Extending Temporary Protection in Czechia to 2028: Deadlines

Temporary protection in Czechia currently runs until 31 March 2027. To extend it until 31 March 2028 you need two steps: online registration and an in-person visit to the Ministry of the Interior for a new visa sticker. By law you must register by 15 March and get the sticker by 30 September, which in this cycle means 15.03.2027 and 30.09.2027. The Ministry has not yet announced when registration opens. Around Prague checked Act 65/2022 Sb., the EU Council decision and the Czech Ministry of the Interior pages on 2 November 2026.

What is confirmed and what is not yet announced

Status on 2 November 2026. Dates marked "by law" come from the general rule in § 7b of Act 65/2022 Sb.: registration by 15 March and sticker by 30 September of the current year. The Ministry's portal has not yet published these two dates for the 2027 cycle.

Question	What is known	Status
Protection at EU level	Until 4 March 2028; Council decision (EU) 2026/1912 applies from 5 March 2027	Confirmed
End date after extension in Czechia	31 March 2028, if you complete both steps	Confirmed by the Ministry
Procedure	Online registration, then a Ministry visit for a new sticker, as in past years	Confirmed by the Ministry
Military documents for the extension	Not required	Confirmed by the Ministry
Online registration closes	15 March 2027	By law; not yet published by the Ministry
Last day for the sticker	30 September 2027	By law; not yet published by the Ministry
Online registration opens	Date unknown; the law does not set it	Not announced
Instructions for the new cycle	No step-by-step guide yet	Not published

Watch the Prodloužení section on ipc.gov.cz and the Naši Ukrajinci channels on Facebook and Telegram, where the Ministry will post details of the new cycle. In 2026 the notice came two days ahead: the news was published on 6 January and registration opened on 8 January after 16:00. That is an example, not a forecast for 2027.

Who the extension applies to

You need to extend if you were granted protection or had it extended in 2026. This includes people who received it for the first time in 2026: they had nothing to extend in the last cycle, but their protection also ends on 31.03.2027.
Protection granted in 2027. Under § 5 of the Act the sticker runs until 31 March of the following year, so until 31.03.2028. The Ministry has not yet said this separately.
You cannot extend if your protection has already expired, ended by law or was withdrawn by the authorities. A new application is the only route.
Tolerated stay visa (vízum strpění). The extension does not cover it, and you do not apply to extend it. Under § 7e of the Act this visa is treated as valid until 31 March of each following year while the EU Council decision is in force. The Ministry has stated this only for the period to 31.03.2027.
Special long-term residence (ZDP). Card holders are no longer eligible for temporary protection. If you have not collected the card yet, your protection must stay continuous until the day you collect it: the Ministry checks this before issuing it.

What ends protection early. Among other things: applying for temporary or international protection in another EU country, being granted temporary protection there, or getting a visa over 90 days, a residence permit or international protection in Czechia or another state. Protection also ends once an authority's address has been recorded as your address for 90 days.

Military documents. They are not required for the extension until 31.03.2028. The condition applies to applications filed from 5 August 2026: first, repeat and family reunification applications. It concerns people aged 18–60 with a military obligation in Ukraine. The EU Council decision exempts those who held protection on 30 July 2026 and keep it continuously, so losing protection also means losing this exemption.

Step 1. Online registration

The Ministry has not yet published instructions for the new cycle. Below are the legal requirements and the 2026 procedure; details may change.

You register only through the electronic form on the Ministry's website. The law disregards any other method.
Everyone aged 15 or over registers individually. Children under 15 are registered by a legal representative.
The form asks for your residence address in Czechia and, if a child already has compulsory school or pre-school attendance, the name and address of the school.
You choose the date of your Ministry visit during registration.
Registration is complete when a confirmation with the date and office address arrives by e-mail. It covers your stay from 1 April to 30 September as temporary protection.

Step 2. Ministry visit for the sticker

Go to the office and on the date stated in your confirmation. You are not served without a booking, the booking is tied to your office and cannot be passed to another person.
Bring the travel document for the sticker and the PIN from your booking confirmation, which you enter at the terminal on site.
If you changed address without reporting it, or your place of residence is recorded at an authority, bring proof of accommodation. Without it the sticker will not be issued.
A sticker for a child under 15 can be collected only by a legal representative or authorised person who proves that status.
If someone is immobile, a proxy can go with a power of attorney and a medical report. Online registration is still required.
You can change or cancel a booking up to 48 hours in advance. In the 2026 cycle the Ministry allowed changes only for serious reasons: there is no right to a new slot, and free dates may run out before the deadline.
If you miss your appointment, the law requires a new booking through the form. Three lapsed bookings in 180 days block new bookings for 180 days.

If you miss a deadline

Situation	Legal consequence	What to do
Not registered by 15.03.2027	Protection ends at the end of 31.03.2027	New application in person
Registered, but no sticker by 30.09.2027	Protection ends at the end of 30.09.2027	New application in person
Sticker refused because proof of accommodation or authority for a child is missing	Same consequence unless fixed by 30.09.2027	Prepare the document in advance
Missed your visit, but it is not yet 30 September	A new booking is required	Book a new slot through the form

These rules are in § 7b and worked the same way in the 2026 cycle. Once protection has ended it cannot be extended, so the only route is a new application. You file it in person at a KACPU centre or a Ministry office, and the Ministry does not guarantee a positive decision.

