Italy Temporary Protection 2026: What Next

In short

Temporary protection (protezione temporanea) in Italy is a special permesso di soggiorno that Ukrainians and residents of Ukraine who fled the war have been receiving since 24 February 2022. In 2026 the main questions among card holders sound like this: until when is temporary protection valid, how to renew it and when it makes sense to move to an ordinary permesso for work, family or study. Below is a breakdown based on official sources and community experience; this is not legal advice.

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What temporary protection is and who is entitled to it

The legal basis has three layers:

• EU Directive 2001/55 on temporary protection in the event of a mass influx of displaced persons.
• Council Decision 2022/382 of 4 March 2022, which activated this mechanism for Ukraine for the first time.
• DPCM of 28 March 2022 - the Italian act that turned the European decision into a specific permesso issued by the questura.

It is available to Ukrainian citizens who lived there before 24 February 2022, their family members, and stateless persons and third-country nationals who before that date held international or equivalent national protection in Ukraine. Citizens of other countries, including Russia, are not eligible for this status - for them the general routes remain, for example international protection.

An important feature: the card is not tied to a personal persecution case, as asylum is. It is issued on the basis of belonging to a category, without a commission or interview, and it also ends collectively - by a Council decision to terminate the regime.

People in the chats regularly ask whether Russians can fall under the same temporary protection. The answer is always the same: no, this regime was introduced only for Ukrainian citizens and those who permanently lived there before the war began. For everyone else there is the ordinary international protection procedure, if there are grounds for it, and that is a completely different, much longer story.

Per the community, in summer 2026 the EU added a condition for new applicants: men of conscription age who arrive for the first time must show that they are not in breach of military service obligations in Ukraine; according to official communications this does not affect those who already hold the status. Check the official wording on interno.gov.it / ec.europa.eu, and the practice of Italian questure at the time of your application.

Until when temporary protection is valid in 2026

The chronology of extensions looks like this:

At the time of publication, cards that expired on 4 March 2026 are renewed at the questura on request until 4 March 2027. That is how decree-law 201/2025 is worded: it refers directly to Council Decision 2025/1460 and at the same time allows the protezione speciale cards of Ukrainians who lived in Italy before 24 February 2022 to be renewed to the same date.

The extension to 2028 has been agreed at European level and is due to take effect from 5 March 2027. But the Italian mechanism for each round is set out in a separate act, so check the exact date on the new card and the application procedure on interno.gov.it and on your questura's page closer to spring 2027.

How to renew a permesso per protezione temporanea

Every questura has its own procedure, but the general frame according to official notices is this:

What rights temporary protection gives

The status gives practically the same set of rights as an ordinary permesso, and in some respects a wider one:

• Work - as an employee and as self-employed, without a separate nulla osta and outside the decreto flussi quotas.
• Healthcare - SSN registration and a tessera sanitaria; details in the article on the tessera sanitaria and SSN.
• School and nursery - children are enrolled on the general basis, see school and asilo enrolment.
• Social assistance - access to basic support measures; their scope and conditions differ by region and are shrinking over time.
• Residenza - with housing you can register your address and get a carta d'identita, although the practice of comuni is uneven.

The Milan questura stresses separately in its vademecum: even the ricevuta for a submitted application already gives access to work, medical care and school while the plastic has not been issued.

When someone with a Ukrainian passport asks whether it would be better to apply for lavoro autonomo or another D visa, for most people the answer is that this is unnecessary. Temporary protection already gives the right to work in any form and costs nothing to obtain. Changing the status starts to make sense later, when the five-year record or the moment the regime ends comes into play.

How to convert temporary protection into an ordinary permesso

This is the key question of 2026, because temporary protection is not designed for a long life. In short: the 2024 budget law (L. 213/2023, art. 1 par. 396) allows converting, on request, the protezione temporanea card into a permesso per lavoro for the work actually carried out - employed or self-employed; for the famiglia and studio motivi the general rules of the Testo unico apply. Conversion makes sense with a stable contract or a working Partita IVA and when the years count towards lungo periodo and citizenship; with unstable income and housing on a dichiarazione di ospitalita there is no need to hurry. The full step-by-step breakdown is in the dedicated conversion article.

What happens if you leave Italy or move to another EU country

Temporary protection is valid in one EU country. If you move to another state and obtain the status there, the Italian card loses its basis and is subject to cancellation; double registration is not allowed. Short trips within Schengen with a valid card and passport are permitted.

Trips to Ukraine do not cancel the status by themselves, and in 2025-2026 the EU explicitly encourages exploratory visits home before a possible return. But after a long absence the questura may raise the question of whether the person actually lives in Italy, and those who have returned to Ukraine for good no longer need the status in Italy.

In my experience of dealing with the questura on this type of permesso, the officers see direct exits from the country in the border service database, and if they wish they request data from colleagues in other EU countries too. A lot depends on who exactly checks the file: first a check by an officer, then sign-off by a manager, and only then is the card printed in Rome.

A separate common case is leaving with only the ricevuta, when the plastic is not yet ready. The rules are the same as for any renewal: direct flights to and from Italy to non-Schengen countries are possible, transit through another Schengen country is not. More in the article on travelling with the ricevuta.

