Extending Temporary Protection in Czechia: Deadlines to 2028

Updated 28.09.2026: results of the 2026 cycle, what to do if you missed the 30 September deadline, the extension to 31 March 2028 and registration for special long-term residence.

Extending temporary protection (dočasná ochrana / tymchasovyi zakhyst) for Ukrainians in Czechia involves two mandatory steps: first, online registration through the state portal ipc.gov.cz within a set window, and then an in-person visit to a Ministry of the Interior office (OAMP MV ČR) to have a visa sticker affixed to your travel document. The dates of each cycle are set by the Ministry of the Interior and published on ipc.gov.cz. Check them there rather than relying on last year's dates or what you've heard in chat groups.

In short: where things stand on 28 September 2026

• 2026 cycle: online registration ran until 15 March 2026 and extended protection until 30 September 2026. The visa sticker had to be affixed by 30 September at the latest; with it, protection is valid until 31 March 2027.
• If you registered online but did not get the sticker by 30 September, your protection ended when that date passed. If you did not register by 15 March, it ended on 31 March 2026.
• The Council of the EU has extended temporary protection until 4 March 2028. In Czechia the next cycle will extend it until 31 March 2028, again through online registration and a sticker. The Ministry has not announced the dates yet.
• Since 5 August 2026, new and repeat applications from men aged 18–60 with military obligations in Ukraine require proof of military registration. This does not apply to the extension until 2028.
• Registration for special long-term residence opens in early October and runs until 31 December 2026 for those who expressed interest in April.

What temporary protection is and why you need to extend it

Temporary protection is a status that gives Ukrainians in Czechia the right to legal residence, access to the public health insurance system, the right to work, and the right for their children to attend school. The status is not indefinite: it is granted for the duration of the current cycle, and to avoid losing your rights, you need to extend it on time.

The regime is governed by the Czech Lex Ukrajina laws (the current version is Lex Ukrajina VII). At EU level, the Council of the EU decided on 30 July 2026 to extend temporary protection until 4 March 2028. Within Czechia, protection is extended in separate annual cycles, and the Ministry announces their dates in advance on ipc.gov.cz.

Two mandatory steps for extension

The extension mechanism repeats from cycle to cycle and always consists of two parts. Neither can be skipped, otherwise protection will not be extended.

1. Online registration through the state "Information Portal for Foreigners" (ipc.gov.cz), during which you book your visit to the Ministry. This extends protection until an interim date (in 2026, until 30 September).
2. An in-person visit to a Ministry of the Interior office (OAMP MV ČR) to have a visa sticker (vízový štítek) affixed to your travel document. This extends protection until the final date of the cycle (in 2026, until 31 March 2027).

It's important to understand the difference: extending existing protection is done only through online registration on ipc.gov.cz plus the sticker at OAMP MV ČR. A first-time or repeat application for temporary protection is made in person at KACPU centres or Ministry of the Interior offices. Don't confuse these two scenarios.

Step 1. Online registration on ipc.gov.cz

The first step is done remotely via the official portal ipc.gov.cz:

• registration must be completed within the open window of the cycle; everyone aged 15 or over registers separately, and children under 15 are registered by their legal guardians;
• you will need your travel document details and information about your current protection;
• during registration you book the date of your visit to the Ministry office; afterwards you receive a confirmation (PDF) with the visit date and a PIN code.

The Ministry publishes an official step-by-step guide for each cycle, which is more reliable than any retelling. If the registration window has closed, protection is not extended for the new cycle automatically.

Step 2. Visa sticker at OAMP MV ČR

After online registration, you need to visit the Ministry office in person on the booked date and get the visa sticker in your travel document. This sticker is the confirmation that your protection has been extended until the final date of the cycle.

• Bring the valid passport to which the sticker will be affixed and your registration confirmation.
• Offices do not serve people without online registration or outside the booked time.
• You can move your appointment in your user account on the portal ("Moje rezervace" tab) no later than 48 hours in advance. There is no legal right to a new slot, and free dates run out quickly before the deadline.

Contact details for Ministry of the Interior offices are on the official page ipc.gov.cz.

Deadlines: the 2026 cycle and the next one

• Online registration 2026: until 15.03.2026 (closed); protection was extended until 30.09.2026.
• Visa sticker: by 30.09.2026 at the latest; with it, protection is valid until 31.03.2027.
• Next cycle: extension until 31.03.2028 using the same two-step scheme. As of 28.09.2026 the registration dates have not been announced; the Ministry will publish them in the "Prodloužení" section of ipc.gov.cz and on the "Naši Ukrajinci" Facebook and Telegram channels.

Don't assume last year's dates will apply to the next cycle: in 2026 the registration window closed on 15 March, and those who missed it lost their protection.

What a protection holder should do now

• You have the sticker: protection is valid until 31.03.2027. Get a new insurance document from your health insurer, as the Ministry points out that it is not renewed by itself. VZP, for example, extends your participation in insurance automatically and advises requesting a new náhradní průkaz pojištěnce valid until 31.03.2027 about 14 working days after the sticker. Show the new sticker to your employer and watch for the announcement of the cycle until 2028.
• You registered online but did not get the sticker by 30.09.2026: protection ended when 30 September passed. The PDF registration confirmation only proved your status until that date. See the section below.
• You did not register by 15.03.2026: protection ended on 31.03.2026, and you need a new application.

