Returning to Ukraine

The Ministry of Interior has announced a pilot programme to assist a number of people who decide to return voluntarily to Ukraine. More information is available here.

As the Ministry of Interior announced, the pilot programme will be implemented initially between June and November 2024 (6 months). The project targets 430 Ukrainian refugees (temporary protection holders, applicants, and/or persons already granted international protection). Return assistance will be provided in the form of bus tickets and/or transport by ambulance (for serious medical cases) to Ukraine from the place of residence in Czechia to the nearest place of residence in Ukraine.

According to the announcement, the individual will be able to apply only once for reimbursement of the costs of travelling back to Ukraine. If someone wishes to re-apply for a residence permit in Czechia in the following 12 months, he/she will have to pay half of the costs.

✉️ For an application for assisted return, write an e-mail to [email protected]

☎️ For more information, call the Ministry of Interior helpline + 420 974 801 802.

For temporary visits to Ukraine, you do not lose your temporary protection in Czechia. A holder of temporary protection in Czechia can travel inside the Schengen area for up to 90 days. Holders of temporary protection in Czechia can also return to Ukraine and come back freely.

⚠️ There is no time limitation stated on the duration of your stay in Ukraine, however, longer stays abroad may affect other areas of your stay in Czechia. For instance, if you are absent for more than 10 working days, you may lose your entitlement to free accommodation (if you are staying in a humanitarian accommodation). A longer absence can also affect the provision of humanitarian benefits or a place at the school their child attends.

If you are taking longer trips, you should consult your health insurance company: if you are absent longer than 6 months, you can ask for a pause in the obligatory payments, which is not possible if you are absent less than 6 months.

❗️Important❗️
In case of a permanent return to Ukraine, you should cancel temporary protection before you leave. You will no longer be subject to the obligations arising from your stay in Czechia, such as paying utilities or health insurance.

If you plan to travel to Ukraine with no intention of returning to Czechia, holding temporary protection status, you must inform the authorities before leaving — otherwise, you may be required to comply with obligations related to your stay in the territory of the Czech Republic.

• If you have a biometric passport, contact the National Aid Center for Ukraine.
• If you do not have a biometric passport, you need to come to the office of the Ministry of Interior.

It is possible to revoke temporary protection at any embassy of the Czech Republic. In Ukraine, you can contact the Embassy of the Czech Republic in Kyiv or the Consulate General of the Czech Republic in Lviv.

👉 Find step-by-step information on what you need to do before leaving Czechia permanently on the website of Naši Ukrajinci.

When planning your return to Ukraine, there are a few steps to consider regarding your bank accounts and social insurance in Czechia:

1. Informing the Health Insurance Company.
   You must notify your health insurance company of the termination of temporary protection. It is possible to do so in person, by e-mail, or via an online form. In this case, it is necessary to attach a document confirming the expiration of the visa, as well as return the insurance card. Check the most appropriate method of notifying them with your health insurance company or on the website of the Ministry of Health. Don’t forget before leaving to check with your health insurance company if you have a debt in order to settle it, otherwise there might be a penalty fee.
2. Informing Labour Office (Urad prace), if you are registered at Urad prace as an employee seeker or you receive any benefits.
3. Closing bank accounts.
   While closing a bank account is not mandatory, consider it if you don’t plan to use Czech banking services. In some banks, there may be associated fees, which can vary depending on the type of account and its servicing tariff. Czech banks typically offer several methods for closing an account: personal visits, online procedures, registered letters, or telephone requests.
4. Dealing with tax issues.
   For more information about tax-related issues, consult official sources, such as Financial Authority “Finanční správa“.
5. Terminating your contracts with mobile service or internet providers in Czechia.
6. Terminating your rental contract.
7. Terminating your employment contract.

For more information, please refer to I’m leaving the Czech Republic.

Yes, you can travel back to Ukraine and later return to Czechia if:

• You hold a valid visa or a residence permit allowing you to re-enter Czechia (during the validity of those documents); or
• You are entitled to a visa-free movement until the exhaustion of the maximum period of the visa-free movement (90 days within 180 days with a biometric passport); or
• You hold a valid electronic visa document.

According to the current legal framework, if you leave Ukraine after 24 February 2022 you can apply for temporary protection in the Czech Republic or another EU country. If you have already obtained temporary protection status in the Czech Republic, you have a right to apply for temporary protection again. If you apply and are granted temporary protection in another EU country, the Czech authorities may not grant you temporary protection status in the Czech Republic.

For information on temporary protection in Czechia, please visit this section on our website or the Ministry of Interior website. If you would like to receive specific information and legal counseling by a lawyer (free of charge) you can also contact UNHCR’s partner Organization for Aid to Refugees (OPU) at +420 730 158 779 or +420 739 413 983 or by e-mail at [email protected].  You should contact OPU to schedule an appointment at one of their offices in Prague, Brno, Hradec Kralove, Plzen, or Ostrava. If you would like UNHCR to refer you to OPU, you can write to UNHCR at [email protected].

You should notify the school that you would like to cancel your child’s enrolment (see step 3 on I’m leaving the Czech Republic).

❗️Important❗️
If your child was attending school in Czechia, it is recommended to ask the school for an official document acknowledging your child’s studies and educational achievements. It will facilitate the recognition of your child’s education back in Ukraine. More information on what information the document should include can be found on the webpage of the Ukrainian Ministry of Education and Science.

Children must follow the same entry and exit rules as adults. When returning to Ukraine, they need a passport or another document with a photo to confirm their identity. If they don’t have these, a birth certificate will be enough.

If you are not a citizen of Ukraine and you are staying in Czechia under temporary protection, you can return to Ukraine using your residence permit in Ukraine. If your residence permit in Ukraine has expired, you should extend this document by contacting the Consulate of Ukraine in Czechia. Otherwise, to enter Ukraine, you will need to obtain a visa at the Ukrainian consulate.

If you have questions or need support when returning to Ukraine, please visit the UNHCR Ukraine Help website for information on services available in Ukraine.