Common community questions

• Do I have to pay for the first card? According to the questura vademecum, the first issue went without a marca da bollo, the renewal with payment of the fee. Check the amounts on the questura website.
• Is temporary protection granted if I arrived via another Schengen country? Yes: with a biometric passport Ukrainians enter without a visa, and in Italy they file a dichiarazione di presenza within eight days and then go to the questura.
• Does time on temporary protection count towards permanent residence? There is no single official answer in open sources, opinions differ; it is safer to count the record from the date of obtaining an ordinary permesso and to check with your questura.
• Can I hold temporary protection and an asylum request at the same time? You can apply for international protection, but the statuses do not add up, and the asylum procedure is more complex and longer.
• What about children's cards? Minors are usually entered on a parent's card or issued a separate permesso; at renewal, documents proving the family relationship are needed.

Takeaways

1. Temporary protection is a separate permesso under a Council of the EU decision and the 2022 DPCM, only for Ukrainians and residents of Ukraine before 24 February 2022.
2. At the time of publication cards are renewed until 4 March 2027; the extension to 4 March 2028 is agreed in the EU, the Italian procedure will follow separately - check interno.gov.it.
3. The status gives the full right to work, the SSN and school, but can end before the date on the card.
4. Conversion into a permesso per lavoro is possible under L. 213/2023 via the kit postale for real work; for famiglia and studio the general rules apply.
5. Moving to another EU country cancels the Italian card; trips to Ukraine are allowed, but the questura sees long absences.

Related articles

Official sources

• interno.gov.it - Ministry of the Interior: temporary protection, circulars on renewal and conversion.
• protezionecivile.gov.it - brochure on temporary protection and holders' rights.
• questure.poliziadistato.it - questura notices on renewal and booking.
• integrazionemigranti.gov.it - news on extensions and European decisions.
• normattiva.it - texts of decree-law 201/2025 and law 213/2023.

Frequently asked questions

Until when is temporary protection in Italy valid?

At the time of publication, protezione temporanea cards are renewed at the questura on request until 4 March 2027 (Council Decision 2025/1460 and decree-law 201/2025). In summer 2026 the EU member states agreed to extend the regime by another year, to 4 March 2028, but check the Italian renewal procedure for that date on interno.gov.it and your questura's website. This is not legal advice.

How do I renew a permesso per protezione temporanea?

In questura practice the renewal is handled in person at the ufficio immigrazione: bring your passport, the old card, photos, proof of address (residenza or dichiarazione di ospitalita), a marca da bollo and the payment slip for the electronic card. In some cities you need a prior booking via PrenotaFacile or a patronato. Every questura has its own procedure - check it on questure.poliziadistato.it. This is not legal advice.

Can I work and use healthcare on temporary protection?

Yes: the status gives the right to work as an employee or self-employed without a separate authorisation, to register with the SSN and get a tessera sanitaria, and children can attend school. According to the questura vademecum, even the ricevuta for a submitted application opens access to work, healthcare and school. Check the details for your region on interno.gov.it and at the ASL. This is not legal advice.

How do I convert temporary protection into a work permesso?

The 2024 budget law (L. 213/2023, art. 1 par. 396) allows converting the protezione temporanea card, on request, into a permesso per lavoro for the work actually being carried out - employed or self-employed. The application goes through the kit postale at a Poste branch with a Sportello Amico, with documents on work and housing. Confirm the conditions and the list of papers with your questura. This is not legal advice.

Is it worth switching from temporary protection to an ordinary permesso?

Temporary protection is free to obtain, is renewed in bulk and gives full access to work, but it ends by a Council decision and does not lead directly to permanent residence. An ordinary work or family permesso counts towards the lungo periodo card and citizenship, but requires income and housing under the general rules. With a stable contract, conversion is often considered reasonable - the decision depends on your case. This is not legal advice.

What happens to temporary protection if I leave Italy?

Temporary protection is valid in one EU country: if you move to another country you need to obtain the status there, and the Italian card may be cancelled. Trips to Ukraine and third countries do not cancel the status by themselves, but in community experience the questura sees exits in the border databases and may ask questions at renewal. Check the rules on interno.gov.it. This is not legal advice.

What is the permesso for Ukrainians in Italy called?

Permesso di soggiorno per protezione temporanea - the temporary protection permesso. Ukrainians and residents of Ukraine who fled the war have been receiving it since 24 February 2022; its validity and renewal are covered in the questions above. This is not legal advice.

Related materials - Choosing your route

• Italy long stay visa (visa D): choosing your route
• Asylum in Italy: how to apply, C3 form, interview
• Asylum in Italy on LGBT grounds: a breakdown
• Converting Temporary Protection Permits

Next stepProcessing timelineStages and timing

Documents for this topic

• Module 2 (Mod. 209) - data form on work activity and income for permesso di soggiorno
• Official form Mod. 209 - application for permesso di soggiorno (Kit Permesso)
• Template application for renewal of residence permit for self-employed (lavoro autonomo, Art. 4 DL 20/23)