Neighbourly help for refugees from Ukraine

Displaced persons who wish to stay in Austria must register with the police registration offices.

Displaced persons from the Ukraine seeking help and who want to stay in Upper Austria receive the residence permit "ID card for displaced persons" (which is not issued or delivered by the police). Prompt registration at the registration office is required to receive the ID card.

Accessibility of the registration office:

• Wels:
  Dragonerstraße 29, 4600 Wels
  Monday from 08:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

   

Mobile registration
The LPD Upper Austria has a mobile registration system for the primary registration of people who, due to their physical condition, are unable to visit one of the registration offices mentioned above. Reachability:  +43 664 88 22 98 30

You can find all registration points with addresses, opening hours and telephone availability as well as FAQs on the website of the State Police Headquarters Upper Austria:

Ukrainian nationals and other persons temporarily residing in Austria since the beginning of the war on February 24th 2022 have a health insurance at the Austrian Health Insurance Center (ÖGK) from the first day onwards of their arrival on the Federal Austrian territory.

Please pay attention to the fact that the required registration for health insurance only takes place automatically if the person concerned benefits from basic allowance.

Displaced persons will receive an insurance number and an e-card replacement document, but no e-card. The insurance numbers are issued as part of the registration of Ukrainian refugees.

If the registration has not been performed yet, one can still benefit from services (doctor, pharmacy, etc.) upon presentation of the Ukrainian passport.

We kindly invite you to attend one of the various German courses for Ukrainians in Upper Austria. Taking part there might help you to get better along in Upper Austria and could increase your chances on the labor market. The Upper Austrian State Government offers low-threshold courses for newly arrived Ukrainians with the title “Hallo in Oberösterreich” (“Hello in Upper Austria”) in all districts.

 +43 1 267 870 9460
In case of emergency the line is available 24 hours a day.

Ukrainian-speaking employees of the ÖIF  answer all questions about care, orientation, living and working in Austria on the hotline  +43 1 715 10 51 - 120 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m and also give information about the responsible authorities for your issues.

 +43 732 7720 16200
Monday to Thursday from 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m
Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m

Through the initiative of Ukrainians, this offer has come to life. On the one hand, the meeting centre serves networking and exchange among each other. On the other hand, the courses offered build up skills to cope with the activities of daily life (German course, learning support, child care, etc...).

The IVO project supports people displaced by war from Ukraine in starting an independent life in Austria by providing comprehensive integration counselling from the time of accommodation. How do I find a flat? What social legal claims do I have? How does the Austrian health system work? What training opportunities do I have?

Integration counselling within the framework of the IVO project is holistic and offers support in contacting authorities, finding housing, arranging qualification measures and provides orientation by informing in detail about the Austrian social, health and education system. Taking into account people's different preconditions and needs, an individual integration plan is drawn up. The IVO project also sees itself as a hub and refers the clients to the respective agencies if necessary.

The following groups of persons have a right of residence in Austria until March 3, 2023.

• Ukrainian citizens and their core family members who left Ukraine due to the armed conflict
• Third-country nationals and stateless persons with protection status in Ukraine (e.g. asylum seekers) and their core family members who have left Ukraine due to the armed conflict
• Ukrainian citizens who have already been legally resident in Austria before the outbreak of the armed conflict and cannot return to their place of residence

This right of residence allows access to the labor market, housing, medical care and education. This requires registration as a displaced person.

Note: The persons for whom the Regulation for displaced persons applies do not need to request asylum. The BFA (Federal Office for Immigration and Asylum) does not process any asylum applications for the duration of residence entitlement as a displaced person.

Displaced persons fall within the scope of the general obligation to register and must therefore report their residence to the respective local authority or municipal administration within three days from settling into the accommodation (in the basic care facility or at the private accommodation provider).

In case you are moving out again of your accommodation, you have to unsubscribe or to register your change in address.

In case of questions and lack of clarity please contact your responsible local welfare office (where you applied for basic care) or the authorized governmental office.

• Volkshilfe in Upper Austria
   +43 732 34 05
   office@volkshilfe-ooe.at

• Caritas in Upper Austria
   +43 732 7610 2020
   information@caritas-ooe.at

Persons who have been granted a temporary right of residence are entitled to an allowance for their children who have also been granted this right of residence.

Ukrainian displaced persons who have registered have the right to work in all industry sectors in Austria.

The AMS supports all persons with a valid ID card for displaced persons with adequate offers such as German courses, competence surveys and qualifications in the view of the labor market integration and actively offers job placement for open positions.

Please take your blue identity card for displaced persons with you when coming to the AMS.

In order to receive ongoing financial benefits from the basic care system, it is necessary to pay an effort on the job market. This means that no report at the AMS is required to receive the first payment of basic care, but after that, it is necessary for YOU to register at the AMS in order to continue receiving financial benefits from the basic care system.

School-age children, people over the age of 60, women with care responsibilities for small children and sick or disabled people who are unable to work due to the illness/impairment are exempt from the duty. All these people do not have to report to the AMS.

Note: Income that you receive as a result of taking up work can reduce your benefit from basic care services. The tax-free allowance for basic care is 110 Euros per month per working person plus 80 Euros for each core family member (partners, spouses and minors).

From January 2023, displaced persons from Ukraine will additionally receive a supplementary allowance on earned income. After deducting the previous allowance, 35 % of their net family/income remains as an additional allowance. The rest (65 %) can reduce the basic benefits.

Example: A UA family with 3 members and a family income of 1,000 Euros has 270 Euros basic allowance and 256 Euros as additional allowance. The remaining 474 euros are offset against the basic benefits. The exact calculation depends on several factors and requires the submission of proof of income to the competent regional office of Caritas or Volkshilfe (where basic welfare benefits were applied for).

The granted basic care payments expire when you leave the federal territory. It can of course be granted again when you return. You are nevertheless obliged to report any changes to the welfare office.

Apart from that, the status as a displaced person also expires if the stay abroad lasts more than “a short time”. The ID card as a displaced person must be returned when the absence lasts three weeks or longer. You can apply again for the status as a displaced person after your return.

Note that such a temporary return with reference to the compulsory schooling outside of the holidays is hardly possible for school-age children.

In any case, you are obliged to register school-age children (6 - 15 years) by the end of the school year in your municipality of residence or to apply for a school place in autumn 2022. Every school-age child has the right to obtain a school place in Austria from autumn 2022 on.

For access to preschool, please contact your local municipality.

Once you have taken care of the basic care benefits, it is recommended to take your pet to a veterinarian and have the animal tagged and vaccinated against rabies, if this has not already been done at the EU's external border.

Below you will find some information about dog ownership.