Asylum and temporary protection
You understand who can apply for protection, what rights you have, how long temporary protection lasts and what may follow.
This topic covers the protection routes into Spain: asylum and international protection, your rights while a claim is pending, and EU temporary protection for Ukrainians and others. It also explains how these routes differ from visa routes. They run through different authorities and give you…
Pick the article that fits your situation
How asylum works in Spain and who can apply
Explains the kinds of protection Spain offers, who can apply, where to apply and how the procedure runs, with realistic timing. Written for anyone in Spain or at its borders who fears returning to their country.
Your rights while an asylum claim is pending in Spain
What you can use while your asylum claim is pending in Spain: your document, reception housing, work, healthcare and travel. For people who have applied or are about to apply for international protection.
Temporary protection in Spain, who qualifies and how long it lasts
Explains who can get EU temporary protection in Spain after leaving Ukraine, how to apply, what it gives you and when it ends. For people displaced from Ukraine who are in Spain or about to apply.
What can follow temporary protection in Spain
Temporary protection in Spain is not permanent, but you have several ways to move to another status. This page is for people displaced from Ukraine who want to plan for the end of protection or choose a different status sooner.
Asylum, temporary protection or a visa, which situation are you in?
Helps you pick the right route before you file: temporary protection, individual asylum, a residence route on humanitarian or arraigo grounds, or a visa from abroad. Written for people fleeing danger or displaced who are in Spain or trying to reach it.
About this topic
It is for anyone considering, planning or carrying out a move to Spain. After reading, you will know who can apply for protection, what rights you have, how long temporary protection lasts and what may follow it.
Start with "Asylum, temporary protection or a visa, which situation are you in?". It helps you decide which framework fits you and where humanitarian routes sit. From there, move to the page that matches your situation:
- "How asylum works in Spain and who can apply"
- "Temporary protection in Spain, who qualifies and how long it lasts"
- "What can follow temporary protection in Spain"
Legal representation, regularisation through arraigo and family reunification are covered elsewhere.
Key rules
- Protection end date: Temporary protection for people displaced from Ukraine currently runs to 4 March 2027, and anything after that depends on a new EU decision.
- Right to work: You can work once 6 months have passed since you lodged your asylum application, when the renewed red card says it authorises work.
- Time to apply: If you entered Spain irregularly, you should apply for asylum within one month of arriving.
- Appeal deadlines: After a refusal you can ask for reconsideration within 1 month or appeal to the Audiencia Nacional within 2 months of the notification.
- In person: You must apply in person; Spain does not grant asylum visas from abroad.
- Red card: The red card is renewed every 6 months, by appointment, while your case is open.
Asylum and temporary protection: the whole process, step by step
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Decide whether asylum or temporary protection fits your situation: before you start
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Apply for asylum if you entered Spain irregularly: within one month of arriving
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Book an appointment (cita previa) and lodge the application with the police: as soon as you can; appointment delays do not count against you
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Attend the formal interview, with a lawyer and interpreter: at a second appointment after you formalise the application
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Wait for the decision to admit your case for processing and get your white card, then red card: usually within 1 month of the interview
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Renew your red card: every 6 months while your case is open
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Start work once the renewed red card authorises it: 6 months after you lodged your application
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Receive the decision on your asylum case: the legal maximum is 6 months from admission, but in practice often 1 to 2 years or more
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If refused, ask for reconsideration or appeal to the Audiencia Nacional: reconsideration within 1 month, appeal within 2 months of the notification
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If you hold temporary protection, keep it valid until the current end date: currently runs to 4 March 2027
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Plan what status could follow temporary protection: before 4 March 2027, as anything after that depends on a new EU decision
Documents you may need
Identity and residence
- Padrón registration — Your rights while an asylum claim is pending in Spain
Other documents
- White card — Your rights while an asylum claim is pending in Spain
- Proof from a doctor — Asylum, temporary protection or a visa, which situation are you in?
- Proof of registration at your town hall — Temporary protection in Spain, who qualifies and how long it lasts
- A convention travel document — Asylum, temporary protection or a visa, which situation are you in?
Asylum and temporary protection: questions that cross several articles
Can I apply for asylum while I hold temporary protection?
Yes, you can apply for asylum at any time while holding temporary protection, and applying does not automatically remove it. Usually you keep temporary protection while the claim is pending, and if asylum is granted, refugee status replaces it.
What happens to my status if asylum is refused?
If asylum is refused and you hold temporary protection, you can normally keep it while it remains in force. The Interior Ministry can also propose residence for humanitarian reasons, for example for serious illness, usually granted for 1 year. See "How asylum works in Spain and who can apply" and "Asylum, temporary protection or a visa, which situation are you in?".
How do I know whether asylum or temporary protection suits me?
Temporary protection is a quick collective status for people displaced from Ukraine, while asylum is assessed individually and takes much longer. Asylum can give 5-year cards and a travel document for refugees. Read "Asylum, temporary protection or a visa, which situation are you in?" first.
What happens when temporary protection ends?
When temporary protection ends, general asylum and immigration law applies again, so you would need another status to stay. It currently runs to 4 March 2027. Read "What can follow temporary protection in Spain" for the options.
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What to read next
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EU, EEA and Swiss citizens
You know which free-movement category you fall under, what you must be able to show, and where the rules are lighter or stricter than for visa routes.
Also in Immigration and residency
Need certainty before you act?
For important relocation decisions, speak with a qualified human specialist.
Always verify important information with the relevant official authority or a qualified adviser before acting. This website uses large language models together with various public data sources, official government documents and other established sources. Due to the amount of data on this website, some information might be wrong. Information may also be incomplete or outdated.