How to stay in Europe legally after temporary protection: a ground that works after 2028

How to stay in Europe legally after temporary protection: a ground that works after 2028

You can stay in Europe legally where you already live — for that you need a personal ground instead of a collective status. There is only one constraint here, and it is about the calendar: a ground takes months to build, and temporary protection has been extended until March 4, 2028 by Council of the EU Decision 2026/1912, which has been in force since August 5, 2026. The window is open now, and this is the best time to sort things out calmly.
Below — which grounds work in EU countries, where the check starts, how the Romanian route works for those who live in Germany, Poland, the Czech Republic or Spain, and what to do if the documents have already been gathered for the wrong route.

What happens to your status in Europe after 2028?

What ends is a collective mechanism, not your right to live in Europe.
Temporary protection is a common decision of the Union: it is adopted and extended without your involvement, and in exactly the same way it will one day be wound down without your involvement.

A personal status works differently.
It rests on your own ground — work, business, family, study or a right by descent — and does not depend on common decisions.
While the protection is in effect, both statuses can exist in parallel: you do not need to give it up in order to start preparing a ground.

Hence a simple idea, which is the whole content of this page. Right now you have what you will not have later: time and legal residence within which you can calmly gather the documents.
What is on offer is not urgency but readiness.

Which grounds allow you to stay in the country where you live?

There are four grounds, and they are the same in almost all EU countries: work under a contract, your own business, family reunification and study. The requirements and timelines differ, but the logic is the same everywhere — a collective status is exchanged for a personal one.

A fifth one is added to these four, and people think of it last: a right by descent. If the family has roots — Romanian, Bulgarian or from another EU country — the route is shorter and more reliable than any residence permit, because it leads not to a permit that has to be renewed but to Union citizenship, which is not renewed at all.

And separately — your own asset in the EU. On its own it does not give a status in any country, but it becomes part of the structure: it confirms the connection with the country, settles the question of lawful housing in the file and brings fully legal income.

What is checked first and why is it not a residence permit?

The check starts with descent, not with the grounds for a residence permit. The reason is practical: if there is a right by roots, the whole rest of the route is built differently, and starting with a residence permit means spending a year going in the wrong direction.

The check is done on documents: birth and marriage certificates along the ascending line, archival extracts, documents on the territory and the period. Discrepancies in the spelling of surnames, lost records and entries from the archives of different states are an ordinary part of the work, and it is this part that takes the most time.

If the ground by descent is confirmed, the time to citizenship is three years, given lawful grounds. One date matters here as well: the window for filing for repatriation without a B1 language certificate is open until March 14, 2027 under OUG No. 16/2026. This is not a reason to rush blindly — it is a reason to check the documents now, while the window is open.

How does this work through Romania if you live in another EU country?

Romania works as an answer, not as a relocation. The structure is assembled remotely, and the family's life in the country of residence does not change: the city, the children's school, the doctor and the job stay the same.

It is assembled from clear elements: a Romanian company with real activity, if necessary an asset held by the company, fully legal income, an employment contract and a residence permit on that basis. For those going by descent the order is different — the file based on roots is filed right away and in parallel.

The cost guidelines are as follows: opening a company from 1,300 euros, including document preparation and a registered address, about a month, remotely; status support 1,300 euros, about three months, one trip for biometrics; accounting 600 euros a year; the full cycle takes about 4 months. The timelines, amounts and working procedure are set out in the contract.

If real estate is part of the structure, the working route remains an installment plan from the owner: it lets you enter the asset without a bank and without waiting for approval.

What should you do if the residence permit package is already assembled but you have a right by roots?

Throw nothing away and check your descent before filing. The documents you have gathered are not wasted: some of them — translations, legalization, certificates — work on any route.

This situation occurs more often than it seems. A person has lived under protection for two years, finally decides to legalize their status, assembles a package for a residence permit — and in the process it turns out that their grandmother was born in a territory that gives a right to citizenship. The difference between the two paths is fundamental: a residence permit has to be renewed and the ground confirmed each time, while Union citizenship is not renewed.

The order is as follows. First, a check of descent based on documents, not on family stories. Then a decision on which route leads: if the right is confirmed, the file based on roots is filed right away, and a residence permit, if necessary, is prepared in parallel as insurance for the period of review. And only then — gathering whatever is missing.

The worst thing here is not a wrong choice but a pause: the package is put aside, the check is not done, and time goes by.

How does Alliance work?

Alliance handles the entire path under a contract that sets out the timelines, the amount and the working procedure: strategy, the legal part, the bank, financial monitoring and coordination of the processes. The company's licenses are publicly available on the website.

The work starts with a free strategic assessment: a review of your situation, at least 2 routes, the budget and the sequence of steps. The assessment is carried out before any decisions and commits you to nothing. If real estate is part of the structure, Armonia selects properties to fit the strategy: Armonia shows the properties, Alliance protects the money and builds the structure.

"The right to Romanian citizenship is confirmed by documents — and we take that right all the way to the passport. The decision is made by the authority: the result cannot be guaranteed, but the file can be assembled so that it raises no questions. The timelines, amount and working procedure are set out in the contract."

What should you decide now?

You need to decide one thing: where your route starts — with descent or with a ground for a residence permit. Everything else falls into place after that answer, and you can get it in a single meeting.

Do you need to move to Romania to build the structure?

No. The company, the asset and the documents are arranged remotely; personal presence is required at the filing. The country where the family lives does not change.

What if the family has no roots?

The usual set of grounds works: a contract, your own business, family reunification, study. In this case the Romanian structure is built around a company and an asset.

Can you start without giving up temporary protection?

Yes. The protection stays in effect while the documents are being prepared, and there is no gap in legal status.

Sign up for a free strategic assessment: we will check your descent based on documents, determine the leading route, and show at least 2 routes, the budget and the sequence of steps. The assessment is free and commits you to nothing. Write to us in the Telegram chat @alliance_consulting_SRL — we will review your situation.

Sergey Valentinovich Kononov — head of the consulting company Alliance Consulting (Constanța, Năvodari).
More than 30 years of management experience; the company has run a licensed practice in Romania for four years and supports clients from the first consultation to receiving their documents. The company's licenses and documents are publicly available on the website.