Legal status and visa requirements for those who were forced to leave Ukraine
General information and legal support within Denmark
All EU countries bordering Ukraine are allowing entry to all people fleeing the war in Ukraine on humanitarian grounds regardless of whether they have a biometric passport. See more.
Ukrainian nationals are allowed to stay in Denmark for up to 90 days without a visa under existing immigration rules.
Refugee status/asylum seeker status/temporary protection status
Temporary protection is an exceptional device authorized by the decision of the Council of the European Union on March 4, 2022.
Since 16 March, Ukrainians have been able to apply for a temporary residence permit in Denmark, in accordance with the Act on Temporary Residence Permits for Persons Expelled from Ukraine (the “Special Act”). Opportunity to be issued a yellow health insurance certificate and be entitled to health services on an equal footing with others residing in Denmark.
To read the detailed instruction on how to apply for temporary protection for Ukrainian citizens in Ukrainian click here.
Migration consultation service Udlændingestyrelsen
Access to the healthcare services
The National Board of Health (Sundhedsstyrelsen) has prepared the booklet “You and your health”, which introduces Ukrainian refugees to the Danish health service, including access to a general practitioner, emergency department, medicine, dentist and more.
The booklet is available in Danish, English, Ukrainian, and Russian here: sst.dk/pdf
Ukrainians who have a residence permit under the Special Act are entitled to all benefits of the Health Act after registration in the Central Register of Persons (CPR) in Denmark.
It is then possible to have the yellow health card issued. The right to health benefits is granted on an equal footing with others residing in Denmark.
Where can the Ukrainians who were forced to leave Ukraine go for the following healthcare services?
The general information on medical care for Ukrainian refugees is available on the website: sst.dk/Krigen-i-Ukraine
Emergency care and vaccination are available from arrival.
Ukrainians will have the same right to health care as Danish citizens, from the moment of applying for a temporary residence permit. More information here.
Ukrainians do not have to separately register with health services. This is automatically done when they apply for a temporary residence permit e.g. one of the Citizen Services that each Municipality has in Denmark. To book time for the municipality of Copenhagen click here
The yellow health insurance certificate or any other ID needs to be presented to access these services.
Registration with family doctors is part of the procedure for applying for a temporary residence permit.
After obtaining a residence permit in Denmark, you will also receive a yellow health insurance certificate and you will be assigned a doctor. A health insurance certificate is used if you see a doctor, emergency department or hospital. A health insurance certificate contains the contact details of your doctor and your civil registration number, which is a unique identification number.
If you do not speak Danish, you have the right to invite an interpreter for a consultation with a doctor, specialist, or to the hospital. Your doctor will arrange for an interpreter.
Co-payment is only for medicines (but subsidised), health certificates, and dental care (also subsidised). People under 18 years of age have access to free dental care.
Chronic/long-term treatment
In case of any chronic illness, the doctor will help continue to exercise properly treatment. The doctor also prescribes the necessary medication.
Visiting family doctors
Every person living in Denmark has a doctor who can be contacted in case of illness. The personal doctor can determine what the health problems are and cure the person of the most common diseases.
The person should always make an appointment before seeing a doctor. This also applies to cases where the acute symptoms of the disease suddenly appeared during the working hours of the personal doctor. The doctor’s phone number is listed on the one’s health insurance card.
Other services
Urgently needed help: 112
The doctor’s number: Listed on the one’s health insurance card
Extracurricular medical service (in case of illness during doctor’s non-working hours):
- Capital Region of Denmark: 1813
- Central Denmark Region: 70 11 31 31
- Northern Region of Denmark: 70 15 03 00
- Region Zealand: 70 15 07 00
- Southern Region of Denmark: 70 11 07 07
Services for People Living with HIV
HIV-testing
The person can be tested for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections at the GP for free (the phone number and address of the GP is printed on the yellow card). One can expect to wait a few weeks before an appointment is available, but considering the HIV incubation time, the waiting time may not be an issue.
More information here.
If the test needs to be performed as soon as possible due to reasonable suspicion, the person e can contact the AIDS Foundation – it is also free of charge.
Minors can as well get HIV testing.
If a Ukrainian who was forced to leave Ukraine tests positive, they will be treated like all other people living in Denmark.
Antiretroviral treatment (ART)
People on ART can bring their medication into the country. See more here.
The doctor’s prescription shall be arranged with a Danish GP.
ART is available free of charge at the department of infectious diseases at the hospitals aidsfondet.dk
How can minors get treatment?
Minors can get tested and get ART if it is medically justified.
Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP)
PrEP is available free of charge, if medically justified. A family doctor/GP shall refer the person to the department of infectious diseases at the hospitals. sst.dk/da/Nyheder/
- It is recommended that PrEP be provided for individuals who meet all the following criteria:
- The person is HIV-negative
- The person belongs to the group of men who have sex with men or trans persons who have sex with men, and meets at least 1 of the following criteria:
- The person has had unprotected anal intercourse with at least 2 male equal partners within the last 12 weeks
- The person has had syphilis within the last 24 weeks
- The person has had chlamydia or gonorrhoea within the last 24 hours weeks
- The person is 18 years old or older
- The person has a normal renal function (eGFR- ≥ 60 mL/min.)
- The person has acceptable liver and bone marrow function:
- Neutrophils ≥ 1000 / mm3 Platelets ≥ 75,000 mm3
- Haemoglobin ≥ 6 mmol / l
- The person must be willing to follow the applicable guidelines in relation to the treatment.
It is recommended that the treatment site continuously assesses whether there is still a need for the person to receive PrEP and for the administration to stop if the person is no longer at high risk of HIV infection.
