Those who do not have a place to sleep with friends or relatives are provided with shelter by the Dutch government. Currently, there are two distribution locations. There, refugees from Ukraine can go for temporary shelter, food and medical care, among other things. From there they are sent to smaller shelter locations in municipalities. Please keep in mind that there is no guarantee that you will be placed at the location of you preference. For example, there often is no available accomodation in larger cities.

Register at the following locations for a referral to a reception location where there is place:

• Amsterdam, Central Station, East side (opened all week from 08:00 till 20:00)

• Utrecht, Jaarbeurs, Hal 5) (Open Monday to Friday from 9:00-17:00)

You can also choose to stay temporarily with a host family. RefugeeHomeNL is an initiative of the government and NGO's to offer refugees from Ukraine a safe home with Dutch families. Check the website for more information and for the locations where you can register yourself.

Municipalities are very busy with the arrival of refugees from Ukraine. There is also much uncertainty for the municipalities, so it may take longer before you are offered help. Complaints about the municipal reception or about the municipality itself can be submitted in the first place to the municipality. For more information about the handling of your complaint, please visit the municipality's website.

Have you filed a complaint, but it is not being responded to? Or do you feel that the handling of your complaint is insufficient? Then look at the website of the National Ombudsman. If your municipality is affiliated with the National Ombudsman, you can also file a complaint there. If not, the municipality has its own ombudsman service. In that case, look at the website of your municipality for more information. Please note: the National Ombudsman is only intended as a last resort for resolving complaints and should not be approached too quickly.

In most cases, refugees from Ukraine that are staying with a host family are co-insured under the host family's liability insurance. Refugees staying at reception locations are insured via the municipality in which they are staying. However, conditions and own risks are applied. For more information, please contact the municipality in which you are staying. You can find more information on the page insurances.

If you or your family are travelling to the Netherlands for a visit or to pass through, it is not possible to make use of reception and/or living expenses. If you yourself are staying in a host family, you can discuss whether your visitors can stay there overnight. A host family is not obligated to receive your (family) visitors. Visiting family members cannot stay overnight at the municipal shelter. Would you like to visit someone at a reception location? Ask the shelter location first if this is possible.