EU Tightens Temporary Protection Rules for Ukrainians
The European Union has changed the rules for granting temporary protection to Ukrainian citizens. Starting August 5, 2026, new applicants who cannot prove compliance with military obligations under Ukrainian law and the legality of leaving the country may be denied status.
The new requirements will primarily affect recently arrived Ukrainian men of conscription age. To obtain temporary protection, they will need to prove that Ukrainian authorities permitted them to leave the country in light of their current military obligations.
In the Czech Republic, compliance is expected to be verified using electronic documents from the "Rezerve+" app. These should allow local authorities to check the applicant's military registration status and the existence of grounds for legally leaving Ukraine.
The restriction applies to applications for temporary protection submitted on or after August 5. It will be in effect for initial applications, re-application after loss of status, and applications for family cohabitation protection.
At the same time, the new rules will not affect Ukrainians who already held valid temporary protection as of the decision's entry into force. In the Czech Republic, they will be able to extend their status without providing confirmation from "Rezerve+", provided they continuously maintained temporary protection after August 5.
This is therefore not about the cancellation or automatic loss of already granted status. The tightening primarily concerns new applicants and those re-applying for temporary protection.
The Czech Interior Ministry stressed that additional clarifications regarding documents and the verification procedure will be gradually published on the information portal for foreigners. Until detailed instructions appear, applicants are advised to follow official announcements from the ministry.
Simultaneously, the EU Council extended temporary protection for people who fled Ukraine due to the war for another year – until March 4, 2028.
In the Czech Republic, extending protection will, as before, take place in two stages. First, Ukrainians will need to register online, then personally visit an Interior Ministry office to obtain a new visa sticker. After completing both stages, protection will be valid until March 31, 2028.
Czech Interior Minister Lubomír Metnar stated that Prague has long sought a tightening of the rules. In his estimation, the decision could reduce the number of new applicants by tens of percentage points and ease the burden on the Czech healthcare system and social sphere.
EU countries agreed to the change considering both the need to protect people fleeing war and Ukraine’s defense needs. The EU Council earlier explained that new applicants will need to confirm permission from Ukrainian authorities to depart. The methods of such verification may vary depending on the county of stay.
Based on materials from: Ministry of the Interior of the Czech Republic, Council of the European Union
