Portugal: Information for stateless people and those at
risk of statelessness fleeing Ukraine
ENS Focal Point: Portuguese Refugee Council
Last updated: 2 June 2022
This briefing provides country-specific information for stateless people and those at risk of statelessness
fleeing Ukraine. It is intended as a source of information for refugee response actors and affected
individuals. The focus is on stateless people and people at risk of statelessness, including those who are
undocumented. Links to more general information for refugees from Ukraine are provided throughout. We
will endeavour to keep this information updated. Please contact Ukraine.crisis@statelessness.eu if you
have relevant updates. Unless otherwise shown, the source of information provided is the ENS Focal Point.
1. ENTRY REQUIREMENTS & REGISTRATION
Specific information regarding stateless persons is not available. Entry without a passport or an Emergency
Travel Document in Portugal may be possible but cannot be guaranteed. People who had international
protection or another residence permit in Ukraine, as well as their family members, may travel directly to
Portugal. For that purpose, people who do not have a biometric passport should request that a Portuguese
embassy exceptionally issues an emergency travel document (“Título de Viagem Única” or “TVU”) so they can
travel directly to Portugal, although there is no information on how this is implemented in practice. People
who wish to apply for protection in Portugal from abroad can express an interest by filling out an online form
(in English, but also available in Portuguese and Ukrainian). In the form, it is possible to specify that the person
is undocumented.
The European Commission confirms that a lack of travel documents or medical documents (certificate of
vaccination, COVID-19 test) should not be an obstacle to entering the EU throughout the Ukraine crisis.
For more information on travelling to Portugal from Ukraine, see the High Commissioner for Migration’s
webpage on Ukraine, the FAQ prepared by the Portuguese government in English, Ukrainian and Portuguese
(the Portuguese version is usually more complete and up to date) and the Portuguese Communities Portal.
Documents
required
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Entry and
registration
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Documents
issued
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Entry status
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Systematic border checks are not being performed at land borders
Stateless and undocumented persons: unclear, no specific information on stateless
persons; may express interest to apply for protection even without documents
Adults: biometric passport or Emergency Travel Document, but it may be possible to
enter and register even without these documents
Children: no specific information regarding children without a biometric passport
and/or not registered on a parent’s passport
Stateless and undocumented persons: entry without a passport or an Emergency Travel
Document may be possible by land but cannot be guaranteed; specific information
regarding stateless persons is not available
Beneficiaries of international protection: no automatic recognition of international
protection granted in Ukraine; may enter and apply for temporary protection,
respecting the eligibility conditions
Unaccompanied children: entry is permitted; border police must be informed to refer
the child to competent child protection authorities; people caring for a child that is not
accompanied by family members should fill out this form to inform the authorities
Applicants for temporary protection: certificate of application
Applicants for international protection: certificate of application that validates the stay
in Portugal while the procedure is pending
Visitor under Schengen rules, temporary protection or asylum-seeker