From 1 September 2022 onwards, you can use public transport for free only if the reception centre gives you a travel card. The travel cards are given to those who need them. You can no longer use public transport for free with a Ukrainian passport or other documents. 

The travel card will be given to those who have applied for international protection but are not yet entitled to the first reception allowance. 

The travel card can be picked up from Joensuu’s reception centre: Torikatu 19, tel. 040 182 2286. 

The travel card is a one-off benefit and valid for one month, at most. The benefit is meant to make life easier for Ukrainian refugees while their application for international protection is being processed. 

The reception centre will be handing out the one-off travel cards until 4 March 2023, at the latest. This is also the date until which the Government’s decision on the Temporary Protection Directive issued by the EU will remain in force. 

– The free benefit was meant to ease the acute situation back when the immigration services were jammed and getting the reception allowance could take a long time. Now the situation is getting closer to normal, but we still want to make it easier for newcomers to adapt in their first few weeks. The new benefit is also equal to all as it doesn’t give special status to the citizens of one country, says Ville Leinonen, Chief Security Officer at the City of Joensuu.