Information for refugees from Ukraine
Entrée et sortie :
Placement et répartition par cantons:
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Soins médicaux, aide sociale et financière:
How to enter Switzerland from Ukraine?
Switzerland allows Ukrainian citizens to enter the country without a biometric document, except in certain cases. For people from outside the Schengen area, the general entry rules apply. For more information on entering Switzerland, contact the Swiss representation in your place of residence.
For travel necessary in the context of visits to the authorities, the federal centers for asylum seekers or the cantonal social assistance offices can provide you with permits appropriate transportation.
Do you want to take your family to Switzerland (family reunification)?
Persons in need of protection who are visa-exempt (eg Ukrainian citizens with a biometric passport) can enter Switzerland and independently apply for protection status there. Persons in need of protection and who require a visa must contact a Swiss representation abroad.
If the conditions for independent entry are not met, it is possible to submit a written request for family reunification to the SEM. Spouses, people living together in a long-term de facto marriage, registered partners and minor children who are abroad are allowed to enter Switzerland if the family has been separated by events in Ukraine and there are no circumstances that would prevent this denied entry
What should be considered when entering the country with pets?
In exceptional cases, dogs and cats imported from Ukraine may enter Switzerland. All information about the procedure can be found here: Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Administration.
Due to the high risk of epidemics, the entry of poultry, ungulates and equines is prohibited. Pet owners are urged to contact veterinary authorities immediately.
Where are people with Protection Status S allowed to travel?
Persons who have obtained S status in accordance with the decision of the Federal Council of March 11, 2022 can travel abroad without a travel permit and return to Switzerland.
Entry into the country of destination is governed by the entry rules of that country.
Travel within the Schengen area: in principle possible with protection status S, if the persons concerned hold a biometric passport and if the duration of the trip does not exceed not 90 days out of a 180 day period.
Travelers must have a valid travel document. Before considering a trip abroad, the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) recommends clarifying the provisions governing entry into the country of destination with the representation of this country:_cc781905-5cde-3194-bb3b -136bad5cf58d_Addresses of foreign representations in Switzerland.
For travel outside the Schengen area, the SEM recommends that you check with the embassy of this country before planning your trip on the regulations relating to entry into the country of destination: Addresses of foreign representations in Switzerland.
Citizens of Ukraine with protection status S
are they allowed to leave Ukraine?
Travel to Ukraine is generally not prohibited.
However, if the person to be protected has stayed more than 15 days in his country of origin during the quarter, the SEM can withdraw the temporary protection in Switzerland.(art. 78, part 1c AsylG, art. 51 AsylV)
The SEM refrains from revoking the protection only if the foreigner has made a forced trip or is engaged in the preparations for a definitive return to his country of origin or origin (duration exceeding 15 days during a quarter).
If the person to be protected has moved the "center of his life" abroad, the temporary protection in Switzerland is canceled(cf. art. 79 a AsylG). At the same time, SEM considers each individual case individually.
In the event of a stay abroad of more than two months, the person is considered to have moved the "center of his life", but this assumption can be refuted (for example, in the event temporary stay for studies of more than two months or trips abroad for work).
What to do to get the statuse protection S in Switzerland?
We recommend all persons seeking protection who are already in Switzerland but have not yet registered to apply online via the web portal.RegisterMeand make an appointment for registration.
After that, the applicant for protection waits at the BAZ for a decision on the protection status S (several days). If the decision cannot be made during the stay at the BAZ (for example, if further clarification is needed), the person is transferred to the canton and receives a decision on his question by post to the address of stay.
This also applies to people who already live in a cantonal home or with private individuals. For those who do not yet have accommodation in Switzerland, accommodation will be arranged.
You will receive information on how to apply for an S card in the canton in which you are located.
Important information on the different accommodation options for refugees and the procedure for protection seekers can be found in thisnewsletter(PDF, 171 kB, 10/11/2022).
How long does protection status S last?
It is valid until the Federal Council decides to revoke it (Article 76 AsylG(Asylum Law)) - and until there is a serious general danger in Ukraine (article 4 AsylG). Switzerland will coordinate this with the Schengen countries.
If the Federal Council concludes that the security situation allows return, it will revoke S's protection status and establish a transition period until effective return.
Unlike protective status, S permits for asylum seekers are limited to one year.
The request for an extension must be submitted no later than 14 days and no earlier than three months before the expiry of the S permit. Extensions are the responsibility of the cantons or the office ofproficient migration.
Who is covered by protection status S?
According to the general ordinance of the Federal Council
from May 11, 2022:
a) Ukrainian citizens seeking protection and their family members, regardless of nationality (husband, partner, minor children and other relatives who were fully or partially dependent at the time of flight), who have lived in Ukraine until February 24, 2022;
Persons of other nationalities who seek protection and who can return safely and on a long-term basis to their country or who have an alternative form of protection acceptable in EU/EFTA countries or Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the United States or Great Britain (nationals of Ukraine with dual nationality and binational couples and families) do not benefit from protection status S in Switzerland.
b) persons of other nationalities seeking protection, as well as stateless persons together with their family members, respectively, as defined in letter a, who were granted international or national protection status in Ukraine until February 24, 2022;
Such a negative decision can be appealed to the Federal Administrative Court, and these persons have the right toask for asylumif they believe that they would be in danger on their return to their country.
c) persons of other nationalities seeking protection, as well as stateless persons with their respective family members as defined in letter a, who have a short-term residence permit or a valid residence permit and can thus prove that they have a valid right to be in Ukraine and that they cannot return to their country and be safe in the long term.
