In short
Temporary protection (protección temporal) for Ukrainians is filed in person at a CREADE centre of the Ministry of Inclusion and, where there is none, at the National Police. To file the application and obtain the status/card, empadronamiento is NOT required. The decision on the application is issued within a maximum of 24 hours. If you have arrived with no means and no contacts, the state reception system is available to you — say so when you file. The status grants the right to reside, work, receive healthcare and study; it renews automatically (beneficiaries' TIE cards are valid until 4 March 2027), with no need to claim asylum.
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 official sources (Ministry of Inclusion "Ucrania Urgente", Ministry of the Interior).
Who is eligible
- Ukrainian nationals who before 24 February 2022 resided in Ukraine or were already in Spain (regularly or irregularly).
- People of other nationalities who before that date resided in Ukraine with international protection or a valid residence permit and cannot safely return to their country.
- Family members of the above (spouses or de facto partners, minor children, close relatives who lived with them or depended on them as of 24 February 2022).
Where and how to apply
The application is filed in person (personal appearance):
Find a CREADE centre or the police
The application is filed at a CREADE (Centros de Recepción, Atención y Derivación) of the Ministry of Inclusion. There are four centres: Pozuelo de Alarcón (Madrid), Barcelona, Málaga and Torrevieja (Alicante). In provinces without a CREADE, at a National Police station.
It is better to book an appointment by phone in advance than to turn up at random. Phone numbers per the official Ministry of Inclusion site: Madrid +34 666 800 194 (9–17, Mon–Fri), Málaga +34 628 216 478 (8–18, daily), Barcelona +34 93 238 21 99 (8–15, Mon–Fri); general enquiries — +34 91 399 00 09. Contact details change over time: check them on the official page before travelling.
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 certificates, etc.). If possible, something proving residence in Ukraine before 24 February 2022.
Formalise the application
The application is formalised before National Police officers: they record identification data, family information and residence in Ukraine.
Receive the resolution and card
After a favourable resolution (resolución), a TIE card is issued for the temporary-protection beneficiary.
If you arrive with no money and no contacts: the reception system
This is a foreseen scenario, not a dead end
Arriving with no contacts and no means is a routine situation for the reception system. People without resources who have applied for temporary protection have access to the state reception system (sistema de acogida). Say so plainly when you file.
That is what the D in CREADE stands for — derivación, "referral". The centre does not only process documents: after an interview, it decides who is referred to available accommodation places.
- Where to go — the same CREADE where you apply for protection (or the National Police where there is no CREADE).
- 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 interview. So do not delay applying, and describe your situation straight away.
What we will not claim
How much money exactly you will need at first, and how quickly work is found with basic Spanish — there is no official norm. Any figures quoted in chats are someone else's experience, not a rule. Check the terms of support on the spot.
Do you need empadronamiento?
No — filing the application and getting the temporary-protection status/card does not require empadronamiento. You apply as a newcomer.
Where the padrón will be needed
Empadronamiento (padrón) is needed later — for example, to access part of the social benefits for vulnerable families and a number of procedures. But that is a separate step, not a requirement of the temporary-protection application.
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, and when you file you are given a resguardo (receipt of submission). That is the deadline for the administrative decision — the physical TIE card takes longer, and its timeline depends on the specific office.
- What TP grants: the right to reside, work, receive healthcare and study. The status renews automatically: beneficiaries' temporary-protection TIE cards are extended until 4 March 2027 (Orden INT/96/2026), and that already includes a work and residence authorisation — 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. You can find Russian- and Ukrainian-speaking immigration lawyers in our vetted directory.