To enter Spain, you must first cross the border through an EU country, i.e. Poland. Check the interactive map of waiting time at the countries that border with Ukraine here .

You can enter Spain by plane, train, car or ferry.
Contacts of the Spanish embassy in Ukraine (visa and general questions) are available at exteriores.gob.es .

A citizen of Ukraine to arrive in Spain must have a biometric passport. In case of its absence, you must contact the nearest diplomatic institution of Ukraine in the EU and obtain a certificate confirming your identity and citizenship. You need to have an internal passport with you and, if available, a document confirming your residence on the territory of Ukraine until 02/24/2022.

If you are a citizen of Ukraine and want to enter Spain, you don't need a visa if you have a biometric passport. If you don't have a biometric passport or other travel document, you need to contact the consular department of Spain in one of the countries bordering Ukraine (eg Poland, Romania, Hungary, etc.), so they can help you.

Birth certificate, ID, or any document confirming your residence in Ukraine prior to February 24, 2022 would help, when reviewing your case.

For minors: a minor's birth certificate, a document confirming family ties or a relationship with a guardian or with persons accompanying and caring for the minor.

• Spanish embassy in Poland 
• Spanish embassy in Hungary
• Spanish embassy in Romania

Alternatively, you can contact Ukrainian embassy in the country you are currently in, so they can issue you a travel document based on the evidence / documents that you have.

Once you cross the border you can apply for temporary protection status. Temporary protection will last one year and if the grounds triggering the temporary protection remain, the Government can extend the stay for one additional year (i.e. three years in total).

You can contact one of the reception, care and referral centers for people displaced from Ukraine (CREADE). There you will be able to spend the night for several days, receive financial and legal assistance, as well as help in submitting documents for obtaining temporary protection. More information about CREADE and the addresses of their centers can be found here .

The hotline for immigrants from Ukraine - 91 399 00 09, from Monday to Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and on Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Renfe is facilitating free train travel for Ukrainian refugees within Spain or to France. Free tickets are being managed at all ticket offices and Service Centers. You need to show a Ukrainian passport.

In particular, tickets for journeys on trains operated by public services of the Cercanías, Rodalies and Media Distance networks (equivalent to short and medium distance journeys) will be free throughout 2023.

You can also find other transportation services below:

• by train with Ouigo.com
• by bus with:
  • Avanza
  • Alsa
  • Socibus
  • Flixbus

You can travel to another country by:

• Plane: skyscanner.net
• Train - Renfe is facilitating free travel for Ukrainian refugees to go to any point of Spain or to go to other European countries. The free tickets are being managed at all ticket offices and Service Centers. In particular, tickets for journeys on trains operated by public services of the Cercanías, Rodalies and Media Distance networks (equivalent to short and medium distance journeys) will be free throughout 2023.
• Bus - Flixbus
• Ferry, you can book a ticket here or at a local ticket center.

You can stay in Spain without a visa for 90 days in any 180 days period. If you are granted temporary protection you can stay for 1 year. The term will be automatically prolonged by an additional 1 year if the grounds triggering the temporary protection remain.

Each Autonomous Community or city has a department which is responsible for assisting unaccompanied minors. If you identify an unaccompanied minor, you should report it to the community social services by calling telephone number 012. The social services team will find a legal guardian for the unaccompanied minor and start the relevant legal procedure.

Contacts for Madrid Social Services can be found here .

Barcelona's Social Services can be found here .

Guardia Civil (national police) unaccompanied minor unit telephone: +34 918 073 900 / +34 915 144 679.

There are no restrictions on entry into Spain due to the COVID-19 epidemic.

Vaccination and recovery certificates are preferred, but not required.

You can book your vaccination appointment in the vaccination centers with your foreign-residents identification number (NIE) and healthcare card.

Documents can be processed at the Reception, Assistance and Coordination Centers (CREADE) located in Madrid, Barcelona, ​​Malaga and Alicante or at police stations . Reception of citizens is carried out by appointment, contact number +34 91 399 00 09 (around the clock, in Ukrainian and Spanish).