Anyone from the age of 18 years with a substantial HIV risk (men who have sex with men, trans persons, partners of HIV-positive persons etc.) can get PrEP for free since it is covered by the statutory health insurance. However, it must be indicated by specialised doctors, and all the details such as eligibility, duration, etc. to be clarified with the doctor.
Minimum age for receiving HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis – 18 years or older. More about PrEP here.
Post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP)
PEP is available free of charge. Ideally, treatment should be started within 24 hours of exposure since the greatest benefit is estimated to occur when administered immediately after exposure. However, PEP can be offered up to 72 hours after exposure.
PEP is not indicated if the risk event was oral sex. If it is known that the source is HIV-positive, consult with an infectious disease medical officer. PEP can only be initiated after the exposed person has undergone thorough counselling.
PEP treatment:
- Tenofovir disoproxil 245 mg x 1 daily in combination with lamivudine 300 mg x 1 dgl OR emtricitabine 200 mg x 1 dgl and raltegravir 1200 mg x 1 or 400 mg x 2 dgl.
- Another integrase inhibitor can be used.
The duration of treatment is 28 days.
Family doctor/GP shall refer a person to the department of infectious diseases at the hospitals. See more here.
Services for People Living with Hepatitis B or C
Hepatitis B or C testing, hepatitis B vaccination, and hepatitis B or C treatment availability
All the services are available free of charge for all registered Ukrainians. Testing/vaccination: family doctor/GP. Treatment is available at the Department of Infectious Diseases at the hospitals.
It is recommended that immigrants or refugees (both adults and children), as well as adopted children from areas with an endemic presence of HIV, HBV and HCV, be tested for that type of infection upon their arrival/first contact with the health service; partly for the sake of the person who must then be offered investigation and treatment, and partly for the sake of any sexual partners and/or children who are exposed to infection. Foreign adopted children and refugee and immigrant children coming from areas with an endemic incidence of HIV, HBV and HCV must also be examined for this upon their arrival. Click for more information/pdf.
Support systems (harm reduction/safer use, social support or psychosocial support) that are available for the Ukrainians undergoing therapy for hepatitis C or related liver diseases
According to the National Board of Health’s national action plan against hepatitis C, the municipalities ensure that a systematic implementation of the preventive measures is included in the efforts against drug abuse.
All enrolled injecting drug users must be offered systematically and individually pre-and post-test advice on the risk of HIV and hepatitis infections and their prevention. It should be informed, for example, that there is not only a risk of infection by dividing syringes and needles, but also by the common use of cookware, rinsing water, spoons, cotton wool/filters and sniffer pipes.
The municipalities must ensure that the attending physician ensures that all people who use drugs, upon enrolment in treatment, have easy and quick assessment of HIV, HAV, HBV, and HCV, and that the person who uses drugs in treatment, depending on the status of infection and vaccination, is offered relevant blood test screening once a year.
The work must be organized so that easy and quick access to vaccination against hepatitis A or B virus is provided, where it is indicated. The patient’s doctor must be informed that this vaccination has been given. More details here.
Tuberculosis services
If the person has TB symptoms:
- TB screening is not obligatory.
- Detection of tuberculosis, among asylum seekers from countries with a high incidence of tuberculosis, can be taken care of by health professionals in asylum centres in connection with offered health examinations. Detection of tuberculosis among refugees who have been granted asylum, and family reunification for refugees, can be taken care of in connection with the municipality of the residence offering a health examination. The regions can offer surveys to selected groups of persons, including special offers for children, including adopted children, which can be an advantage, as children who are newly infected have a high risk of developing tuberculosis.
- Ukrainians who have TB symptoms can get the necessary screening from health professionals at the asylum centers, the local government health services in their municipality, or from the GP.
See more at sst.dk
If TB was already diagnosed in Ukraine and the person needs to continue treatment and if a person has a Ukrainian prescription for TB treatment medication…
First contact should be to the family doctor/GP who will refer the patient to the Department of Pulmonary Medical Treatment
Non-medical support
Opioid agonist treatment (OAT) services
Medication rules
- People can bring their own take-home dosage into the country.
- Private individuals may bring medicines containing narcotic substances on lists B, C, D and E in the Executive Order on Narcotic Drugs (e.g. Methadone is on list B), but only corresponding to 30 days of personal consumption. The medicine must have been legally obtained in the country of origin and must be for personal use for the purpose of disease prevention or treatment.
- Please note that upon entry with the medicine, documentation may be required proving that the medicine is for personal use, and was obtained legally. Therefore, it is recommended to bring along the doctor’s prescription and a receipt showing the purchase.
- First contact is with the family doctor/GP, who after approval of diagnosis and treatment plan, will issue a prescription for the OAT to be delivered to a pharmacy.
- Yellow Health Cards need to be presented. These will be provided after the application for a temporary residence permit.
.
What OAT drugs are available in the country?
Mostly methadone in tablet form.
Take-home dosages availability
Available. First contact is to the family doctor/GP who after approval of diagnosis and treatment plan will issue the prescription for the OAT to be delivered to a pharmacy.
Minimum age for people who use drugs to receive OAT
There is no minimum age.
Sources
General requirements and access to healthcare
-
05. Danish Health Authority (DHA): You and your health
Danish Health Authority (DHA): You and your health. Danish Health Authority, 25 March 2022.
www.sst.dk/ashx
HIV
Hepatitis B/C
-
02. Vejledning om HIV (human immundefekt virus), hepatitis B og C virus
Udgivet af Sundhedsstyrelsen: Vejledning om HIV (human immundefekt virus), hepatitis B og C virus. Udgivet af Sundhedsstyrelsen, marts 2013, 46 p.
www.sst.dk/ashx/pdf