This article can be read in Ukrainian here.
AS RUSSIA’S WAR on Ukraine continues, Ireland has been welcoming those fleeing the country, providing accommodation and other supports.
More than 12,000 Ukrainian refugees have come to Ireland since the beginning of Russia’s invasion, and tens of thousands more are expected in the coming weeks.
As well as accommodation, Ireland is providing Ukrainians with access to healthcare, social welfare payments, education and employment.
If you’ve recently arrived in Ireland from Ukraine or are planning to come here, here’s what you need to know:
Do I need to apply for a visa before I come to Ireland?
If you are a Ukrainian citizen, you do not need a visa to travel to Ireland.
You will need some form of identification. If you do not have a current passport, you can use another form of identification such as a national ID card, a birth certificate or an expired passport.
The Irish government has asked airlines to accept these documents and have requested that boarding is not refused to anyone without first contacting immigration authorities in Ireland.
When you arrive, you will receive what’s known as ‘Temporary Protection’. This means you have the right to stay in Ireland or another European Union country for at least a year and you can work, receive social welfare, healthcare and education.
If you are already in Ireland and have not received your Temporary Protection letter, you can get one at the Ukraine Support Centre in Dublin.
If you are travelling with a family member, partner or friend who is not a Ukrainian citizen, they may need a visa to come to Ireland.
You can find more detail on visas here.
Do I need a Covid test or proof of vaccination?
No, all Covid travel restrictions in Ireland have been lifted, so you will not be asked for proof of vaccination and you will not need to have a test before you arrive.
There are no testing or quarantine requirements when you arrive in Ireland.
What happens when I arrive at a port or airport?
At the airport/port you will be able to register for Temporary Protection, which will allow you to remain in Ireland and access State services and supports.
You should present as normal to an immigration officer who will ask you some basic questions about your needs. They will ask you for identification documents, such as those listed above (passport, ID card, birth certificate etc).
You will be given be given a letter confirming you have been granted Temporary Protection under Section 60 of the International Protection Act, the Temporary Protection Directive (2001/55/EC) and Council Implementing Decision (EU) 2022/382 of 4 March 2022.
If you arrive at Dublin Airport, you can also engage with staff from the Department of Social Protection (social welfare) to get a Personal Public Service Number (PPSN), a unique reference number that helps you access social welfare benefits, public services and information in Ireland.
An information note will also be provided to inform you of the services available to you.
Some points of entry, such as Dublin Airport, will have a reception area that has been specially designated for Ukrainian refugees. These spaces are set up with toys for children as well as quiet areas, so you will have somewhere to rest while officials make arrangements for you.
Where will I stay when I leave the airport/port?
If you are meeting family or friends who are already in Ireland and want to go stay with them you can do that.
However, if you are in need of accommodation when you present at the border, you should tell the immigration officer you need a place to stay.
Initially you will be accommodated in a hotel, but more long-term accommodation will be made available within two to three weeks, either in a vacant property or a spare room at someone’s home.
In the days after you leave the airport/port, you can access further information and support at a Ukraine Support Centre. These are currently available in three main cities:
The Irish Red Cross is running the official register of accommodation for Ukrainian refugees arriving in Ireland.
People living in Ireland can offer up an entire vacant property that they own, or spare rooms in their own home as part of a shared accommodation arrangement.
More than 22,000 pledges of accommodation have been offered already. Currently, the focus is on identifying appropriate vacant properties within the pledges. After that, the system will move to the shared accommodation and will match up newly arrived Ukrainians with homeowners in Ireland.
All of the pledged properties and spare rooms will be close to transport links and basic services. For shared accommodation, direct access to cooking facilities and a private bedroom will be ensured.
If you have children or other vulnerable person with you, police vetting of your host family will take place.
You may have seen some reports about Ukrainian refugees being housed in tents. The Irish Defence Forces have been building a large tented village in County Meath.
However, the government has said this will only be used as a last resort.
It is difficult to estimate exactly how many people will come to Ireland from Ukraine and the government is putting contingency plans in place to ensure they can manage larger numbers.
Those who have already arrived and those arriving in the coming weeks will either be accommodated in a vacant property or in the home of an Irish resident, not in a camp.
