Temporary Protection in Finland 2026 — Dates, Right to Work, Municipality of Residence and Moving to Another Permit

1. Who temporary protection is for

Temporary protection is for people who cannot return to Ukraine because of Russia's aggression. Since 5 August 2026 Migri grants a residence permit on this basis only to Ukrainian citizens who are authorised to leave Ukraine. Because that date decides who can use the route at all, the position has to be checked on the day of applying.

Family members of Ukrainian citizens can also be covered, provided the family tie was established in Ukraine before 24 February 2022. Third-country nationals who held international protection or permanent residence in Ukraine and cannot return safely to their own country may likewise be considered under temporary protection.

2. Two different dates: 2028 and 2027

The point most often confused here is the difference between two dates. The temporary protection arrangement itself has been extended to 4 March 2028. The residence permits granted on that basis, however, are valid until 4 March 2027. That the arrangement runs longer does not mean the card in your hand does.

What matters in practice is to watch the expiry date on your own permit card separately. How permits are renewed while the arrangement continues follows the procedure Migri announces, so check Migri's current page as the card date approaches.

3. Applying and how long it takes

An application for temporary protection is registered with the police or the border authority on arrival in Finland. Migri's current estimate is that a complete application is processed in about a week; the decision then takes roughly another week to arrive by post, so it usually reaches you within two weeks.

The residence permit card is produced separately. Migri says the card takes about two weeks and is sent to a collection point within three weeks of the decision. These are estimates: a missing document or a request for further information lengthens them.

4. Work and study begin at registration

Under temporary protection the right to work and study does not wait for the decision: it begins when the application is registered with the police or the border authority. That is the most practical difference between this route and the ordinary residence permit routes.

The right to work carries no restriction by field. Migri's guidance to employers is explicit: an employee who has applied for temporary protection has an unrestricted right to work and may take a job in any field. The employer still has to see the basis of that right and meet the ordinary employer obligations.

5. Municipality of residence and the one-year rule

Temporary protection does not by itself give a municipality of residence. Someone who has lived in Finland for a year and been granted temporary protection can apply to the Digital and Population Data Services Agency (DVV) for one. The application goes to DVV, not to Migri.

There are two ways to apply before the year is complete. If the permit granted on the basis of temporary protection is for at least a year, an earlier application is possible. And if a family member already has a municipality of residence in Finland, you can apply for one as soon as you apply for temporary protection.

6. Moving to another permit, and how the protection ends

Migri advises anyone with a job or a study place in Finland to apply for a different residence permit. A permit based on work or study rests on a different footing from temporary protection: its duration follows its own category and it leads somewhere different in terms of permanent residence.

When another permit is granted, the temporary protection permit ends by itself. The rule works in two ways: if another permit granted before 12 June 2026 is still valid on 12 August 2026, the temporary protection permit ends on that date; if another permit is granted on or after 12 June 2026, the temporary protection permit ends with it. The move should therefore be planned so that no gap opens between the two permits.

7. Common mistakes

8. Temporary protection checklist