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Complementary protection status

UkraineHumanitarian protection

Explore the five recorded questions, answers and sources for this pathway.

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Explore pathways in Ukraine Read the five questions ↓

What exactly is this: asylum, temporary protection, humanitarian admission, resettlement or another protection mechanism?

This is complementary protection status, one of two legal statuses providing international protection in Ukraine, alongside refugee status.

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Which population, circumstances or geographic group does the mechanism cover?

It covers a person who is not a refugee but needs protection because of a threat to life, safety or freedom in the country of origin, owing to fear of death penalty, torture, inhuman or degrading treatment, punishment, generalised violence in armed conflicts, or systematic human rights abuses.

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  • https://help.unhcr.org/ukraine/asylum-in-ukraine/forms-of-asylum-and-refugee-protection/
    Ukrainian legislation defines a person in need of complementary protection as a person, who is not a refugee, but is in need of protection because of a threat to their life, safety or freedom in the country of origin, owing to a fear of death penalty, torture, inhuman or degrading treatment, punishment, or generalised violence in situations of international or internal armed conflicts, or systematic human rights abuses.

Where can protection be requested, and is this a direct application, border/in-country request, referral or other process?

Protection is requested by filling out an asylum application form and questionnaire and submitting it to the State Migration Service of Ukraine, which is the only authority entitled to grant international protection. The official source does not state whether the request can be made at the border.

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What happens after the request: registration, family handling, major support and rights where officially stated?

After submission, the State Migration Service registers the application, determines identity, asks basic questions, and issues an asylum seeker certificate called a “dovidka”. The application is considered in three stages, with a decision expected within six months. If rejected, the person has the right to appeal within five working days, and filing an appeal extends the validity of the “dovidka”. The official source does not state how family members are handled.

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Which competent authority, UN body or official assistance channel should the person use?

The competent authority is the State Migration Service of Ukraine. UNHCR provides free legal and social services to persons applying for asylum in Ukraine, including free legal aid through NGO partners and government-run Free Legal Aid Centres.

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These are the answers currently recorded in the catalogue. A missing or partial answer is not an eligibility decision.

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