Temporary Protection in Spain 2026: How to Apply

If you have just arrived in Spain from Ukraine, temporary protection is the fastest way to regularise your status: it grants rights almost immediately and does not require the asylum procedure. Below: who is eligible, where and how to apply, whether you need empadronamiento and what to do next. Verified against primary sources (Ministry of Inclusion "Ucrania Urgente", Ministry of the Interior, BOE, EU acts).

Who is eligible

• Ukrainian nationals who before 24 February 2022 resided in Ukraine or were already in Spain (regularly or irregularly) and cannot return to Ukraine because of the armed conflict (Orden PCM/170/2022, points 1 and 3 of the Acuerdo).
• Third-country nationals and stateless persons who before that date resided legally in Ukraine on a valid residence permit (permanent or other, for example a student one) or with international protection and cannot safely return to their country.
• Family members of the first two groups: spouse or de facto partner, unmarried minor children (their own or the spouse's), other close relatives who lived with them as a family unit at the time of the events that caused the mass influx and were wholly or mainly dependent on them. In all cases the family must already have been present and residing in Ukraine before 24 February 2022 (Decision 2022/382, Art. 2(4)). The Spanish extension (Orden PCM/170/2022, point 4 of the Acuerdo) does not extend the right to family members of Ukrainians who were in Spain irregularly before 24 February 2022.

New condition from 5 August 2026: military obligations

The Council adopted Implementing Decision (EU) 2026/1912 on 30 July 2026; it was published in the Official Journal on 4 August 2026 and entered into force on 5 August 2026. Temporary protection is extended until 4 March 2028 — the extension itself applies from 5 March 2027, and the current period runs until 4 March 2027 (Decision (EU) 2025/1460). At the same time a new condition appeared (Art. 2): protection is granted only to those who satisfy their military obligations in Ukraine, presenting proof where applicable.

The start date is 5 August 2026. In the text as originally published, Article 3 of the Decision said 31 July 2026 and the Article 2 exemption 30 July 2026; the corrigendum (corrección de errores) published on 5 August 2026 (BOE DOUE-L-2026-81267) replaced those dates with 5 August and 4 August 2026. Recital 17 of the Decision and the European Commission's verification FAQ (August 2026) say the same: the requirement applies "the day after publication". Ucrania Urgente: "a partir de agosto de 2026". Early copies of the Decision text and some websites still show the original dates; for anyone applying now there is no difference — the condition is already in force.

Recital 18 of the decision describes a hierarchy of evidence: first of all — legal border crossing when leaving Ukraine, or an exit stamp in the passport; only if that cannot be confirmed must you present an easily verifiable official document (paper or electronic) — the recital cites a document from the "Reserv+" app as an example ("such as"), not the only acceptable option. The burden of proof is on the applicant.

The Commission FAQ (August 2026) — the position of the Commission services, not law — specifies: for countries not bordering Ukraine, Spain included, the exit stamp should "as a rule" be no earlier than 90 days before the date of the request, and an older one must be explained by exceptional circumstances; if legal departure cannot be confirmed, a document of exemption from military obligations with name, date of birth, the fact and the period of the exemption, preferably with a sworn translation.

Article 2 of the decision contains no age bracket at all; recital 20 clarifies that people not subject to conscription may also have military obligations, "irrespective of their age or gender" (for example because they enlisted). The "men 23-60" framing circulating in some media does not match the text of the decision.

As of 17 October 2026 there is no published Spanish implementing instruction for this condition: the BOE published no act on temporary protection between 31 July and 17 October 2026 (checked in the daily summaries via the BOE open-data API; the control query for the 17 February 2026 edition finds Orden INT/96/2026), the OAR's "Normativa básica reguladora" page still lists only the 2022 instruments (checked on 19 October 2026), and Ucrania Urgente states the requirement in a single sentence, with no list of documents. So exactly which document a CREADE or a police station will accept in practice is not officially specified. More on the condition and on moving from another EU country in the guide on changing your country of temporary protection.

Spain's own order on card validity (Orden INT/96/2026 of 12 February 2026) only reaches 4 March 2027 — a year short of the EU term. This is not a separate end date for protection: the cards have been extended by order every February — Orden INT/195/2025 of 27 February 2025 (to 4 March 2026) and Orden INT/96/2026 (to 4 March 2027) — so by that logic a new order for the 2028 date is expected before March 2027, but as of 17 October 2026 there is none.

Where and how to apply

The application is filed in person (personal appearance):

1. 1

   Choose the filing point

   Applications are taken by National Police officers. Per the Ucrania Urgente pages (checked on 19 October 2026):

   CREADE Pozuelo de Alarcón (Madrid) — Paseo de la Casa de Campo 1, 28223 Pozuelo de Alarcón: filing on site, appointment by phone +34 666 800 194 (9–17, Mon–Fri).

