The International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP) provides free legal help to some refugees and displaced people.

• IRAP helps some people find services and prepare refugee and visa applications.
• IRAP is not part of any government, IOM, or UNHCR.
• IRAP cannot grant refugee status or visas or speed up cases.
• IRAP cannot provide financial help, find or pay for housing, or find jobs.
• All of IRAP’s help is free. No one affiliated with IRAP has the right to ask you for money or any other service.

IRAP decides to help people based on their need and eligibility for immigration status. IRAP does not decide to help people based on any other social or political or religious criteria.

This website provides general information about legal processes available to some refugees. It is not meant as legal advice for individual applications.

This information was revised in March 2022. Requirements may change. Always check for current requirements from the government or agency deciding your request.

If you are a refugee in an emergency, we recommend that you contact the UNHCR office in the country where you live.

Introduction

This guide is for people of all nationalities who have fled the war in Ukraine. It is available in Ukrainian and Russian. This is the only guide available in those languages on our website. If you want to check other guides please use the English, Spanish, Arabic, Persian, or Pashto version of the website.

If you are a citizen of Ukraine, you can enter countries in the Schengen area, or Romania or Moldova, without a visa. You can stay in these countries for up to 90 days. Information about entering these countries is below. If you are in a country in the European Union, you will be able to apply for temporary protection status, which will allow you to stay longer in that country. More information about this status is below.

If you are not a Ukrainian citizen but are fleeing the conflict in Ukraine, you can also enter the below countries that neighbor Ukraine. This admission may be temporary (for example, to allow you to arrange to return to your home country). You may also be able to apply for a longer-term status, like temporary protection or asylum, if you had residency in Ukraine or are unable to return to your home country. This depends on what your legal status was in Ukraine and whether you are able to return to your home country. More information about temporary protection status is below. If you do not want to return to your home country, you may want to seek legal advice from one of the organizations below.

Temporary Protection Status in the European Union for individuals fleeing Ukraine

The countries of the European Union have agreed to grant temporary protection status to Ukrainian citizens, permanent residents of Ukraine who are unable to return to their home country, and their family members. People who get this status will get a residence permit for at least one year. Each EU Member State will have its own rules for how to access this status.

Hungary

If you are fleeing the conflict in Ukraine, you are allowed to enter Hungary. No visas are required. If you do not have a passport, you should be allowed to enter, but you may need to wait longer at the border.

For more information on the situation in Hungary for people fleeing the war in Ukraine, see the resources below:

• Hungarian Helsinki Committee guide for new arrivals from Ukraine (in English)
  • Hungarian Helsinki Committee guide for new arrivals from Ukraine (in Russian)
  • Hungarian Helsinki Committee guide for new arrivals from Ukraine (in Ukrainian)