Author
Travel documents can be issued to the beneficiaries of international protection and persons in need of complementary protection upon request. A travel document of a refugee (a person in need of complementary protection) is a document that certifies the identity of its holder and gives him/her the right to leave and enter Ukraine. The document is issued by the territorial body of the SMS at the place of residence of a person who has reached the age of sixteen.
The grounds for receiving a travel document are:
- a decision to grant refugee status (complementary protection) to a person in Ukraine;
- possession of a refugee certificate (complementary protection certificate).
The administrative fee for issuing a travel document is around €10. The term for issuing a travel document is 15 working days.[1] The document is issued for the period of validity of the refugee (complementary protection) certificate.[2]
A travel document is issued to provide international protection beneficiaries with a document for travelling which can be used instead of a national passport. It shall neither prejudice nor affect the nationality of the holders.[3]
In 2023, SMS issued 65 travel documents for refugee status beneficiaries and 107 travel documents for persons in need of complementary protection.
In practice, even before the war there were long waiting times for documents to be issued. During wartime, considering the interruption of the territorial bodies of the SMS work due to the hostilities and electricity interruption, there could be delays in travel document issuance, however, the demand for them remains high as well as a need for their quicker processing.[4]
Travel documents of beneficiaries of international protection issued in Ukraine are recognised by the majority of the EU Member States and Schengen Associated States. The up-to-date information on the recognition of travel documents may be found on the official website of the Council of the EU and the European Council.[5]
[1] Diia, Issuance and Exchange of a Refugee Travel Document, available in Ukrainian here; Diia, Issuance and Exchange of a Travel Document for a Person Granted Complementary Protection, available in Ukrainian here.
[2] Para. 16 Regulations on the Refugee Travel Document; para. 16, Regulations on the Travel Document of a Person in Need of Complementary Protection.
[3] R2P, International and equivalent national protection in Ukraine: features of documents and freedom of movement, available here.
[4] R2P & HIAS, Asylum Seekers and Refugees in Ukraine Addressing Protection Risks During Wartime, 05 April 2023, available here.
[5] European Council, Council of the EU, Recognised travel documents, available here.