If you missed the deadline

Once protection has ended it can no longer be extended; the only option is to apply for temporary protection again. The Ministry assesses the application in the same way as a first one, under the conditions in force on the day you apply. Applications are made in person at a KACPU centre or a Ministry office; the procedure is described in the "Žádost" section of ipc.gov.cz.

• Military registration. Since 5 August 2026, men aged 18–60 with military obligations in Ukraine must prove that they fulfil them: at 18–22, registration in the Reserv+ app and a paper eVOD; at 23–60, a paper eVOD recording removal from military service obligations. This applies to first, repeat and family reunification applications. Accepted forms of proof are listed on ipc.gov.cz.
• Health insurance. The 90 days of state-paid health insurance are granted only once per person, so you will not get them again with repeat protection.
• Continuity. Repeat protection does not preserve the continuity of your previous stay, which matters, for example, for special long-term residence.

If you have fallen out of the cycle, don't delay and check your situation at a KACPU centre: ipc.gov.cz.

Special long-term residence (zvláštní dlouhodobý pobyt)

The Lex Ukrajina VII law introduced special long-term residence, a standard residence permit under the Foreigners' Residence Act, valid for 5 years and with free access to the labour market. It does not cancel temporary protection, and switching to it is optional.

The 2026 round:

• interest had to be expressed between 1 and 30 April 2026; without this step you cannot obtain the status this year;
• in early October 2026 the results of the eligibility check will appear in your user account on ipc.gov.cz (login with electronic identity), and registration will open at the same time, running until 31 December 2026;
• a booked appointment can be changed only once, and the permit card must be collected within 60 days of giving biometrics.

Main conditions: at least 2 years of continuous temporary protection as of 1 April 2026 (not assessed for children under 18) and continuous protection from 1 April 2026 until you collect the card; income for 2025 of at least CZK 440,000 plus CZK 110,000 for each additional household member; no humanitarian benefit from 1.10.2025 to 31.03.2026; no health insurance debt as of 31.03.2026 and 2 years of continuous insurance; no criminal record; registered accommodation that is not at an authority's address; a valid passport; school attendance for children aged 6–14. Details are on ipc.gov.cz.

Things to bear in mind: a fee of CZK 2,500 per card (CZK 1,000 for under-15s); health insurance is paid by your employer or by you; no entitlement to non-insurance social benefits (housing allowance, child benefits, etc.); vehicles must be registered in the Czech register, and driving licences exchanged within 3 months. You can apply for permanent residence after 5 years of continuous residence: time with special long-term residence counts in full, earlier temporary protection counts by half.

What else may change

In May 2026 the Czech government approved a bill tightening the conditions of temporary protection: among other things, protection would end after more than 30 days outside the Schengen area, and humanitarian benefit would depend on work or registration with the labour office. The Chamber of Deputies backed it at first reading on 24 June 2026. It is not yet law in force, so check the final rules and the date they take effect on ipc.gov.cz.

Where to go

• Extending existing protection — online via ipc.gov.cz plus a visa sticker at an OAMP MV ČR office.
• First-time or repeat application for protection — in person at KACPU centres (Krajská asistenční centra pomoci Ukrajině) or at Ministry of the Interior offices.
• Contacts and office addresses — ipc.gov.cz.
• General information on residence in Czechia — state portals nasiukrajinci.cz and cizinci.cz (integration centres).

Frequently asked questions

Can protection be extended only online, without a visit to the Ministry of the Interior? No. Online registration is only the first step; without a visa sticker in your travel document, the extension is not complete.

What happens if the sticker isn't affixed by 30 September 2026? According to the Ministry, protection ends when 30 September 2026 passes. After that, the only option is a new application under the conditions in force.

Do men have to prove military registration for the extension until 2028? No. According to the Ministry, this is not required for the extension until 31 March 2028. The requirement applies to applications filed from 5 August 2026: first-time, repeat and family reunification applications.

Is it mandatory to switch to special long-term residence? No, it's an optional choice. You can continue extending temporary protection through the regular procedure.

Where can I check the dates of the next cycle? On ipc.gov.cz in the "Prodloužení" section and on the "Naši Ukrajinci" channels. As of 28 September 2026 the dates for the extension until 31 March 2028 had not been announced.

For more practical guides for foreigners in Czechia, see the Expat Life section, and follow the latest rule changes in Czech Republic news.

Official sources

• Temporary protection — general page: ipc.gov.cz
• Ministry FAQ (including what happens without a sticker by 30.09.2026): ipc.gov.cz
• Extension in 2026 (procedure and deadlines): ipc.gov.cz
• Extension until 2028 and new conditions from 5 August 2026: ipc.gov.cz
• Special long-term residence, conditions: ipc.gov.cz
• Registration for special long-term residence from October 2026: ipc.gov.cz
• VZP: health insurance after extending protection: vzp.cz
• KACPU centres (first-time and repeat applications): ipc.gov.cz
• Ministry of the Interior office contacts: ipc.gov.cz
• State portal "Naši Ukrajinci" (residence in Czechia): nasiukrajinci.cz

This material is for information only and does not replace official advice. The rules, deadlines and amounts related to temporary protection change regularly. Before submitting any documents, check the current information on ipc.gov.cz or contact OAMP MV ČR or a KACPU centre directly.

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