The Netherlands will end temporary protection for some people who fled the war in Ukraine

The Netherlands has announced the cancellation of temporary protection for some foreigners who were previously in Ukraine and left the country after the start of the war. Find out which category of citizens is affected and what to do to avoid violating migration rules

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From 4 September 2025, the Netherlands will stop providing temporary protection to a certain category of foreigners who left Ukraine after the start of the full-scale war. This does not apply to Ukrainian citizens, but to foreigners who were in Ukraine on the basis of a temporary residence permit, for example, on a student or work visa.

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Who will lose temporary protection

Approximately 1,000 people will be affected by the cancellation and will receive official notification from the Dutch Immigration Service (IND) next week. Previously, they had the right to legally reside in the country, work and use municipal services thanks to a temporary ‘freeze’ on their immigration status.

However, the Dutch Council of State has confirmed that temporary protection for this group may be terminated on the basis of a European Court of Justice ruling. This means that the country is legally entitled to withdraw protection status from this category of persons.

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What does this mean in practice

From 4 September 2025, foreigners who fall under this decision are required to leave the Netherlands within four weeks if:

▪️ they do not have a valid residence permit;

▪️ they are not in the asylum procedure;

▪️ they have not submitted a new application for another type of permit before 4 September.

If a person appeals against the return decision, they may remain in the Netherlands until the court decision is made. In that case, temporary protection will continue even after 4 September.

Important: if you or your friends are not citizens of Ukraine but were in the country on a temporary permit and left for the Netherlands after the war started, check your status. If necessary, apply for another type of legalisation before 4 September.

Reminder! We wrote that the Netherlands is seeing an influx of Ukrainians arriving from Germany, Poland and other EU countries. Find out why the government has launched an investigation, what is causing suspicion and what changes are expected in the reception policy.

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