The Czech Ministry of the Interior has issued an urgent reminder that holders of temporary-protection status from Ukraine must pick up a new visa sticker at an Interior Ministry branch by 30 September. Without the physical sticker—valid until 31 March 2027— the electronic spring-time online registration lapses at midnight on 1 October, automatically terminating the individual’s temporary-protection status. Losing the status has immediate and far-reaching consequences. Affected Ukrainians will no longer have free access to the Czech labour market, their public health-insurance entitlement will cease, and the continuity of residence—which is vital for later transitions to long-term permits—will be broken. The ministry stresses that even applicants who have already lodged requests for the new Special Long-Term Residence Permit (ZDP) must still collect the sticker; otherwise, they risk disqualification from that pathway because the ZDP requires an unbroken period of temporary protection. Interior-ministry booking slots are scarce as the deadline approaches. Officials warn against cancelling existing appointments in the hope of finding a more convenient time; doing so forfeits the guaranteed place and, given capacity constraints, a new slot may not appear before the cut-off. Applicants who miss an appointment for a serious reason are advised to re-check the online portal after 48 hours for any released slots. For employers, the lapse could create sudden skills gaps: once protection ends, affected workers revert to third-country status and need a work permit or employee card before they can legally continue. HR teams are therefore scrambling to verify that Ukrainian staff have obtained the sticker and to adjust payroll systems so public-insurance coverage remains uninterrupted. Recruitment agencies report a surge in last-minute rescheduling of shifts for the first week of October. Companies relying on seasonal staff in logistics, agriculture and hospitality could be hit hardest. Practically, the ministry advises refugees to: 1) check passports for the new sticker; 2) confirm appointment details in the IPC online account; and 3) update health-insurance records once the sticker is issued. Community NGOs have extended opening hours this weekend to help with translations and form-filling. Failure to act in time means that from Sunday night onward, thousands risk falling into irregular-status limbo, with all the attendant difficulties of regaining a legal foothold.
Source: OBOZ.UA
