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Temporary Protection for Ukrainians in Portugal: Fast-Track Residence in a Time of War
Portugal implemented the EU Temporary Protection Directive on 18 March 2022, granting Ukrainians fleeing war immediate protection status with work rights and access to public services.
On 18 March 2022, Portugal formally implemented the EU Temporary Protection Directive for people fleeing the war in Ukraine. Through a combination of government resolutions and administrative measures published in the Diário da República, Ukrainians and certain family members arriving in Portugal were granted immediate temporary protection status, valid for an initial period of one year (later extendable).
In practical terms, this status functions like a fast-track residence permit. Beneficiaries receive a Portuguese tax number (NIF), social security number and National Health Service user number almost automatically, and can work for any employer in Portugal without needing a separate work authorisation. Children have access to public schools under the same conditions as Portuguese citizens.
For Ukrainian nationals, this programme removed most of the normal visa and residence permit bureaucracy at a time of acute crisis. Instead of forcing people into asylum procedures that can be slow and adversarial, Portugal chose a pragmatic, protection-focused solution aligned with EU law.
For other foreign residents – including those from the US, UK, Brazil, Canada, Israel or Russia – the Ukrainian temporary protection programme does not change their own immigration options directly. However, it does illustrate an important point about Portugal’s approach: the system is capable of creating exceptional, simplified pathways when there is a clear humanitarian need.
From a policy perspective, the programme also shows that Portugal can integrate a large number of new arrivals (tens of thousands of people) in a short period, providing a degree of reassurance to future immigrants that the country’s institutions are relatively flexible and responsive.
Official sources:
- Diário da República, Resolutions implementing temporary protection for displaced persons from Ukraine, March 2022 (https://dre.pt)
- EU Council Implementing Decision (EU) 2022/382 of 4 March 2022 (https://eur-lex.europa.eu)