This practical guide intends to assist case officers and decision-makers in the examination of applications for international protection and application of the legal criteria on who qualifies for international protection, referring to both refugee status and subsidiary protection. The guide includes checklists, guidance and references to legislation and case law in order to support the case officer in assessing whether the individual applicant qualifies for international protection. The practical guide, which is also available in html format, includes a decision tree that describes all the steps in the decision-making process.