Austria extends temporary protection for Ukrainians to March 2028 and restores access to family and childcare allowances

Austria has prolonged the temporary protection regime for people displaced by Russia’s war against Ukraine until 4 March 2028, according to an update published yesterday on the federal e-government portal oesterreich.gv.at. The extension automatically renews the ‘Aufenthaltsberechtigung § 62 AsylG’ (blue card) held by some 88,000 Ukrainians currently living in Austria and means card-holders do not need to file a separate residence application for the next 17 months. In parallel, the government reversed a controversial rule that had required Ukrainian beneficiaries to be employed or registered with the labour market service (AMS) before qualifying for family allowance (Familienbeihilfe) and childcare allowance (Kinderbetreuungsgeld). As of 1 July 2026 – retroactively applied – these social benefits once again hinge only on the standard eligibility criteria that apply to other residents. Parents of children with severe disabilities are explicitly exempt from any additional conditions. For employers the decision removes an administrative hurdle: Ukrainian employees on local contracts will no longer need to furnish AMS registration proof when applying for family benefits, reducing HR workload and helping companies meet diversity-support goals. It also offers welcome legal clarity for assignees who switch from temporary protection to the highly-skilled ‘Red-White-Red Card plus’ – an option open since October 2024. Payroll teams should nonetheless verify social-security classifications, as displaced persons whose health-insurance coverage lapsed on 31 May 2025 still need to re-enter the system via employment, self-insurance or basic-care status. The portal update also reminds Ukrainian car owners that the grace period for vehicles with Ukrainian licence plates ends on 30 May 2027. After that date, standard Austrian registration, taxes and technical inspections will apply – an important note for mobility managers providing company cars. With the EU-wide Temporary Protection Directive likely to be renewed again next year, Vienna’s early move gives businesses and displaced families planning certainty and signals political commitment to labour-market integration.