Switzerland will maintain S protection status for Ukrainians until March 4, 2028, however, from August 20, it is changing the conditions for new applicants. The restrictions will apply, in particular, to individuals subject to military obligations in Ukraine. Holders of S status will not lose it. This is reported by the Federal Council of Switzerland.
Who will have S status limited in Switzerland from August 20, 2026
The new rules will only apply to applications for S status submitted from August 20. Switzerland has decided to consider whether the applicant is fulfilling military obligations that apply to them in Ukraine.
This refers, in particular, to:
- Ukrainian citizens of conscription age;
- individuals in reserve;
- those who voluntarily joined the Armed Forces.
At the same time, this does not mean an automatic cancellation of S status for all Ukrainian men of the relevant age. The Federal Council speaks specifically about fulfilling military obligations and reviewing new applications. The changes do not apply to those who already have S status.
Moreover, from November 2025, Switzerland will already apply a territorial criterion. When reviewing new applications, SEM considers the region of Ukraine from which the person has arrived and whether returning there is deemed acceptable.
How long will Ukrainians have protection in Switzerland
The Federal Council has decided to extend S status until March 4, 2028, due to the lack of prospects for long-term stabilization of the situation in Ukraine. The authorities have also extended the special S Program for this period.
The Federal Government will allocate 3,000 Swiss francs per person annually to cantons for integration measures. The funds will be directed, in particular, to language learning, education, and assisting Ukrainians to enter the labor market.
What will change after five years of residence in Switzerland
In March 2027, the first Ukrainians with S status will have lived in the country for five years. After that, they will acquire the right to a B residence permit associated with S status. This will be issued by cantonal authorities without separate approval from SEM.
Such a permit does not mean obtaining independent permanent status. If S protection is canceled in the future, the associated B permit will also cease to be valid. Under certain conditions, one may separately apply for a residence permit based on special hardship provisions.
Thus, the main change from August 20 affects those Ukrainians who will only apply for protection. For those who have already obtained S status in Switzerland, the new restrictions regarding military obligations do not change their current status.
Note that the government of the Swiss canton of Zurich has approved a bill that changes social assistance rules for Ukrainians with S status who will obtain a residence permit.