Czech Republic: extension of temporary protection until 31 March 2027 and the path to special long-term residence

The Czech Republic has confirmed the extension of temporary protection (dočasná ochrana) for citizens of Ukraine for another year. If your protection was valid until 31 March 2026, it can be extended until 31 March 2027. This is aligned with the pan-European decision of the EU Council to extend the Temporary Protection Directive until 4 March 2027 (political agreement on 13 June 2025, adopted on 15 July 2025). The procedure takes place in two steps, and missing either of them means losing the status.

How to extend temporary protection: two steps

The official portal of the Czech Ministry of the Interior (ipc.gov.cz) describes the procedure as follows:

1. Online registration — by 15 March 2026. Registration is online only. Persons aged 15 and over register themselves; for children under 15, a legal representative registers. During registration, you book a date for an in-person visit to a Ministry of the Interior office. Immediately after completing the online registration, protection is extended until 30 September 2026.
2. In-person visit — new sticker by 30 September 2026. At the visit, a new visa sticker is affixed for you. This must be done no later than 30 September 2026. Only after the sticker is affixed is protection extended until 31 March 2027.

What to bring to the visit

• A valid travel document or an identity document.
• Proof of accommodation (a rental agreement or another housing document as required by the Ministry of the Interior).

Important: under the Lex Ukrajina rules, you must have a registered actual address of residence. If the address is registered at a Ministry of the Interior office (because there was no housing contract at the time of registration), temporary protection ceases after 90 days — you need to register a real address and provide proof of accommodation. For details, see the UNHCR Czech Republic page.

The most important deadlines

If you did not register online by 15 March 2026, temporary protection expires as early as 31 March 2026. And if you did not have the new sticker affixed by 30 September 2026, protection also ceases — and you will have to restore it as a new application. That is why it is better to complete both steps in advance.

A separate path: special long-term residence for 5 years

In parallel with the extension of protection, in 2026 the Czech Republic opened the application for special long-term residence (zvláštní dlouhodobý pobyt). This is a separate status: a residence permit for 5 years, free access to the labour market and the possibility to later apply for permanent residence. According to the Czech Ministry of the Interior, the 2026 round dates are as follows:

• 'Declaration of interest' — 1–30 April 2026 online through an account on the Information Portal for Foreigners. This window has already closed.
• Registration with biometrics — October–December 2026 for applicants whose conditions have been approved; at the visit they submit biometrics and receive the card (it must be collected within 60 days).

Who can apply (the conditions are strict)

• Continuous temporary protection of at least 2 years as of 1 April 2026 (not required for persons under 18).
• A clean criminal record (exception — children under 15).
• Annual taxable income (for the 2025 tax year) from 440,000 crowns per person plus 110,000 crowns per additional household member — whether a dependant or non-dependant.
• No receipt of humanitarian assistance in the period from 1 October 2025 to 31 March 2026.
• Continuous health insurance without debts as of 31 March 2026.
• Registered accommodation (not at the address of a Ministry of the Interior office) and a valid travel document.
• Children aged 6–14 must attend a Czech school.

The conditions are indeed strict: in the 2025 round only about 15,000 out of 80,000 people met all the criteria (some did not pass the basic conditions, most of all — due to insufficient income). That is why certificates of income, insurance and accommodation should be prepared in advance.

What to do now

• If you completed online registration by 15 March 2026 — the main thing now is to be sure to attend the booked in-person visit and have the new sticker affixed by 30 September 2026, so that protection is valid until 31 March 2027. Check the expiry date of your current sticker.
• If you did not manage to register online by 15 March 2026, your temporary protection expired on 31 March 2026. You can reapply, but the application is treated as an initial one (with no guarantee and no automatic restoration of time-limited benefits) — check the conditions on ipc.gov.cz.
• If you submitted a 'declaration of interest' for long-term residence (1–30 April 2026) and your conditions have been approved — prepare for registration with biometrics in October–December 2026 and gather certificates of income, insurance and accommodation.

Always verify the exact current dates, office addresses and forms on the official portal of the Czech Ministry of the Interior ipc.gov.cz.