Temporary Protection Directive
The European Council decided on 4 March 2022 to activate the Temporary Protection Directive.
It was designed to be used in the event of a “mass influx or imminent mass influx” of people coming into the EU and aims to offer immediate help to large groups of people by granting a form of collective protection status.
This is the first time the Directive has been activated.
If you are fleeing Ukraine and coming to the European Union, you will find key information about your rights with regard to crossing the border into an EU country, eligibility for temporary protection and applying for international protection, as well as the rights of travel inside the European Union here.
In Cyprus
According the Asylum Service of the Republic of Cyprus:
If you were permanently residing in Ukraine, and you left the country to escape war from 24 February 2022 on, you may be entitled to temporary protection according to the Council Implementing Decision (EU) 2022/382 of 4 March 2022 establishing the existence of a mass influx of displaced persons from Ukraine within the meaning of Article 5 of Directive 2001/55/EC, and having the effect of introducing temporary protection.
Temporary protection will last for at least one year and it may be extended depending on the situation in Ukraine. Rights under the Temporary Protection Directive include a residence permit, access to the labour market and housing, medical assistance, and access to education for children. You may find the relevant application for temporary protection at the link below, which can be submitted at any District Immigration Office of the Police.
According to the Asylum Service, applications for temporary protection can also be submitted online through the website of the Asylum Service.
For more information and in order to download and fill in your Application for Temporary Protection, and find answers to Frequently Asked Questions, please visit the website of the Asylum Service of the Republic of Cyprus.
Rent Subsidy Scheme
For those persons from Ukraine residing under Temporary Protection in Cyprus, and currently residing in temporary accommodation at a hotel, you are eligible to apply for the Rent Subsidy Scheme provided by the Government of Cyprus. For more information about this scheme, and to apply, please click here.
For general enquiries about this scheme, please call 1450, the helpline provided by the Government of the Republic of Cyprus, which is free of charge.
Access to health services
Once your temporary protection application is approved you will have access to public hospitals for free. You can book an appointment with a doctor at the state hospitals who will also advise on access to medication. Please see the Republic of Cyprus’ Press and Information Office announcement here for more information.
Access to education
Please see the website of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport for information regarding schooling for the children of Ukrainian refugees in Cyprus.
Here you can find the Ministry of Education’s guide to education in Cyprus in Ukrainian.
Need advice in Cyprus?
If you are from Ukraine and you are currently in Cyprus and seeking advice, you may contact our NGO partner the Cyprus Refugee Council.
Information for persons in Ukraine or neighbouring countries
For more information about the procedures that are in place to assist people in Ukraine or neighbouring countries, please see the links below:
Inside Ukraine: https://help.unhcr.org/ukraine/
In Hungary: https://help.unhcr.org/hungary/
In Poland: https://help.unhcr.org/poland/ and also the Polish government website for Ukrainians: https://www.gov.pl/web/udsc/ukraina-en
In Romania: https://help.unhcr.org/romania/ and the website of our partner, the Romanian National Council for Refugees: https://www.cnrr.ro/index.php/ro/
In Slovakia: https://help.unhcr.org/slovakia/ and the Government of the Slovak Republic site https://ua.gov.sk/en.html
