Ukraine: Information for refugee citizens living in Portugal

If you have come to Portugal from Ukraine due to the conflict situation in the country, you can apply for a Temporary Protection Title, which includes a temporary residence permit.

Through this title, you will also have access to various services and benefits in terms of health care, work, education, among others.

On this page you will find the following information and support available in Portugal for Ukrainian citizens:

• Healthcare in Portugal
  

• Working in Portugal
  

• Education and equivalence of academic degrees
  

• Learning Portuguese
  

• Driving licenses
  

• Free mobile communication services
  

• Other issues (associations, volunteering, offering help, etc.).

Healthcare in Portugal

The application for Temporary Protection automatically grants the National Health Service (SNS) User Number, which gives access to all basic health services, in the public system. Any person registered with the SNS can go to a hospital or health center, having to pay, at most, a moderator fee (which varies according to the care provided).

After settling in Portugal, you should contact the health center in your new area of residence within 14 days to register yourself and your family. In this way, you can keep track of your previous health situation and access the National Vaccination Program (PNV) and the COVID-19 vaccination.

Tests and COVID-19 Digital Certificate

Upon arrival in Portugal, you may need to be tested for COVID-19 if you do not bring your proof of test or certificate of full vaccination. Vaccination against COVID-19 is recommended in Portugal.

Vaccination in the context of temporary protection

It is recommended that people arriving from Ukraine have their vaccination booklet with them. If the booklet is not up to date, the vaccination schedules will be adapted to those recommended in Portugal, especially vaccination against measles, polio and tuberculosis.

Child and Youth Follow-up Consultation

The SNS will provide a consultation to accompany young people and children arriving from Ukraine, which will operate at Dona Estefânia Hospital on weekdays. Translation service is guaranteed.

The appointment for triage should be made through the hotline 967 059 865. During the triage, which takes place in the morning, the appointment will be scheduled in the afternoon. After an initial clinical observation, children and youth will be referred for specific treatment or follow-up appointments, according to their needs.

Working in Portugal

The Institute of Employment and Professional Training (IEFP) has created the “Portugal for Ukraine” platform, where companies can post job opportunities and the professional profiles they are looking for. Currently, thousands of job proposals have already been uploaded.

IEFP has also created a working group dedicated to communicating these job offers to the Ukrainian community and international websites.

They will also monitor people in a personalized way to support their integration into the labor market and inform them about existing hiring and training programs (including Portuguese language courses).

For more information about tax obligations and contributions, see the page “Migrants: taxes and social security in Portugal”.

Contact Center in Ukrainian

IEFP has a contact center available in Ukrainian (+351 215 803 470), operating every working day from 9 am to 5 pm. The phone line helps Ukrainian citizens who are looking for a job to apply for offers.

On the IEFP portal you can find the list of updated job opportunities, to which you can apply through the contact center. You just need to indicate the ID (identification code) of the offer and IEFP makes the articulation with the employer.

A form (available in Portuguese, English and Ukrainian) has also been made available on the IEFP portal, where displaced citizens from Ukraine can make a job application, attaching their resume.

Countryside employment

The IEFP also gives financial support to those who decide to work in Portugal, in the Interior territories, through the “Emprego Interior Mais” program. The applications are made on the iefponline portal.

The fixed amount will be 2,659.20 euros (6x the value of the Social Support Index – IAS in 2022), to which you can add 20% for each member of the family, with a limit of 1,329.60 euros (3x the value of the IAS).

See all the information, including conditions and the support payments, in the iefponline portal.

Recognition of professional qualifications

In the context of the situation in Ukraine, a simplification of the recognition of professional qualifications has been adopted, with a waiver of the requirements provided by law.

If you want to practice a regulated profession, you should contact the competent authority to clarify the conditions necessary for professional practice. You can find the list of competent authorities and their contact details on the Direção-Geral do Emprego e das Relações do Trabalho (DGERT) portal.

EDUCATION AND EQUIVALENCE OF ACADEMIC DEGREES

In Portugal, pre-school education is optional and is for children between the ages of 3 and 6. Primary education (from 1st to 9th grade) and secondary education (from 10th to 12th grade) are universal, compulsory, and free of charge.

All foreign children and young people between the ages of 6 and 18 have access to the Portuguese public education system, whether they are legalized or not, and enjoy the same rights as nationals.

You can ask for support at any Local Center of Support for the Integration of Migrants (CLAIM).

Learn about the extraordinary measures being adopted for the reception of minors in Portuguese schools.

Higher Education

The status of student in emergency for humanitarian reasons has been applied to those who wish to complete their education in Portuguese higher education. There is also provision for the award of scholarships by the Portuguese State to cover tuition fees and means of subsistence.

Applications should be submitted directly to higher education institutions or through platforms that aggregate supply and demand. See all the information on the Direção Geral do Ensino Superior (DGES) portal, available in Portuguese, English and Ukrainian.

Equivalence of academic degrees

The request for recognition of higher education degrees and diplomas awarded by foreign higher education institutions is made exclusively online, by filling in a form.

In an emergency situation for humanitarian reasons, there is the possibility of waiving the delivery of diplomas, certificates and other academic documentation necessary for the recognition of foreign academic degrees and diplomas.

More information is available on the DGES website.

Learning Portuguese

If you want to learn the Portuguese language, search for search for available training in the Qualifica centres network, on the Training Offer website (Portal de Oferta Formativa) or refer to the list of schools that offer Portuguese as a host language.

You can ask the Portuguese Language Learning Promotion Office for support through the following contacts:

Email – glpt@acm.gov.pt
The Migrant Helpline (with Telephone Translation Service, in Ukrainian), on +351 218 106 191 (mobile and foreign network) or 808 257 257 (fixed-line network in Portugal), workdays, Monday to Friday, between 9am and 8pm, and Saturdays, from 9am to 5pm.

You can also contact any Local Centre of Support for the Integration of Migrants (CLAIM), asking for help to search for course offers.

The IEFP has also created classes for professional training courses in Portuguese as the host language. See the information about the 117 courses available at the 24 training centers throughout the country.

Driving licenses

You can drive in Portugal on your foreign driving permit for 185 days after you enter Portugal and before you get the temporary protection residence permit.

After obtaining temporary protection, you may drive for up to 90 days with the foreign driving permit, but you must apply to exchange your driving permit for a Portuguese driving license.

You do not need to present proof of the authenticity of your license, or take theoretical and practical tests. You are also exempt from paying the associated fees.

For more information about driving licenses and driver’s certificates, see the website of the Institute of Mobility and Transport (IMT).

Source: e-Portugal

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Information updated on June 22, 2022 .