If a person has already obtained protection status in another EU/EFTA (European Union/European Free Trade Association) state, they will not be granted S status in Switzerland, unless the state of the EU/EFTA which granted protection status is particularly overburdened because of the crisis in Ukraine (eg Poland).
The State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) transfers you to one of the 26 Swiss cantons.
This canton is responsible for your accommodation and support - or for expulsion if temporary protection has been refused.
The task of the canton on which you depend also includes, if necessary, the granting of social assistance which covers the essential needs of daily life in Switzerland.
What to do to get the statuse protection S in Switzerland?
We recommend all persons seeking protection who are already in Switzerland but have not yet registered to apply online via the web portal.RegisterMeand make an appointment for registration.
The State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) transfers you to one of the 26 Swiss cantons.
This canton is responsible for your accommodation and support - or for expulsion if temporary protection has been refused.
The task of the canton on which you depend also includes, if necessary, the granting of social assistance which covers the essential needs of daily life in Switzerland.
The State Secretariat for Migration SEM decides on your cantonal allowance. Only in the following cases are you entitled to be assigned to the same canton as your relatives or relatives:
Vulnerable people with relatives outside the extended nuclear family: for example, unaccompanied minors, disabled or handicapped people, with serious health problems or senile frailty.
Extended family: spouse; parents and their minor children; parents and their adult children, provided they seek protection without their own family; also grandparents.
Distribution requests to (or from) distant or close relatives can only be taken into account if the rules for using the distribution key are respected.
Persons applying for protection have the possibility of appealing the appointment decision to the Federal Administrative Court LPP. The appointment of the canton can only be challenged on the grounds that it violates the principle of family unity.
Persons seeking protection also have the option of filing an applicationchange of canton in writing to the SEM. (PDF, 141 kB, 25.11.2022)This request must indicate the canton of residence, the canton to which the person wishes to be assigned, the reason for the change and all the persons concerned by the change of canton. The request must be signed by the interested persons or a person authorized by power of attorney and can be sent to the following address:
State Secretariat for Migration SEM
Working group Kantonswechsel Ukraine
Quellenweg 6
3003 Bern-Wabern
Before the entry into force of the designation decision (30 days from the date of the S protection status decision), the application is processed according to the criteria of the initial cantonal designation.
After the entry into force of the decision, the request for a change of canton will only be approved
only in some cases:
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family reunification: spouses; parents and their minor children; parents and their adult children, provided that the latter are staying in Switzerland without their own family; Grand parents
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Reunite vulnerable people with important contacts outside the family relationship (for example, unaccompanied minors, people with disabilities, serious health conditions or frail elderly people) if this can improve the care situation.
In all other cases, a change of canton is only possible if the desired cantons agree, for example in the following cases:
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move into a suitable private residence
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move to a distant relative or acquaintance
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going to work outside the canton
What to do to get the statuse protection S in Switzerland?
We recommend all persons seeking protection who are already in Switzerland but have not yet registered to apply online via the web portal.RegisterMeand make an appointment for registration.
The State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) transfers you to one of the 26 Swiss cantons.
This canton is responsible for your accommodation and support - or for expulsion if temporary protection has been refused.
The task of the canton on which you depend also includes, if necessary, the granting of social assistance which covers the essential needs of daily life in Switzerland.
What to do to get the statuse protection S in Switzerland?
We recommend all persons seeking protection who are already in Switzerland but have not yet registered to apply online via the web portal.RegisterMeand make an appointment for registration.
This also applies to people who already live in a cantonal home or with private individuals. For those who do not yet have accommodation in Switzerland, accommodation will be arranged.
The State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) transfers you to one of the 26 Swiss cantons.
This canton is responsible for your accommodation and support - or for expulsion if temporary protection has been refused.
The task of the canton on which you depend also includes, if necessary, the granting of social assistance which covers the essential needs of daily life in Switzerland.
What to do to get the statuse protection S in Switzerland?
We recommend all persons seeking protection who are already in Switzerland but have not yet registered to apply online via the web portal.RegisterMeand make an appointment for registration.
The State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) transfers you to one of the 26 Swiss cantons.
This canton is responsible for your accommodation and support - or for expulsion if temporary protection has been refused.
The task of the canton on which you depend also includes, if necessary, the granting of social assistance which covers the essential needs of daily life in Switzerland.
What to do to get the statuse protection S in Switzerland?
We recommend all persons seeking protection who are already in Switzerland but have not yet registered to apply online via the web portal.RegisterMeand make an appointment for registration.
This also applies to people who already live in a cantonal home or with private individuals. For those who do not yet have accommodation in Switzerland, accommodation will be arranged.