Welcoming displaced people from Ukraine in France

The Council of the European Union activated on March 4, 2022 an emergency mechanism to offer temporary protection to displaced persons from Ukraine in the Member States of the EU, granting them a temporary right to stay and work.

Ukrainian citizens holding a biometric passport do not need a short-stay visa to travel to the Schengen area and thus to France.

Those who wish to travel to France and do not have a biometric passport (or do not have a travel document) are invited to go to one of the consular offices in the countries bordering Ukraine (Poland, Romania, Hungary, etc.) so that their situation can be examined (to obtain a visa or a travel pass).

Within the Schengen area, Ukrainian nationals have a legal stay of 90 days. They can, if they wish, obtain protection in the country where they are staying.

Any other person displaced from Ukraine who is not a Ukrainian citizen should inquire about the conditions to come to France for a short stay (less than 90 days). 

Displaced people from Ukraine wishing to stay beyond 90 days in France are invited to quickly contact the prefecture of their place of residence via its website to request an extension of their right to stay. 

Implementation of temporary protection for displaced persons from Ukraine 

Temporary protection is an exceptional measure authorized by the decision of the Council of the European Union of March 4th, 2022. 

Beneficiaries of temporary protection are Ukrainians citizens, refugees in Ukraine as well as foreigners who have a legal and permanent residence in Ukraine and who safely and permanently return to their country or region of origin. The families of the above-mentioned persons are also eligible. 

These persons can also benefit from: 

• A right to stay in France, with the issuance of a temporary residence permit on French territory for a period of 6 months, bearing the mention “beneficiary of international protection”; 
• Access to the labor market or the ability to create a company ; 
• A support in accessing housing ; 
• An access to care through health care; 
• An access to school for minor children. 
• An access to the asylum seeker’s allowance. 

If you want to apply for temporary protection, please contact the prefecture of the department where you live or are staying. 

More information here 

(conditions, rights, procedure) 

Beneficiaries of temporary protection can renew their temporary residence permit. 

Please contact the prefecture of your place of residence to find out the renewal procedure.  

You should apply for renewal between 3 weeks and 3 days before the expiration of your current temporary residence permit with the following documents :  

• Your valid temporary residence permit;
• All documents proving your civil status and nationality;
• Proof of address of less than 3 months;
• Any document proving the evolution of your situation (employment contract…);
• Your old temporary residence permit that has expired.  

You can also renew your rights to the Allocation pour Demandeur d’Asile (ADA) by returning the form given to you by the prefecture to the OFII.