Switzerland Extends Protection Status S Until 2028: What Changes for Ukrainians?

On 19 August 2026, the Swiss Federal Council announced an important decision concerning Ukrainian nationals and other persons seeking protection from Ukraine: Switzerland will maintain Protection Status S until at least 4 March 2028. At the same time, Switzerland is introducing additional restrictions on access to Status S for new applicants from 20 August 2026. The decision provides greater certainty for people who are already living in Switzerland under Status S, but it also marks a gradual change in Switzerland's approach to temporary protection. In particular, eligibility for new applicants is becoming more restrictive, while the first beneficiaries of Status S are approaching an important five-year residence threshold.

What is Protection Status S in Switzerland?

Protection Status S is a temporary protection mechanism under Swiss asylum law. It allows people belonging to a designated group to obtain protection in Switzerland without having to go through an ordinary individual asylum procedure.

Switzerland activated Status S for people fleeing Ukraine in March 2022 following the outbreak of the war.

The status provides its beneficiaries with a right to reside in Switzerland and access to various rights and support measures, including access to the labour market, schooling for children and integration measures.

Unlike an ordinary Swiss residence permit, however, Status S is fundamentally linked to the need for temporary protection. It is therefore important to distinguish Status S from residence rights granted under the ordinary immigration system.

Status S will remain in place until at least 4 March 2028

The Federal Council has decided that Protection Status S will not be lifted before 4 March 2028.

According to the Federal Council, there is currently no prospect of a lasting ceasefire or sustainable stabilisation of the situation in Ukraine in the short or medium term.

The continuation of Status S is intended to provide greater legal and practical certainty not only for people seeking protection, but also for the cantons, municipalities and employers in Switzerland.

However, the Federal Council may reassess the situation if conditions in Ukraine improve sustainably before that date.

New restrictions apply from 20 August 2026

The continuation of Status S does not mean that the eligibility rules will remain unchanged.

From 20 August 2026, Switzerland is introducing an additional restriction for new applications.

Protection Status S will only be granted to persons who comply with any military obligations applicable to them under Ukrainian law.

This restriction is particularly relevant to Ukrainian nationals of military-service age, persons on reserve lists and persons who have voluntarily joined the Ukrainian armed forces.

Importantly, this new rule applies to new applications submitted from 20 August 2026 onwards.

It does not affect people who have already been granted Protection Status S in Switzerland.

Switzerland had already restricted access to Status S in 2025

The new measure is part of a broader development towards more restrictive eligibility for new Status S applications.

Since November 2025, following the implementation of the Friedli motion, Switzerland has already restricted access to Status S according to the applicant's last place of residence in Ukraine.

As a result, the Swiss authorities distinguish between regions where a return is considered reasonable and regions that are occupied or affected by active conflict.

Consequently, Ukrainian nationality alone should no longer be understood as automatically sufficient for a new applicant to obtain Protection Status S in Switzerland.

Each person's circumstances and eligibility must be examined under the rules applicable at the time the application is submitted.

What happens to people who already have Status S?

For people who have already been granted Protection Status S, the Federal Council's decision provides considerable short-term stability.

Existing Status S holders are not affected by the new military-obligation restriction introduced on 20 August 2026.

Furthermore, the federal government will continue Programme S until 4 March 2028. Through this programme, the Confederation contributes to cantonal integration measures, particularly language learning, education and access to employment.

The continuation of the programme is significant because many Status S holders are no longer in a purely temporary phase of residence. Some have now lived, worked and studied in Switzerland for several years.

This leads to another important development beginning in 2027.

Five years in Switzerland: the transition to a B permit

March 2027 will mark five years since Switzerland first activated Protection Status S.

Under the Swiss Asylum Act, persons in need of protection who have resided in Switzerland for five years are entitled to receive a B residence permit linked to Protection Status S.

This point requires an important clarification.

Receiving this B permit does not necessarily mean that the person's residence has become independent of Status S.

The permit remains linked to the temporary protection regime. If Protection Status S is subsequently lifted, the B permit connected to that status will also cease to be valid.

These permits are issued by the competent cantonal authorities and do not require prior approval from the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM).

For people who arrived in Switzerland in 2022, the five-year threshold may therefore become highly relevant from 2027 onwards.

Is it possible to obtain a residence permit independent of Status S?

In certain circumstances, yes.

Swiss asylum law provides a separate possibility for persons in need of protection to apply for a residence permit on the basis of a serious case of personal hardship.

Such an application is fundamentally different from the B permit automatically linked to Status S after five years.

A hardship residence permit, if granted, may provide a residence status that is independent of the continuation of Protection Status S.

However, such a permit is not automatic simply because a person has lived in Switzerland for several years.

The competent authorities must examine the individual circumstances of the case and determine whether the legal requirements for a hardship permit are satisfied. The canton may grant such an authorisation subject to the approval of the SEM.

Factors such as the duration of residence, integration, family circumstances, professional situation and the overall individual situation may therefore become particularly important.

What does the Federal Council's decision mean in practice?

The decision of 19 August 2026 creates two developments that may initially appear contradictory.

For people who already hold Status S, Switzerland is providing greater stability by extending the protection regime until March 2028 and maintaining integration measures.

For new applicants, however, access to Status S is becoming progressively more restrictive.

At the same time, Switzerland is entering a new phase in the Status S regime. From 2027 onwards, questions will increasingly concern not only access to temporary protection, but also the longer-term residence situation of people who have spent five years or more in Switzerland.

For Status S holders who have developed strong professional, family and social ties to Switzerland, it may therefore become increasingly important to understand the difference between remaining under the temporary protection system and potentially qualifying for another form of residence under Swiss law.

Do you hold Protection Status S and want to understand your residence options?

The consequences of the five-year residence threshold and the possibility of obtaining a residence permit independent of Status S depend on the individual circumstances of each case.

At Boundless Consultancy, we advise individuals on Swiss residence permits, changes of immigration status and complex residence situations.

If you currently hold Protection Status S and would like to assess your longer-term residence options in Switzerland, you can contact us for an individual assessment.

This article provides general information on Swiss immigration law and does not constitute legal advice. Individual cases must be assessed according to their specific circumstances and the law and administrative practice applicable at the relevant time.