   CREADE Málaga — Avenida Pintor Joaquín Sorolla 145, 29017 Málaga: filing on site, appointment +34 628 216 478 (8–18; one ministry page says "daily", two others say "weekdays"). The Interior Ministry page gives a different address for the centre — Avenida de José Ortega y Gasset 201 — so confirm by phone where to go.

   CREADE Barcelona — Calle de Sant Fructuós 78-80, 08004 Barcelona: the centre issues an appointment for the police, phone +34 93 238 21 99 (8–15, Mon–Fri; the centres page says from 8:30).

   CREADE Torrevieja (Alicante) — Calle Urbano Arregui 8, 03185 Torrevieja: the ministry does not name it as a filing point (filing is at the police station; for filing appointments the Ucrania Urgente site names only Pozuelo, Málaga and Barcelona) — it offers information, legal aid, employment guidance and access to the reception system (+34 96 522 47 89, 8–18, Mon–Fri); for filing, the ministry refers you to the local National Police station. If you need legal support in the area, you can find a lawyer in Torrevieja in our directory.

   Other provinces — designated National Police stations: the list is on Ucrania Urgente ("Listado de comisarías") and in the Interior Ministry file "Centros y comisarías donde solicitar".

   General enquiries — +34 91 399 00 09. Contact details change over time: check them on the official page before travelling.

2. 2

   Attend in person with your documents

   Bring a passport, identity document or travel document (a Ukrainian internal passport/ID also works) and, if applying with your family, proof-of-relationship documents (marriage, birth, adoption certificates). If possible, something proving residence in Ukraine before 24 February 2022. Third-country nationals additionally prove that they cannot return to their country safely and durably.

   The application states an address for notifications and, where possible, a mobile number and an e-mail; a change of address must be reported to the OAR as soon as possible (Orden PCM/169/2022, Art. 2.3). For a minor accompanied by an adult, that adult files the application (Art. 2.4).

   If you are applying now (the military-obligation condition applies from 5 August 2026 — see above), also bring your international passport with the exit stamp from Ukraine (per the Commission FAQ, as a rule no older than 90 days) or a document of exemption from military obligations.

3. 3

   Formalise the application

   The application is formalised before National Police officers: they record identification data, family information and residence in Ukraine, take your fingerprints and at that moment issue the resguardo — the receipt of submission with your assigned NIE (Orden PCM/169/2022, Art. 2.5). From that moment you are authorised to stay in Spain and to receive the Ministry of Inclusion's social aid while the application is processed (Art. 3); per the Ucrania Urgente FAQ, with the resguardo you can also request access to healthcare.

4. 4

   Receive the resolution, download it and request the TIE

   The resolution is issued within 24 hours (Art. 5.3) and includes the residence and work authorisation (Art. 5.1; per the Ucrania Urgente FAQ, the work authorisation from age 16). Per the ministry's FAQ, the resolution sheet (hoja de resolución) can be downloaded from the Interior Ministry website after 24-48 hours — using the NIE, file number (número de expediente) and date of birth; notification is also made electronically, by post, by appearance at a police station or immigration office, or at a CREADE (Art. 6). With the resolution you request the TIE card by appointment at the police station; the deadline to request it is one month from the grant of the authorisation (Ucrania Urgente FAQ, point 3.3).

Lodging goes only through the points listed above. The only channel the rule provides is the personal appearance (comparecencia personal) before National Police officers at a CREADE or at a designated police station (Orden PCM/169/2022, Art. 2.2). Granting or refusing is decided by the Minister of the Interior on a proposal from the Comisión Interministerial de Asilo y Refugio (Art. 5.1).

Can someone file it for you, and what does it cost?

Nobody can file the application for you. The only lodging channel the rule provides is the personal appearance (comparecencia personal) of the applicant before Police officers at a CREADE or a police station (Orden PCM/169/2022, Art. 2.2). The general law allows representation (Ley 39/2015, Art. 5.1), but the special rule requires the personal appearance of the applicant (Orden PCM/169/2022, Art. 2.2); the exception is a minor, for whom the responsible person files (Art. 2.4). A lawyer or a gestor can advise you and accompany you to the filing, but cannot substitute for your appearance. So paying for a "turnkey filing" buys something the rule does not allow the intermediary to do.

On cost, exactly what the document shows and nothing more:

• Application and resolution. The current State immigration fee schedule — Orden PJC/617/2025 (in force since 16 June 2025, replaced Orden PRE/1803/2011) — contains neither a fee line for the temporary-protection application or its resolution nor an exemption: the words «protección temporal» do not appear in it at all. By contrast, documents for refugees and people with subsidiary protection are priced explicitly in the same schedule (€11.04 each), so the legislator set a price where it meant to. A fee can only be charged if a law establishes it (Ley 8/1989, Art. 10.1). This is a conclusion about what the schedule does not contain, not a guarantee taken from a rule: the schedule also has no provision expressly exempting this procedure from payment.
• The work authorisation is not a separate service. The resolution is issued within 24 hours and already includes the residence and work authorisation (Orden PCM/169/2022, Art. 5.1 and 5.3). Nobody needs to "arrange your work permit" for you.
• The TIE card is a separate step. It is requested by appointment at the Police after the resolution. The schedule names no exemption for the temporary-protection beneficiary's card; its generic line for a first TIE is €16.08, but we have not verified whether it applies to temporary-protection beneficiaries. Ask at the station whether a fee for issuing the card is charged, and do not count on either answer in advance.
• Card "renewal". No new card needs to be obtained: under Orden INT/96/2026, TIE cards already issued to beneficiaries are valid until 4 March 2027. An offer to "renew the card for a fee" is a charge for something the rule does not require.

