France

Temporary protection in France is available to: 

• Ukrainian nationals who were residing in Ukraine before 24 February 2022; 

• Third-country nationals or stateless persons who benefited from international or national protection in Ukraine before 24 February 2022; 

• Third-country nationals or stateless persons holding a valid permanent Ukrainian residence permit and who are unable to return to their country of origin under safe and durable conditions; 

• Family members of persons falling within the categories above. 

For more comprehensive information please consult: Informations sur la protection temporaire à destination des personnes ayant fui l’Ukraine | Ofpra.

An application for temporary protection status should be submitted to the competent prefecture or through the online procedure established by the French authorities. Following examination of the application, a temporary residence permit (Autorisation Provisoire de Séjour – APS) is issued. 

To start the procedure, please visit demarche.numerique.gouv.fr.

An application for temporary protection may be submitted as soon as the foreign national arrives in the Schengen Area. 

In France, there is nothing preventing the person concerned from submitting a new application. 

Yes, provided that they were habitually residing in Ukraine before 24 February 2022 and were already present in the EU under a Schengen visa or through a visa-free travel regime. 

According to European legislation, a beneficiary of temporary protection may settle at any time in the Member State of their choice. As a result, responsibility for implementing temporary protection generally lies with the country of most recent entry. 

When France is the host country, it is possible to issue a residence document even if the person previously obtained temporary protection in another EU Member State, an EEA country, or a third country outside the Schengen Area. 

However, beneficiaries of temporary protection should formally renounce, in writing, their protection status in the country of departure if that country is an EU Member State and they wish to settle in another Member State. 

It should be noted that the European framework allows Member States to reject an application for temporary protection if the individual has already been granted such protection in another Member State. Unlike France, some Member States apply this provision and thereby limit successive applications for temporary protection. 

Yes. If a beneficiary of temporary protection wishes to leave French territory permanently, they are required to return, in person at the prefecture, both their temporary residence permit (APS) and the card granting access to the asylum seeker allowance (ADA). The renunciation of the right to stay is made in writing and to be submitted at the prefecture. It is then the responsibility of the prefectural authorities to notify the relevant administrations (including OFII, the CPAM, and Pôle emploi) in order to terminate the individual’s entitlements and benefits. 

A short visit to Ukraine (for family reasons, to collect documents, or for similar purposes) should not be considered a definitive voluntary return and should not result in the revocation of temporary protection status.  

In order to deregister the temporary protection, it is necessary to inform the local prefecture in person. 

If a beneficiary of temporary protection wishes to leave France permanently, they are required to return, in person at the prefecture, both their temporary residence permit (APS) and the card granting access to the asylum seeker allowance (ADA). By doing so, they relinquish any assistance and benefits they were receiving as a beneficiary of temporary protection in France. 

If a Ukrainian national renounces their temporary protection status in France, leaves the country to return to Ukraine, and subsequently applies again for residence in France, they may once more be eligible to receive a temporary residence permit (APS) valid for six months, provided they continue to meet the eligibility criteria for temporary protection. They will need to apply for admission to stay in France and for the associated rights and benefits as a first-time applicant. This remains possible for as long as the temporary protection mechanism remains in force. 

Ukrainian citizens can enter Ukraine with one of the following documents:

1. Passport of a citizen of Ukraine for travel abroad (International passport)
2. Diplomatic passport of Ukraine
3. Service passport of Ukraine
4. Seaman’s identity card
5. Crew member’s certificate

The internal passport (ID card) is not included in this list. Therefore, it cannot be used to return to Ukraine. Instead, it is necessary to issue either an international passport or a certificate for returning to Ukraine. The conditions and deadlines for the production of these documents vary.

A certificate for returning to Ukraine grants the right to enter Ukraine. This document is issued by diplomatic missions or consular institutions of Ukraine abroad.

A certificate for returning to Ukraine is issued by a foreign diplomatic institution (embassy/consulate of Ukraine abroad) on the day of application. The production of this document is usually a paid service.

