Ukrainian men of draft age will have the opportunity to remain in the EU: European Commission explains changes until 2027

Ukrainians who have received temporary protection in the European Union will be able to remain there legally. This also applies to men of military age – their status will remain valid until March 2027.

The European Commission reported that the temporary protection mechanism applies to all Ukrainian refugees without exception. European Commission spokesman Markus Lammert noted that the current regulations do not contain any gender or age restrictions for persons who have received such status. Thus, men of military age have the same rights as other Ukrainians in the EU.

This status gives Ukrainians the opportunity to work legally, receive healthcare and social assistance, and study in the countries of the European Union.

The European Commission also emphasized that the current rules will remain in force at least until March 2027, and there are no plans to revise them in the near future.

According to data, by 2026, about 4.35 million Ukrainians will have used the temporary protection status. Compared to the end of 2025, this number has increased by almost 25 thousand people.

The majority of Ukrainian citizens with this status currently live in Germany, Poland, and the Czech Republic, which remain the main countries for Ukrainian refugees.

It is worth noting that Ukrainians who received temporary protection after the start of the full-scale war will not have an automatic right to permanent residence in the EU after the end of this mechanism in March 2027. After that, they will need to switch to national principles for legal residence.