New legislation related to the war in Ukraine

On 21 March 2022, new laws came into force (provisionally on a temporary basis until 31 March 2023) to regulate
certain issues relating to the status of refugees from Ukraine. We provide you with a basic summary of these laws
and their impact on refugees below.

1. General measures

Temporary protection

The law introduced the institute of “temporary protection”, under which war refugees from Ukraine can
legally reside in the Czech Republic. The institute of temporary protection will be introduced until 31 March
2023 and will be a gateway for war refugees from Ukraine to the labour market, education, social system or
the Schengen area.
This special permit to reside in the Czech Republic is granted upon request by the Ministry of the Interior or
the Police of the Czech Republic to:

a) Ukrainian nationals residing in Ukraine before the invasion of the Russian Federation (24 February 2022);

b) stateless persons and third-country nationals from countries other than Ukraine who were granted
specific protection in Ukraine prior to the invasion;

c) family members of persons referred to in a) and b); and

d) foreigners who prove that on the date of the invasion of Ukraine they held a valid permanent residence
permit in Ukraine and their departure to the state of which they are citizens is not possible due to a
threat of real danger.

An application for temporary protection should usually be submitted in person at the Ministry of the Interior
or the Police of the Czech Republic, and must be accompanied by an ID card and, if necessary, a photo. The
application will not be successful if a similar application has already been submitted in another Member State
of the European Union or if the foreigner has already been granted temporary protection in another Member
State. The granting of temporary protection will be shown as a label in the ID card.
The institute of temporary protection also applies to war refugees from Ukraine who are already residing
in the Czech Republic on the basis of a previously granted special residence visa (granted after the invasion
of Ukraine).

Healthcare

Refugees who have been granted temporary protection (see above) are entitled to healthcare paid for by
public health insurance. This entitlement also applies to refugees who received health services no more than
30 days before being granted temporary protection (but no earlier than on the date of the invasion).

2. Employment and social security

Employment without a special work permit

Temporary protection holders will have full access to the labour market. Therefore, holders of temporary protection will not be required to obtain any work permit to be employed and employers will be able to employ temporary protection holders without restrictions in any position.

Humanitarian benefit

Holders of temporary protection are entitled to humanitarian benefit in the amount of CZK 5,000, and in cases where the refugee cannot afford the basic necessities of life, this benefit may be paid repeatedly for the following five months.

Childcare and social services

Children of refugees from Ukraine will be allowed to attend children’s group activities, with the state contributing to participation by foreign children. The law also makes it easier for temporary protection holders to work in children’s activity groups or as social service workers. They will be able to prove their professional qualifications for these professions for a certain period of time by just providing an affidavit.

3. Education

The law sets out special rules for the admission of children as war refugees from Ukraine to kindergartens, primary schools, high schools and conservatories etc., where they can be admitted to the first year of school already in progress. In addition, schools can adapt their study plans according to the children’s needs. The Ministry of the Interior is planning intensive Czech language courses in order to facilitate the integration of students into schools.
To ensure children’s access to education, the law extends the deadline for applying for high school and the time for taking the entrance exam.
War refugees from Ukraine are also exempted from paying a fee for nostrification (i.e. recognition of foreign education) to facilitate their access to qualified professions.

Finally

This was just a brief summary of the new legislation adopted to improve the situation of war refugees from Ukraine in the Czech Republic. Although the situation is serious, we believe that the long-term stay of refugees from Ukraine can also potentially benefit domestic society and the economy.