Same conditions as a first application. It is assessed under the rules on the day you apply, including the military condition from 5 August 2026.
Military documents. Age 18–22: Reserv+ registration and a paper eVOD. Age 23–60: a paper eVOD recording full removal from military service obligations. Screenshots are not accepted. Accepted proof is listed on ipc.gov.cz.
Rights. While you have no protection, you lose humanitarian support and free access to the labour market.
Benefits. The 90 days of state-paid health insurance and other time-limited benefits are not granted again.
Continuity. Time without protection does not count, and repeat protection does not preserve the continuity of your earlier stay. This matters, for example, for ZDP.

If you do not meet the conditions and cannot return, you can apply in person at a Ministry office for a visa over 90 days for tolerated stay. The fee is CZK 300 and the decision period is 30 days. This visa gives no free access to the labour market, public health insurance or humanitarian benefit.

If you already missed a deadline in 2026

Not registered by 15.03.2026: protection ended on 31.03.2026.
Registered, but no sticker by 30.09.2026: protection ended at the end of 30.09.2026. The online registration confirmation was valid only until that date.

It can no longer be extended, so you need a new application under the conditions in the section above. Protection granted in 2026 runs until 31.03.2027, so you would then join the 2027 cycle. The steps are on the Naši Ukrajinci page.

What to do now

Check that the sticker in your passport runs until 31.03.2027.
Check your address on Portál občana. You must report a change of address within 3 working days if you plan to stay at the new address for more than 15 days.
Check that you can log in to your ipc.gov.cz account. Přehledné návody explains what to do if you have lost access.
Check your health insurance. The Ministry says insurance does not extend automatically and advises contacting your insurer. VZP adds that participation does extend automatically, but you need to get a new document separately. If VZP has your phone number, you will receive an SMS. If not, request the document no earlier than 14 working days after registration or the visit. Other insurers are listed on Naši Ukrajinci.

Special long-term residence (zvláštní dlouhodobý pobyt, ZDP)

ZDP does not replace temporary protection as a scheme, and switching is optional. It is a standard status under the Foreigners' Residence Act, valid for 5 years with free access to the labour market. People who do not get it stay on temporary protection.

The 2026 round is open only to those who expressed interest between 1 and 30 April 2026.
Eligibility results appeared in user accounts on 1 October 2026. Registration runs until 31 December 2026.
The visit date can be changed only once. The office sets the card collection date, and it is binding.
Main conditions: 2 years of continuous protection as of 1 April 2026 (except children under 18) and continuous protection until you collect the card; 2025 income of at least CZK 440,000 plus CZK 110,000 per additional household member; no humanitarian benefit from 1.10.2025 to 31.03.2026; no health insurance debt on 31.03.2026 and 2 years of continuous insurance; no criminal record; housing not at an authority's address; a valid passport; school attendance for children aged 6–14.
The card fee is CZK 2,500, or CZK 1,000 under 15, payable only by card at the office.
Insurance is paid by your employer or by you, and there is no right to non-insurance benefits such as housing allowance or child benefits. Vehicles must go on the Czech register, and if your stay is longer than a year, a driving licence must be exchanged within 3 months.
You can apply for permanent residence after 5 years of continuous residence: ZDP counts in full, earlier temporary protection counts by half.

Bill 213: what may change

This is not law yet. The Chamber of Deputies held the first reading on 24 June and the second on 22 October 2026. As of 2 November the third reading had not taken place, and the Senate and the President come after it. In the government's version the bill proposes to:

end protection if someone stays outside the Schengen states for more than 30 days;
end it on a final sentence of expulsion, a sentence for an offence listed in § 80 of the Criminal Code, or an enforceable administrative expulsion;
from 1 January 2028, tie humanitarian benefit to work, income or labour office registration and to at least 16 days a month in Czechia, with exceptions;
show the registration confirmation in your portal account instead of sending it by e-mail.

Neither the bill nor the amendments in print 213/3 of 23 October change the 15 March and 30 September deadlines. The start date is still open: the bill says 1 January 2027, while an amendment proposes the fifth day after publication. Check the final text before you register.

Where to go

Ministry temporary protection line: +420 974 801 802, Mon–Thu 8:00–16:00, Fri 8:00–14:00, [email protected].
New application: KACPU centres or Ministry offices.
Ministry office addresses: ipc.gov.cz/kontakty.
General information: the state portal Naši Ukrajinci and the integration centres at cizinci.cz.

Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

When does registration for the extension to 2028 open?

As of 2 November 2026 the Ministry has not announced a date, and the law does not set one. The last cycle opened on 8 January 2026, but that is not a forecast.

What is the deadline to register?

Under § 7b of Act 65/2022 Sb., 15 March of the current year, which means 15 March 2027. The Ministry's portal has not yet published this date for the new cycle.

Can I extend protection online only?

No. Registration keeps your status until 30 September. Only the sticker extends it to 31 March of the following year.

What happens if I do not register by 15 March 2027?

Your protection ends at the end of 31 March 2027. You can then only file a new application under the conditions in force that day, with no guarantee of success.

Do I need to prove military registration for the extension to 2028?

No, the Ministry does not require it. The condition applies to applications from 5 August 2026: first, repeat and family reunification applications.

Do I need to extend protection I received in 2026?

Yes. It did not need extending in the last cycle, but it ends on 31 March 2027, and the law applies the extension to people granted protection in the previous year.

Do I have to switch to ZDP?

No, it is optional. It is open only to those who expressed interest in April 2026 and meet the conditions.

Sources

All sources were opened on 2 November 2026. Ministry pages are in Czech.

This material is for information only and is not legal advice. Rules and deadlines for temporary protection can change. Before you file anything, check ipc.gov.cz or contact the Ministry or a KACPU centre.

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