Do you need a translation, an apostille, and how many copies?

The most common fear before filing is that, without a sworn translation and an apostille on marriage and birth certificates, the application will not be accepted. The rules governing temporary protection contain no such requirement. We read these texts in full:

• Orden PCM/169/2022 — the procedure for recognising temporary protection for Ukrainians. On documents it says one thing: when filing, you present «toda la documentación acreditativa de la pertenencia al colectivo» (Art. 2.3), that is, everything that proves you belong to the category. There is no closed list, and the words «traducción», «legalización» and «apostilla» do not appear in the text at all.
• Real Decreto 1325/2003 — the regulation of the temporary-protection regime. It lists what goes into the register, including «documentos probatorios de los vínculos familiares (acta de matrimonio, partida de nacimiento, certificado de adopción)» (Art. 13). Not a word about translation, legalisation or apostille.
• Real Decreto 1155/2024 — the current Immigration Regulation. It contains no general requirement to translate and apostille foreign documents either: the only mentions of translation concern translating the terms of a job offer and the employment contract for the worker themselves.

What this means in practice:

• Copies are not required by law, but will not hurt. By law, documents filed in person are digitised by the receiving office, and the originals are returned (Ley 39/2015, Art. 16.5, except where a rule requires the administration to keep the documents). The official pages do not describe how this rule is applied at a CREADE or police station specifically, so copies will not hurt, just in case. As a general rule the administration may not demand originals either — only where the rule of the specific procedure expressly requires it (Art. 28.3).
• You may be asked for a translation — and that is not the same as an apostille. Procedures of the State administration are conducted in Castilian, and in the autonomous communities also in the co-official language (Ley 39/2015, Art. 15.1). So the office is entitled to ask for a translation of a document written in Ukrainian. But no rule sets the form of such a translation for this specific procedure.
• An apostille is nowhere prescribed for this application. If a specific office nevertheless asks for legalisation, for Ukrainian documents that means an apostille, not consular legalisation: Ukraine acceded to the 1961 Hague Convention on 2 April 2003, and it has been in force for Ukraine since 22 December 2003.

If you arrive with no money and no contacts: the reception system

That is what the D in CREADE stands for — derivación, "referral". The centre does not only process documents: it carries out an initial assessment of the administrative requirements and of your needs and, based on it, refers you to available accommodation places.

• Where to go — the CREADE: in Pozuelo, Málaga and Barcelona, the same one where you apply for protection; in Torrevieja, by appointment on +34 96 522 47 89 (reception-system access only); for the other provinces, Ucrania Urgente writes that «los trámites se realizan en las comisarías de Policía Nacional», while the official entry point to the reception system is the CREADE (Q&A, point 2.1), so confirm the procedure on +34 91 399 00 09.
• What it covers — accommodation and support within the state reception network.
• Availability of places is not guaranteed in advance: the specific place and timing depend on how loaded the system is and on the outcome of the assessment. So do not delay applying, and describe your situation straight away.

Do you need empadronamiento?

No — filing the application and getting the temporary-protection resolution does not require empadronamiento. Neither Orden PCM/169/2022 nor the Ucrania Urgente document list mentions the padrón. You apply as a newcomer.

Timelines and what the status grants

• Timelines. The procedure for Ukrainians is fast-tracked: under the rules, the decision on the application is issued within a maximum of 24 hours from filing (Orden PCM/169/2022, Art. 5.3), and when you file you are given a resguardo with your NIE. Per the Ucrania Urgente FAQ, the resolution sheet can be downloaded from the Interior Ministry website after 24-48 hours. That is the deadline for the administrative decision — the physical TIE card takes longer: it is requested by appointment at the police station within a month of the resolution, and issuing times depend on the office.
• What TP grants: the right to reside, work, receive healthcare and study. The resolution already includes the residence and work authorisation (Art. 5.1); beneficiaries' temporary-protection TIE cards are extended until 4 March 2027 (Orden INT/96/2026), with no need to claim asylum.
• Renewing the status. Temporary protection has been extended; the next step for those who want to settle long-term is moving to ordinary residence (see our guide "From temporary protection to ordinary residence").

This guide is for general information; the procedure and appointment availability change — check with the official sources (Ministry of Inclusion "Ucrania Urgente", Ministry of the Interior) and, in complex cases, consult a lawyer. Facts checked against primary sources: October 2026. You can find Russian- and Ukrainian-speaking immigration lawyers in our vetted directory.