Temporary Protection

“Temporary protection” is a procedure applied in exceptional situations and guarantees immediate and temporary protection to persons who do not belong to the countries of the European Union and who cannot return to their country of origin. On March 4, 2022, the Council of the EU decided to activate it for persons fleeing the conflict in Ukraine. 

1) Ukrainian citizens (and members of their families) who lived in Ukraine until February 24, 2022; 

2) stateless persons and citizens of non-EU countries (and their family members) who enjoyed international or other equivalent national protection in Ukraine until February 24, 2022; 

3) stateless persons and citizens of non-EU countries who were in Ukraine until February 24, 2022, with a permanent residence permit issued by the Government of Ukraine, and who cannot return to their country in safe conditions. 

You should contact the Police Headquarters directly and make an appointment as soon as possible. When you register your request for temporary protection, you will be issued a certificate (ricevuta) which also contains your Italian tax number (codice fiscale). You will have to wait a while to get a residence permit. 

You may be asked to present a passport or other identification documents from your country of origin. In the absence of documents, it is necessary to contact the consular offices of Ukraine in Italy. 

There are cases when individuals refuse to contact the authorities of their country of origin to obtain documents, including consular offices. In such situations, a person can always submit a request for international protection. 

Before contacting the consular offices of your country, think carefully whether you have any reason to feel unsafe, and perhaps you do not want the authorities of your country to know where you are today. 

Yes, you must file an appeal by contacting a lawyer, but you have the right to free legal assistance if you cannot afford to pay for this service. 

The original duration of the temporary protection residence permit of 1 year (until March 4, 2023) has been extended until December 31, 2023, by the  Law Decree of March 2, 2023, no. 16. 

The Council of the European Union agreed on September 28, 2023, to extend the temporary protection until March 4, 2025. 

Beneficiaries of temporary protection are entitled to:

– The right to education: from the moment of the request for temporary protection,  you can enroll in the closest school or in a chosen university 

– The right to employment: from the moment of the request for temporary protection 

– The right to register with the National Health Care System (it. SSN Sistema Sanitario Nazionale): from the moment of the request for temporary protection, you will be able to freely choose a family doctor and/or paediatrician. For this, you need to contact the territorial medical service (it. ASL – Azienda Sanitaria Locale), in the office where the selection and rejection of a doctor is carried out (it. “scelta e revoca del medico”) 

Yes.

Currently, there is no provision allowing the conversion of a permit for temporary protection into a work permit. 

Yes, in cases of proven necessity, a person can request a document equivalent to the Passport of the country of origin. 

Yes, in governmental facilities, reception centers established by Prefectures, or in the Reception and Integration System (SAI). If you need help with housing, contact the Provincial Headquarters of the Police (it. Questura) or the Prefecture of your place of residence (specifically the office called “Area IV”). 

Yes, if you do not live in a reception center and do not use the funding program developed by the Department of Civil Protection. An application for financial aid can be issued, once, immediately after submitting the request for temporary protection. The duration of the benefit payment is 3 months. In order to apply for such financial assistance, you must have a certificate (ricevuta), which is issued after submitting the request for temporary protection, and which contains your Italian tax number (codice fiscale), as well as an identity document from your country of origin. 

Yes, up to 90 consecutive days within the Schengen area. 

Pending the issuance of a residence permit, you can travel with your biometric passport for the first 90 days after entering the Schengen area. 

There are no specific regulations preventing a person with temporary protection from returning to their country of origin.