Cash for Winter Assistance Programme 2024

• UNHCR is providing onetime cash assistance to meet winter related expenses of eligible Ukrainians and third-country nationals displaced from Ukraine, due to the ongoing conflict.  
• Enrolment for cash assistance is separate from the registration for temporary protection conducted by the General Inspectorate for Immigration.  
• UNHCR does not conduct refugee registration for temporary protection or refugee status determination in Romania, as these fall under the responsibility of the Romanian Government. UNHCR highly encourages accessing the temporary protection status offered by Romanian authorities. Information by the General Directorate for Immigration to access this status can be found here.  

• Eligible recipients will receive 720 Ron per person.
• Cash assistance is provided one time for the entire winter period. 

Refugees in vulnerable situations who benefitted from UNHCR’s cash assistance for refugees with specific needs program in 2024 are eligible and will be notified through SMS for the cash for winter related expenses. Not all individuals who are enrolled with UNHCR will be eligible for cash for winter assistance. Please note UNHCR will notify directly the eligible households and that, enrolment centers will not this time be conducting an assessment based on requests from previously enrolled persons.

Moreover, the program accommodates new arrivals of persons from Ukraine in Romania and other persons from Ukraine who were not previously enrolled with UNHCR and stayed for at least for 30 days in Romania and who meets one or more of the eligibility criteria.   

Newly Arrived: You and your family are eligible for cash for winter assistance if  you are:  

• Not previously enrolled for cash assistance with UNHCR in Romania; 
• Residing in Romania for at least 30 days prior to UNHCR enrolment for winter cash assistance;
• Registered under Temporary Protection status in Romania for at least 30 days.

and meet any of the following criteria: 

• Household with one or more family members with a disability; 
• Household with one or more family members with a medical condition; 
• Single parent households with no other adult who can work in the family;
• Are more than 60 years old with no other adult who is able to work in the family; 

AND

• Households with 4 and more family members.  

* It is required to bring medical documents confirming disability or specific medical conditions.

IF YOU MEET CRITERIA, PLEASE REQUEST FOR APPOINTMENT FORM: https://forms.office.com/e/HELxqADjbj

Those who have requested asylum from the General Inspectorate for Immigration are not eligible for UNHCR Financial Cash Assistance, as they will receive assistance directly from the General Inspectorate for Immigration (GII). 

Families/individuals that are receiving similar cash assistance from other humanitarian organizations, NGOs, UN Agencies, etc. are not eligible for UNHCR cash assistance. This applies when the amount of assistance received is 600 RON or more per person per month and the assistance is provided for at least one month.  

Individuals that are eligible for UNHCR financial assistance need to have Temporary Protection Status. Information by the General Directorate for Immigration to access this status can be found here. 

You need to physically visit the nearest UNHCR enrolment center to update your records and phone number. However, if you do not know the location of the enrolment center, please consult the list below or call one of the enrolment centers.   

• Bucharest: At pavilion G5 ROMEXPO – Bulevardul Marasti 65-67. Phone numbers: 0724445293/40724745515 This is open 5 days a week (Monday-Friday) from 9:00 am – 5:00 pm. Closed on weekends. 
• Brasov: Strada Bogdan Petriceicu Hasdeu, no. 13, Brașov. Phone number: 0753393208.  This is open 5 days a week (Monday-Friday) from 9:00am – 5:00pm. Closed on weekends. 
• Galati: Strada Movilei 2-8, Galati.  Phone number: 0724445274. This is open 5 days a week (Monday-Friday) from 9:00 am – 5:00 pm. Closed on weekends. 
• Constanta: Strada Călărași 17B, Constanța. Phone number: 0724381524. This is open 5 days a week (Monday-Friday) from 9:00 am – 5:00 pm. Closed on weekends. 
• Suceava: Str. Mihail Sadoveanu 9A. Phone number: 0730295548. This is open 5 days a week (Monday-Friday) from 9:00am – 5:00pm. Closed on weekends. 

In case of a change in your family composition, all family members need to be physically present in one of the nearest UNHCR enrolment centers to update your details and all supporting documentation in the UNHCR database. When in doubt, you may contact UNHCR at  +40 723 653651 for more information. 

