Starting today, the Czech Republic will stop providing temporary protection to men of military age from Ukraine

Starting August 5, the Czech Republic will no longer provide temporary protection to newly arrived men of military age from Ukraine unless they confirm their military service. This means that conscripts who crossed the border illegally will not be able to receive protection.

This was reported by the Czech Ministry of Internal Affairs.

Such changes are provided for by a new decision of the Council of the European Union, which was published in the Official Journal of the EU on August 4. The document also extends the temporary protection for Ukrainians until March 31, 2028.

From now on, men of military age who will apply for temporary protection in the Czech Republic for the first time or reapply must confirm their military service through the Ukrainian application "Rezerve+". This requirement also applies to applications for protection for family reunification.

At the same time, the new rules do not apply to Ukrainians who already have valid temporary protection in the Czech Republic and continue to do so continuously.

Czech Interior Minister Lubomir Metnar said his government had long advocated for tighter conditions for temporary protection. He said the new rules should reduce the number of new arrivals "by tens of percent" and ease the strain on the countryʼs healthcare and social services.

The extension of temporary protection until March 2028 in the Czech Republic will take place according to the usual procedure: through online registration and a personal visit to a Ministry of Internal Affairs branch. When extending an already existing status, it is not necessary to confirm the fulfillment of military service.

What is the EU Temporary Protection Program?

The EU Temporary Protection Directive (TPD) is a special mechanism that allows people fleeing en masse from war or other major crises to quickly obtain the right to live legally in European Union countries without a lengthy asylum procedure.

It was first activated for Ukrainians in March 2022, after Russiaʼs full-scale invasion. This directive has existed since 2001 (it was launched after the conflicts in the then Yugoslavia), but has never been applied.

Temporary protection gives the right to reside legally in an EU country, access to the labor market, medical and social support, access to education for children, the ability to rent housing and use other public services.

As of March 2026, 4.33 million Ukrainians had temporary protection status in the EU. The largest number of them was in Germany (1.27 million), Poland (961 405) and the Czech Republic (379 820).

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