In short: Spain has 4 CREADE centres (Reception, Care and Referral Centres) for people displaced from Ukraine: Pozuelo de Alarcón (Community of Madrid), Málaga, Barcelona and Torrevieja (Alicante). They give information, legal advice and job guidance, and refer you to the reception network. In Pozuelo, Málaga and Barcelona you can book an appointment to apply for temporary protection; for Torrevieja, the official page says to contact the local National Police station to apply.
In person or by representative? In person. The application for temporary protection is made in person, with no representative and no online option (see Temporary Protection: how to apply). Only the appointment is booked remotely, by phone. The official page does not say whether someone else can call for you: ask when you call.
The 4 centres (addresses as shown on the official Ministry of Inclusion page, checked on 07.10.2026; check the page in case they change):
- Pozuelo de Alarcón (Madrid): Paseo de la Casa de Campo 1, 28223. You can book to apply for temporary protection, get information, legal advice and job guidance, and access the reception system.
- Málaga: Avenida Pintor Joaquín Sorolla 145, 29017. The same services as in Pozuelo, plus a job guidance service with registration as a jobseeker, run by the Andalusian Employment Service (SAE), for people with temporary protection and for applicants for or holders of international protection.
- Barcelona: Calle de Sant Fructuós 78-80, 08004. The same services as in Pozuelo.
- Torrevieja (Alicante): Calle Urbano Arregui 8, 03185. Information on international and temporary protection, legal advice, job guidance and access to the reception system. To apply for temporary protection, the official page says to contact the local National Police station. There is no other CREADE in Alicante: the Ministry's procedures page calls this centre «CREADE Alicante».
How to book: by phone, on the lines of the Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration (those for Pozuelo, Málaga and Barcelona are free). The numbers and hours of each centre and the general information line are on the official page; we do not copy them here because they change.
If there is no CREADE in your city: the application for temporary protection is made in person at an enabled National Police station. The official list of police stations is organised by autonomous community and shows how to book at each one.
Who can go (according to the official page):
- People from Ukraine displaced since 24 February 2022, or already in Spain, with or without a residence permit, when the war began.
- People of other nationalities who lived in Ukraine with international protection or a permit and cannot return to their country.
- Their spouses or partners, unmarried minor children and close relatives who lived with them or depended on them.
For new applications from 5 August 2026 there is an extra condition on military obligations in Ukraine. The details, and the extension of protection until 4 March 2028, are in the card on Decision (EU) 2026/1912.
What a CREADE does: it receives people who have just arrived (with accommodation places in the centre or nearby), handles temporary protection and refers people to the reception network. According to the Ministry, temporary protection is resolved in less than 24 hours and gives a residence and work permit and access to social services. The stay in the centre is temporary. Unaccompanied minors are passed to the autonomous communities. From the CREADE you can reach housing and meals, financial aid, schooling and Spanish classes, psychosocial support, job support (training, guidance, recognition of qualifications and workshops), healthcare and legal assistance. For your driving licence see the card on exchanging a Ukrainian driving licence. More on the reception network: State Reception Network.
With a pet: the CREADE page keeps a 2022 text about entering without a special permit. That exception ended on 15 March 2023, so the current rules apply: Moving to Spain with a pet.
Official source: Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration: Reception, Care and Referral Centres for displaced Ukrainians. Informational only; check the official source and a professional for your specific case.