Ukrainians in Spain

This section is for Ukrainians who already live in Spain or plan to move there: legal status and documents, work, taxes, social benefits and a bank account. We will add city guides gradually; the task menu shows only pages that are ready.

# Just arrived

1. Get your legal status. If you left Ukraine because of the war, apply for temporary protection. You receive a receipt with your NIE number on the day you apply, and the decision is made within 24 hours.
2. Get your TIE card. Within one month of the decision, book a police appointment and apply in person for your foreigner’s identity card (TIE).
3. Register at your address (padrón). Registration with the municipality is mandatory for everyone who lives in Spain. Read about it and other documents on the page Documents for living in Spain.
4. Open a bank account. Legal residence gives you the right to a basic bank account with a fee of no more than €3 a month.
5. If you have no money, ask for support: the reception system helps people under temporary protection who have no means.

# Already living in Spain

• How temporary protection has been extended and what happens to the TIE card is explained on the pages about temporary protection and about the TIE.
• If you live in Spain without legal status or are thinking of moving from temporary protection to another permit, start with the page about arraigo.
• A comparison of all grounds for staying in Spain is on the page Legal status in Spain.

# Working in Spain or earning income in Ukraine

Your right to work in Spain comes from the decision on your status: temporary protection allows you to work from age 16, both as an employee and as a self-employed person. How to look for work and what an employment contract must contain is covered on the page Work in Spain. Anyone who spends more than 183 days in a calendar year in Spain, or whose main economic or family interests are here, becomes a tax resident and declares Ukrainian income here as well: see the page Taxes in Spain.

For the affairs you still have in Ukraine, you will need our general guides:

• Transfers from abroad to an individual: limits and financial monitoring
• Sole trader (FOP) abroad: taxes and residency
• Wise in Ukraine: transfers, exchange rate and fees (in Ukrainian)
• Today’s National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) euro rate

# What has changed in the rules

• On 30 July 2026 the EU extended temporary protection until 4 March 2028. From 5 August 2026, anyone who did not yet have temporary protection in Spain on 4 August confirms that they have fulfilled their military obligations in Ukraine or are exempt from them, if they have such obligations.
• On 30 June 2026 the acceptance of applications for the extraordinary regularization ended. It did not apply to holders of temporary protection.
• On 16 April 2026 the Regulation allowed holders of temporary protection to apply from within Spain for arraigo and some other permits. There is no official clarification of how this rule fits with other requirements; see the page about arraigo for details.
• On 20 May 2025 the new Regulation on Foreigners came into force.

We cover each change in more detail on the page Legal status in Spain.