It is not a mandatory requirement, but it is highly recommended to update your bank details in UNHCR’s database as well as to ensure that your bank account is active.  Should you be found eligible for this programme, UNHCR will send you the cash assistance in your bank account, which will enable you to withdraw your assistance based on your need, and convenience. Unlike the pickup codes, there is no expiry date for withdrawing your assistance from your bank account.  

No, for security reasons we recommend that you personally visit the nearest UNHCR enrolment center to update your banking details in UNHCR’s system. 

You need to provide UNHCR staff in the enrolment centers the banking details (IBAN number, and date when the account was opened). You may request your bank to provide you with remittance form/details of your account, so that UNHCR can send you cash assistance should you be found to be eligible for it. At this time, the bank details are required for Romanian bank accounts, while bank accounts from Ukraine or other countries cannot be considered.  

For the moment only details of Romanian banks can be used. We cannot accept Revolut or other similar online banking systems. 

If you are currently enrolled for multipurpose cash assistance or any other cash/voucher assistance with at least transfer value of 600 RON per month per person here in Romania or in another European country (including Ukraine), you are not eligible for this programme. 

• Bucharest: At pavilion G5 ROMEXPO – Bulevardul Marasti 65-67. Phone numbers: 0724445293/40724745515 This is open 5 days a week (Monday-Friday) from 9:00 am – 5:00 pm. Closed on weekends. 
• Brasov: Strada Bogdan Petriceicu Hasdeu, no. 13, Brașov. Phone number: 0753393208.  This is open 5 days a week (Monday-Friday) from 9:00am – 5:00pm. Closed on weekends. 
• Galati: Strada Movilei 2-8, Galati.  Phone number: 0724445274. This is open 5 days a week (Monday-Friday) from 9:00 am – 5:00 pm. Closed on weekends. 
• Constanta: Strada Călărași 17B, Constanța. Phone number: 0724381524. This is open 5 days a week (Monday-Friday) from 9:00 am – 5:00 pm. Closed on weekends. 
• Suceava: Str. Mihail Sadoveanu 9A. Phone number: 0730295548. This is open 5 days a week (Monday-Friday) from 9:00am – 5:00pm. Closed on weekends. 

Please note that new arrivals will only be interviewed for UNHCR’s cash for winter assistance program if you have been invited to an appointment at one of UNHCR’s enrolment centres.     

All family members need to be present in the enrolment center and for each family member, you should bring  the following documents for identification, if available:  

• International passport; 
• Any document showing your Ukrainian Tax number; 
• Temporary Protection Permit for Romania; 
• Internal passport; 
• National identity card; 
• Birth certificate for children under 18 years old; 
• Marriage certificate; 
• Medical documents confirming disability or medical conditions; 
• If any of the above is not available, bring any other document that can prove the identity for each family member and relationship of the family members. 
• You may show documents that are not available physically through the DIIA mobile application  
• You should also bring any document that proves your date of entry into Romania. 
• Please remember to bring your Romanian mobile phone number. You cannot share phone numbers between different families. 

Children under 18 years of age who are in Romania without parents or family members and do not have anyone to accompany them for enrolment, should contact their social worker or legal representative, or contact UNHCR at 021 201 7873/+40 723 653651 for counselling. 

• The documentary requirements for MoneyGram are UNHCR Proof of Enrolment, your passport/identity document containing your photo and your pick-up code for collecting your assistance from MoneyGram;
• The documentary requirements for Romanian banks are: owning a bank account/account number and identity document with your photo, such as passport, to cash out your assistance from the counter. Should you choose to withdraw your assistance from an ATM, you need to have your debit/bank smart card.  

Note: It will be beneficial for refugees to carry the UNHCR Proof of Enrolment to pick up the assistance from a Financial Service Provider. The document eases the verification process.  

Please visit the nearest UNHCR enrolment center so that UNHCR staff can support you to reprint
your Proof of Enrolment document. Please ensure to have your passport with you when visiting
UNHCR enrolment centers.

From the time you have received the SMS with your MoneyGram pickup code, you have a total of 20 days to go to any MoneyGram branch and retrieve the cash. 

The enrollment for the cash for winter programme will be active until 31 December 2024.