If you are a refugee from Ukraine in Estonia, please visit the website of the Government of Estonia that contains important information in Ukrainian, English, Russian and Estonian. OR call the State helpline at 1247 (if you are in Estonia) or +372 600 1247 (if you are calling from abroad).
Extension of Temporary Protection for Ukrainians through to March 2027: European Union countries have decided to extend temporary protection for Ukrainians until 4 March 2027. This means that it is possible to apply for and benefit from temporary protection in the EU until this date. If you already have temporary protection in an EU country, your status will be extended until 4 March 2027. Read more at the European Council’s website
The Estonian Refugee Council has an information portal for people from Ukraine, where you can find brief information about arriving and living in Estonia and how to receive counselling in person or by phone.
People arriving from Ukraine may be entitled to temporary protection in Estonia.
Who is eligible for temporary protection in Estonia?
You may be eligible for temporary protection in Estonia if you are a:
- citizen of Ukraine who used to live in Ukraine and had to flee the country on or after 24 February 2022,
- foreigner or stateless person in Ukraine who had refugee or another international protection status in Ukraine, or
- family member of any of the above.
Under the Estonian rules, the following persons are considered “family members”:
- spouse or partner,
- underage unmarried children and
- other close relatives who lived in the same household and were dependent on the Ukrainian citizen.
Pension Verification Requirement for Ukrainian Refugees
Due to recent legislative changes in Ukraine, all Ukrainian pensioners residing abroad must complete a verification procedure in order to continue receiving pension payments.
How to Complete Verification
You can complete the procedure through one of the following modalities:
- 1. Diia Application
- Via Diia Signature on the PFU web portal or the PFU mobile app (video guide is available here)
- 2. Videoconference Verification via the PFU Portal
- You may request a video call via the PFU portal or by calling the hotline: 0800 503 753.
- Calls are usually scheduled within 10–30 days and conducted via Google Meet, WhatsApp, Signal, Telegram, Viber, or Zoom.
- You will be asked to present your original passport/ID and pension certificate during the call .
- 3. Verification at a Ukrainian Consulate
- Visit the nearest Ukrainian consulate to confirm your identity and place of residence.
- You will receive a certificate of identity, which you can upload via the PFU portal to complete verification.
- 4. In-Person Verification in Ukraine
- If you are currently in Ukraine, you can visit any PFU service centre.
Please note: Due to the suspension of thousands of pensions in January 2026, long queues are currently reported nationwide.
- If you are currently in Ukraine, you can visit any PFU service centre.
Additional Requirement for Pensioners from Temporarily Occupied Territories (ToTs)
If you are from the ToTs, you must confirm that you are not receiving a pension from the Russian Federation, by doing one of the following:
- Selecting the relevant declaration box in your PFU online account
- Stating this explicitly during videoconference verification
- Sending a written declaration by email or postal mail to the PFU
After completing all steps, please verify that your PFU personal account reflects the correct date of verification and declaration. You may check this online or by contacting the PFU hotline (0800 503 753).
Need More Help?
For more information and technical support completing the verification process through the Diia app or PFU portal please contact the UNHCR Regional Contact Centre (RCC). Additional information will also soon be available via the Ukraine is Home website