In the longer-term, if much larger numbers of refugees from Ukraine arrive in Ireland, alternative accommodation such as converted commercial properties, State-owned properties, arenas, conference centres, religious buildings and local authority community facilities may be used as housing.
The tented village also forms part of this longer-term plan. It will only be used if hotels and other facility spaces have run out.
The tents are being constructed on solid bases and they will have access to electricity and plumbing.
What about money?
Ukrainians who have come to Ireland are entitled to social welfare supports in Ireland, so you will be given a Personal Public Service Number (PPSN), a unique reference number that helps you access social welfare benefits, public services and information in Ireland.
This identifier contains seven digits with either two or three letters at the end.
You will be able to access social welfare income supports, including child benefit payments if you have children aged under 16 in your care.
If you did not receive a PPSN on arrival, you can go to your local Intreo Centre which is a single point of contact for all employment and income supports. Staff there will help you to apply for a PPSN. You are advised not to apply online as offices have taken special steps to process PPSN applications more quickly for Ukrainian arrivals.
To apply for a PPSN you will need a form of identification.
Financial support payments in the form of Supplementary Welfare Allowance will be paid to you weekly at a local post office – you will be given information about how and where to collect it. This will be paid in the national currency which is the Euro.
The maximum personal rate for an adult aged over 25 is €206. There is in increase to this of €138 for an adult dependent, such as a spouse, civil partner of cohabitant.
If you have a child aged under 12 you will get an additional €40 and if your child is over the age of 12 you will get an additional €48.
If you are aged between 18 and 26 the maximum personal rate is €117.70, with an increase of €117.70 for an adult dependent, such as a spouse, civil partner of cohabitant. People in this age group who have children qualify for the maximum personal rate of €206.
If you have children aged under 18 you are also entitled to child benefit (€140 per child), which you can collect on the first Tuesday of each month from your local post office.
A number of business in Ireland are offering free or discounted services to newly-arrived Ukrainians through the website Pryvit.ie. This includes hair appointments, cups of coffee at cafés, childcare places, yoga classes and tickets to events.
What if I need medical care?
You are entitled to access healthcare services from the State on the same basis as an Irish citizen.
This includes access to a general practitioner, hospital or emergency care and community care such as dental services and vaccinations.
You do not need to pay for these services, you will be entitled to apply for a medical card to access healthcare services for you and your children.
Other services such as disability, maternity, psychological support services will also be available, as well as care for older people.
You can find out more about health services here.
I’d like to find a job – what are my options?
You are entitled to seek employment, self-employment or vocational training education in Ireland.
If you need help compiling a new CV, practicing for interviews or professional networking, there is a mentoring programme you could use.
The organisation Going Far has been asking for volunteers in Ireland to mentor Ukrainian refugees, offering one hour of their time per week to provide this kind of support.
You can sign up for this mentoring programme here.
I’d like my children to go to school – how can I arrange that?
Your children aged under 18 will be supported to access public primary or post-primary education provided by the State.
In Ireland, children attend primary school from ages 4 or 5 until they are 12 or 13. Then they attend post-primary, which is referred to as ‘secondary school’, for five or six years.
In some areas children can travel to school on school buses. A new system is being put in place by the government to provide transport services for children arriving into Ireland from Ukraine. When this is arranged you will be able to apply for a school bus service.
You can approach any local school and seek information about a place for your child or children. A full list of schools is available here.
The Tusla Education Support Service can also help you find a school for your child.
I need to improve my own English – are there any supports available?
English and Irish (known as Gaeilge) are the official languages of Ireland, but English is the dominant language in the majority of areas across the country.
The sixteen Education and Training Boards (ETBs) across the country offer English language skills courses for adults. Additional classes are being added to serve Ukrainians arriving in Ireland. This is a free service.
You can find contact details for your local ETB here.
I want to make contact with other Ukrainians in Ireland – how can I do that?
Ukraine has an Embassy in Dublin and Larysa Gerasko is the Ambassador. If you need to contact the Embassy you’ll find details here.
There is also a very active Facebook group of Ukrainians in Ireland. They have already been supporting those arriving into Ireland, as well as organising demonstrations and protests in relation to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
If your question is not answered here, you’ll find more information (in multiple languages) on the Irish government website here.
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