investigating war crimes that may have occurred during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, after 24 February 2022. Contact them if you were a civilian in Ukraine and have been a victim of a war crime or witnessed other civilians who have been victims of war crimes.

E-mail registrator.kansli@polisen.se and mark your message with “to the War Crimes Investigation Team”, or call the police’s Contact Centre at phone number 114 14.

When many people must flee their country simultaneously, the risk of being subjected to various forms of violence and oppression increases. This means that people fleeing the war in Ukraine are at a particularly high risk of being exploited. This is especially true of women and children.

Notify the police if you are the victim of a crime. In case of emergency situations and ongoing crimes, call 112. If the matter is not urgent, you can contact the police at +46 77 114 14 00.

Information on human trafficking in English and Ukrainian on the website of the Swedish Gender Equality Agency External link.

Help for people who have been subjected to sexual abuse or other physical or mental abuse

News

2026-06-11

New rules for people from Ukraine from 11 June

From 11 June 2026, if you have a residence permit under the Temporary Protection Directive, you can apply for another type of residence permit without having to leave Sweden.

The Swedish Migration Agency is responsible for considering applications from people who want to live in Sweden, seek protection or become Swedish citizens. Our work is based on Swedish laws and international conventions, with a focus on legal certainty and effective reception and return.