The decision on registration of the status is made within 24 hours. Submitting a request is free.

After obtaining a residence permit, you must issue a foreigner identification card (TIE) - confirmation of your residence permit for authorities, banking institutions, etc.

After applying for temporary protection, you will be issued a receipt of the application filed. That receipt will include a foreigners national identity number (“Número de Identidad de Extranjero”, commonly known as “NIE”) which will be assigned to you.

Having applied for temporary protection allows you to stay in Spain and receive social support (including health care). Once granted, you will be entitled to stay and work in Spain for a maximum period of 1 year that can be extended up to 3 years. In addition to this the person under temporary protection will be entitled to:

• accommodation
• financial aid
• schooling and Spanish language classes
• psychosocial care
• legal assistance
• free SIM card with roaming
• validation of the driver’s licence
• medical assistance
• employment orientation, including assistance on the recognition of qualifications.

You will receive a document which confirms that you have been granted temporary protection which gives the right to stay and work in Spain.
You will be notified of the decision granting temporary protection by one of the following means:

• by email;
• by courier;
• in person at the police station or foreigner office;
• by notification delivered in the reception centers (“centros de acogida”), including the reception centers approved by the “Ministerio de Inclusión, Seguridad Social y Migraciones”.

Beneficiaries of international protection (asylum) cannot return to their country of origin while they are considered a refuge.
If you have received temporary protection, you can return to Ukraine for a short period of time without any negative consequences. Before leaving the country that has given you temporary protection, we recommend that you notify the state social security authorities.
For repatriation assistance, you should contact the embassy/consulate of your country of origin in the EU country where you are currently staying. The national authorities in this country can also help you to contact your embassy/consulate in case you encounter problems and may offer assistance for your repatriation.
If you want to return to Ukraine, then most likely you will have to buy a train or bus ticket with your own money.

Yes, you can move freely around the country and, also around the European Union for 90 days within a 180-day period. But you can benefit from the rights granted with the temporary protection only in the country that issued your residence permit. If you get to another Member State, you can contact the competent authorities there in order to benefit from these rights.

Individuals under temporary protection may apply for asylum as a refugee.

The main differences between the temporary protection and asylum are the following:

Temporary protection:

• It is a new addition to the international protection (asylum);
• Fast access to the residency rights, housing, social welfare assistance, medical care, legal assistance and safe placement for unaccompanied children and teenagers, access to education for children and teenagers, access to the job market.

Asylum:

• Under EU law, you can apply for international protection (asylum) in the first safe country you enter;
• It is a complex procedure and it will take time until your case will be reviewed;
• You can't access the job market straight away and won't be able to travel while your application is under review.

You can find more details in the FAQ here .

Documents can be processed at the Reception, Assistance and Coordination Centers (CREADE) located in Madrid, Barcelona, ​​Malaga and Alicante or at police stations . Reception of citizens is carried out by appointment, contact number +34 91 399 00 09 (around the clock, in Ukrainian and Spanish).

The decision on registration of the status is made within 24 hours. Submitting a request is free.

After obtaining a residence permit, you must issue a foreigner identification card (TIE) - confirmation of your residence permit for authorities, banking institutions, etc.

You will receive the decision on the temporary protection (residency) request within 24 hours following your application.

If you do not have a passport or other travel document, you can present you driver's license, ID, birth certificate or any other identity document and a document confirming your residence in Ukraine until February 24, 2022.

There are many shops that offer such services. Look for printing shops("imprimir") and copy centers nearby your area on Google Maps.

You can fill in this form to find an interpreter or translator for Spanish or other languages.

Read more about sworn translation in Spain here .

You can buy a SIM card at one of the following mobile providers:

• Vodafone Spain provided 5,000 SIM cards to refugees in-country by NGOs and non-profit organisations, containing 60GB data for 6 months. More information here .
• LycaMobile
• World
• Digi
• Yolka
• Simyo
• Movistar is offering free calls and messages between Spain and Ukraine. The subscription fee is about 10-15 euros per month.