Amendment of terms for obtaining new temporary protection

On 4 August 2026, Council Implementing Decision (EU) 2026/1912 of 30 July 2026 on the extension of the temporary protection introduced by Implementing Decision (EU) 2022/382 was published in the Official Journal of the EU. Under this decision, temporary protection for Ukrainian refugees will be extended once again. However, the decision tightens the conditions for obtaining temporary protection for persons subject to military service in Ukraine.

What is the actual change?

A significant change applies to applicants for

(i) initial temporary protection;

(ii) renewed temporary protection;

(iii) temporary protection for the purpose of family reunification.

The new Council Implementing Decision (EU) 2026/1912 stipulates that temporary protection will only be granted to persons who fulfil their military obligations in Ukraine, after they have in certain cases provided evidence of this.

Starting from 5 August 2026, the Ministry of the Interior has amended the conditions for new applications, specifically for all men and women aged between 18 and 60 who are subject to compulsory or voluntary military service in Ukraine – they will have to prove that they have registered to fulfil their military obligations and, if aged between 23 and 60, must also prove that they have been exempted from military service.

Specifically, the following will be required:

  • persons aged between 18 and 22 must enclose proof of registration for military service in the Reserv+ app and submit a hard copy of their eVOD with their application;
  • persons aged between 23 and 60 must enclose a hard copy of the eVOD, which must contain information regarding their exemption from military service to their application.

From 5 August 2026, proof of fulfilment of military service obligations will be a mandatory requirement for applications for temporary protection for these individuals. Without this, temporary protection will not be granted.

How exactly should proof of fulfilment of military service obligations be submitted?

Fulfilment of military service obligations must be presented in one of the following three ways:

  1. eVOD (electronic military registration document)
  • this document is available in the Reserv+ app;
  • it must be submitted in hard copy – it will not be accepted in any other form (e.g. a screenshot);
  • when submitting the application, it will be necessary to prove that this document is up to date to an OAMP officer by viewing the applicant’s profile directly in the Reserv+ app on an electronic device.
  1. An eVOD in paper form, which has been officially certified by a Ukrainian diplomatic mission
  • the officially certified document must not be more than 3 working days old prior to the submission of the application for temporary protection

 A Ukrainian border exit stamp in a valid Ukrainian travel document, issued after the Implementing Decision was adopted, together with an eVOD

  • the procedure for submitting the eVOD document is the same as in the previous points

 Please note that submitting the eVOD and proving its validity is essential in all cases.

What is the procedure for extending temporary protection already granted in the past?

As regards the extension of the duration of temporary protection for holders who have already been granted it in the past, the conditions remain the same. The Ministry of the Interior states that proof of fulfilment of military obligations will not be required during the extension of temporary protection until 31 March 2028.

The extension process will therefore continue to take place in two stages next year – in the first stage, it will first be necessary to register online for the extension of temporary protection (by 15 March 2027); subsequently, in the second stage, it will be necessary to visit a Ministry of the Interior office in person to have a new visa stamp affixed. Once both steps have been completed, temporary protection will be extended until 31 March 2028.

Conclusion

The changes to the rules governing applications for temporary protection described above will have a particularly negative impact on new arrivals. However, even those who were already in possession of temporary protection prior to 5 August 2026 should be aware of this change – it is particularly important to bear in mind the grounds for the termination of temporary protection.

In this context, we would like to point out in particular the termination of temporary protection as a result of registering residence at the address of the authority’s registration office (Section 5(8)(e) of Act No. 65/2022 Sb.). Although this statutory ground is at conflict with European legislation – a fact repeatedly confirmed by the courts – the Ministry of the Interior continues to apply it. If a foreigner does not subsequently challenge such a termination of temporary protection in court within the statutory time limit, they will, as before, be able to apply for new (renewed) temporary protection, however they will now also have to provide evidence of having fulfilled their military obligations.

If you would like to receive further information, please do not hesitate to contact us – we will be happy to assist you.

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