What is temporary protection and who is it intended for?

Temporary protection is a procedure of exceptional character to provide, in the event of a mass influx or imminent mass influx of displaced persons from third countries, immediate and temporary protection to such persons. It is intended for third-country nationals or stateless persons who have been forced to leave their country or region of origin due to war or war-like circumstances, armed conflict, occupation or mass violations of human rights, or who have been evacuated and are unable to return permanently owing to the situation in that country or region.

Temporary protection is introduced by a decision of the Council of the European Union. It was first introduced in the case of the mass influx of persons from Ukraine on 5 March 2022. Decisions of the Council of the European Union have extended the application of temporary protection until 4 March 2027. 

What conditions must I meet in order to obtain temporary protection status in the Republic of Slovenia?

You are entitled to temporary protection if you resided in Ukraine before 24 February 2022 and if you are:

• • a national of Ukraine;
• • a stateless person or a third-country national (who is not a Ukrainian national) who was entitled to international protection or equivalent national protection in Ukraine;
• • a family member of a person referred to in the first and second indents;
• • a stateless person or a third-country national (who is not a Ukrainian national) who resided in Ukraine on the basis of a valid permanent residence permit and cannot safely and permanently return to your country or region of origin.

Temporary protection status will not be granted if you are a person:

1. against whom criminal proceedings have been instituted by way of final decision or who has been convicted by way of a final judgement of:

a) criminal offence against humanity or against international law as defined in the Criminal Code;

b) a serious non-political criminal offence committed in another country prior to entry into the Republic of Slovenia, even if it was committed for allegedly political aims;

c) an act contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations as set out in the Preamble and in Articles 1 and 2 of the Charter of the United Nations;

2. in respect of whom there are reasonable grounds for suspecting that you constitute a danger to the security or territorial integrity of the Republic of Slovenia, in particular by threatening its sovereignty, the fulfilment of its international obligations or the protection of the constitutional order.

Temporary protection status shall also not be granted to an applicant against whom criminal proceedings have been instituted by way of final decision in the Republic of Slovenia or who has been convicted in the Republic of Slovenia of a serious criminal offence by way of a final judgement and constitutes a danger to the Republic of Slovenia.

You may apply for temporary protection status only in the territory of the Republic of Slovenia. Upon entry into the Republic of Slovenia, you must declare that you intend to apply for temporary protection status in Slovenia.

At a police station you must undergo a registration procedure where you will receive a registration document and be provided with information on the further procedure in a language you understand. After completing the registration procedure, you obtain the status of an applicant for temporary protection.

Within three working days, you must submit an application for the recognition of temporary protection status at any Administrative Unit and attach the relevant supporting documents.

Mandatory documentation

• • A filled in application for the recognition of temporary protection status;
• • a photograph suitable for an identity document showing your true likeness (also acceptable in digital form);
• • an identity document proving your identity;
• • any supporting documents available to you that are relevant for deciding on the application for the recognition of temporary protection status.

Upon receipt of your application, the Administrative Unit will issue you with a certificate which shall serve as the basis for you to exercise your rights that you have as an applicant for temporary protection.

The Administrative Unit must decide on your application within thirty days from the date of receipt of a complete application. During the procedure, you will also be assigned a personal identification number (EMŠO). If your application is decided favourably and temporary protection is recognised, you will be issued with an identity card, which allows you to exercise the rights of a person granted temporary protection, including the right to reside in the Republic of Slovenia.

The issuance of the card does not mean that your temporary residence has been registered, which is why you must arrange this within eight days of receiving the identity card.

If your application for temporary protection is rejected, you may appeal against the decision within fifteen days from the date you receive it. If you do not understand the instruction on legal remedies contained in the decision, you may request a translation into a language you understand. In such cases, the fifteen-day time limit for lodging an appeal begins to run on the day you receive the translation.

Except in certain exceptional cases, the decision rejecting your application will also specify a ten-day period for voluntary departure, within which you must leave the territory of the Republic of Slovenia, the territory of the Member States of the European Union, and the territory of the States Parties to the Convention implementing the Schengen Agreement of 14 June 1985.