An international passport can currently be issued both at an embassy/consulate of Ukraine or at a closest mobile centre of the “DP Document”. However, when ordering this service, it should be noted that the process of producing and issuing an international passport lasts from 3 to 6 months. The production of this document is a paid service.

If you or your relatives plan to return to Ukraine, but do not have a valid passport (the passport has expired, lost your passport or arrived in France only with an internal passport or birth certificate), then you need to obtain a document from the consulate of Ukraine that will allow you to cross the border.

To do this, you need to contact the nearest consular office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine and issue a certificate of return to Ukraine (the so-called “white passport”). Ukrainian consulates in France are in Paris and in Lyon. The list of documents that you need to apply in order to get the certificate of return to Ukraine can be found at the following link.

If you are not a citizen of Ukraine and you are staying in France under temporary protection, you can return to Ukraine using your residence permit in Ukraine. If your residence permanent permit in Ukraine has expired, you can extend this document at the closest to you representative office of SE “Document”. Otherwise, to enter Ukraine, you will need to obtain a visa at the Ukrainian consulate.

If you have received documents certifying your disability in France, you will have to go through the process of confirming your disability in Ukraine to have them recognized in Ukraine. For more information you can click here.

Yes. In France, everyone has the right to access their medical records. The procedures for doing so depend on the healthcare professional or medical institution holding records. 

Education is compulsory for all children in France between the ages of 3 and 16. If a child ceases attending school due to a return to Ukraine, the school principal should be informed of the child’s withdrawal in accordance with the procedures established by the school. 

If your child was attending school in France, it is recommended to ask the school for an official document acknowledging your child’s studies and educational achievements, which will facilitate the recognition of your child’s education back in Ukraine. More information on what information the document should include can be found on the Ukrainian Ministry of Education and Science’s webpage.

For more comprehensive information, please consult: With what documents can a French minor travel abroad? – Your child travels alone or with another person | Service Public. In general, a minor can travel outside France without being accompanied by an adult, provided that they have the required travel documents and, where applicable, an authorization to leave the territory (Autorisation de sortie du territoire – AST) signed by a parent or legal guardian. For a minor residing in France who travels abroad without a parent, French authorities require a valid passport or identity card (depending on the destination) and an AST accompanied by a copy of the identity document of the person who signed it. However, for unaccompanied children (mineurs non accompagnés) under child protection measures, travel abroad may be subject to additional restrictions. The consent of the legal guardian, ad hoc administrator, child protection authority, or juvenile judge may be required, depending on the child’s legal situation. The specific rules should therefore be verified on a case-by-case basis with the authority exercising parental responsibility or guardianship. 

Ukrainian driving licenses and car license plates are allowed to be used in France, but the rules depend on your residence status.

• If you have temporary protection status in France, you can use a Ukrainian driving license. If your driving license expired after February 24, 2022, it will be recognized as valid in France for the entire period of validity of your APS certificate.
• If you live in France on general grounds, the official rule is:
  • A Ukrainian driving license is recognized up to 1 year from the date of establishment of “normal residence” (résidence normale) in France. After that, the Ukrainian license no longer gives the right to drive and it is necessary to obtain a French driving license (training and passing exams).

In the event that the driving license was confiscated by the police for a traffic violation and transferred to the consular authorities, the consulate will not return the document until the expiration of the ban or sanction imposed by the French side.

Once the renunciation has been completed at the prefecture, it is the responsibility of the prefectural authorities to notify the relevant administrations, including the CPAM (the body responsible for health insurance coverage), in order to terminate the individual’s entitlements and benefits. 

Ukrainian requirements for border-crossing with pets are the following:

• An identification document issued by the EU member state – pet passport or international veterinary certificate.
• Microchip
• Vaccination against rabies and rabies antibody test
• A carrier used for your pet should be comfortable and allow access to food and water.

For more information, please visit State Service of Ukraine on Food Safety and Consumer Protection. Please also contact your local veterinarian to learn about the requirements for pet transportation within EU.

Please visit the page Services and assistance in Ukraine for information on services available in Ukraine.