The EU Council has decided to extend temporary protection until March 4, 2026.

Temporary protection in Poland for Ukrainians

Ukrainians who arrived in Poland on July 1, 2024, will have three ways to legalize their stay in Poland.

The first way is the one that has been in place since the beginning of the full-scale invasion. This is obtaining a PESEL UKR. It gives the right to receive social benefits, rent housing, open a bank account, legally stay in Poland without a residence card or visa, and travel freely within the European Union. You can apply for PESEL at any department of the city council. To fill out the form, you need any document proving your identity. In addition, people over the age of 12 must have their fingerprints taken to obtain a PESEL.

Ukrainians who have evacuated to Poland and have obtained PESEL can receive a one-time payment of 300 zlotys (approximately 2 thousand hryvnias). Applications for assistance can be submitted at administrative service centers and local administrations.

At the same time, PESEL UKR holders cannot leave Poland for more than 30 days, otherwise they will lose their special status.

Starting from July 1, all those who arrive in Poland fleeing the war should contact their local administration as soon as possible to obtain a PESEL UKR. PESEL UKR will be issued only upon presentation of a valid foreign passport.

The second way is to obtain a temporary residence card (karta pobytu) on the same grounds as other foreigners in Poland. To obtain a residence card, you need a reason, such as studying at a Polish university, employment or running your own business.

A residence card is a permit for long-term temporary or permanent residence in Poland, which allows a foreigner to enjoy most of the rights as a Polish citizen, as well as to cross the border of the state without the need to apply for a visa.

The document contains information confirming the foreigner's identity, such as personal and biometric data, a black-and-white photo, the address of residence registration,  PESEL number, and conditions of access to the labor market.

Persons who left Ukraine in connection with the hostilities and during their stay in Poland managed to find legal employment or conduct other economic activities can apply for a temporary residence card starting from April 1, 2023.

The third way introduced by the latest amendments to the special law is the possibility to obtain a special residence card for a period of three years, the so-called CUKR card.

Such cards will grant their holders the same rights as other foreigners, including access to the labor market.

However, the CUKR card has its differences from the regular residence card - they will be issued only to Ukrainian citizens with PESEL UKR, including children.

Only those Ukrainian citizens who meet all the requirements will be able to obtain a CUKR card:

• active UKR status at the time of application;
  
• have at least 365 days of continuous UKR status in Poland
  
• have a valid foreign passport.
  

In case of successful completion of the procedure, a Ukrainian citizen will receive a residence card marked “Poprzednio posiadał ochronę czasową” (previously granted temporary protection).

Read more about the requirements and application process in the article “Extension of temporary protection in Poland and CUKR residence card: conditions and who cannot use it?”

A special official page has been created to assist Ukrainian citizens who are traveling or planning to enter Poland.

Information on refugee reception centers is available at the link.

Legal assistance from Visit Ukraine

When applying for temporary protection in Poland, a variety of legal issues may arise: from the correct filling of documents to employment and social benefits. To avoid difficulties, Visit Ukraine lawyers offer professional legal assistance for Ukrainians in Poland.

You can choose one of the following options:

• Written consultation - quick and clear answers to your questions in a convenient format.
  
• Introductory consultation (30 minutes) - a short consultation for an initial assessment of the situation and first recommendations.
  
• Basic consultation (60 minutes) - an in-depth analysis of your case with a detailed explanation and practical advice.
  
• Legal support - full legal support when applying for temporary protection or obtaining a residence permit.

Contact Visit Ukraine lawyers to get qualified assistance at every stage of your stay in Poland and be sure of the correctness of your actions.

Can I cross the border of Poland without a foreign passport?

Yes, Ukrainian citizens can cross the border with Poland without a passport during the war. Polish border guards allow entry with an internal Ukrainian passport, a birth certificate (for children), or even without documents if you cannot provide them.

However, it is best to have a valid foreign passport with you, as this will greatly facilitate the process of entry, registration and stay, in particular in Poland:

You will be able to cross the border faster.

It will be easier for you to obtain temporary protection, access to medical services and other state benefits.

You will need your passport to travel to other EU countries or to return home.

What should I do if my passport expires?

If you have entered Poland with a foreign biometric passport that has already expired or will expire within the next three months, you can apply to the Consulate of Ukraine nearest to you in the order of the live queue (one of the five - Warsaw, Krakow, Lublin, Gdansk, Wroclaw) to extend the validity of your passport. To do this, you need to have the original passport and a copy of it with you.

Can I get a new passport in Poland?

Currently, the Consulates in Lublin and Gdańsk accept documents for issuing passports.

What is the social security in Poland for Ukrainians in 2024?

Temporary accommodation in Poland

On July 1, 2024, Poland canceled the “40+” program for Ukrainian refugees. From now on, private owners will not receive compensation for accommodating Ukrainians with temporary protection.

Ukrainians looking for free housing in Poland can check the announcements on official government resources. The Polish government has set up several portals to help Ukrainians, where they can find information about affordable housing and other types of support. One of these resources is Pomagam Ukrainie, which publishes temporary housing offers, contact information of local administrations, and much more.

Various charitable organizations and foundations are also actively involved in helping Ukrainians by providing support in finding free housing.

For more details, please follow the link to the article “Where can Ukrainian refugees find free housing in Poland?”

Rules of employment in Poland for Ukrainians

You can use the central database of vacancies without visiting the online employment service. You can also search for job offers using a special mobile application ePraca (Android and iOS).

You can also use the assistance of an Employment Service Officer, who will help you find a vacancy in the Central Job Database (or other job databases) and provide information about relevant job offers (employer contact details and other important information).

The officer will also provide you with information on the possibility of receiving assistance from other state institutions/funds, etc.

The officer will provide you with information on the conditions of employment of foreigners, including information available on the Internet in Ukrainian. After getting acquainted with your legal situation (residence permit, possible work permits, etc.), the employee will try to advise you on how best to legalize your work and indicate which institutions you need to address this issue and to whom you should submit an application (either as a foreigner or as an employer).

Registering as an unemployed person with the Employment Service

After registering with the Labour Office, you will be able to apply for the full package of benefits from the catalog of forms of assistance defined in the applicable regulations. This catalog includes:

• vocational training
  
• co-financing for starting a business,
  
• reimbursement for employment (technical work, public works, etc.)
  
• reimbursement of travel and accommodation costs to and from the place of work,
  
• reimbursement of childcare costs for a child under 7 years of age or a dependent, etc.

Useful websites:

information on Polish state aid to refugees from Ukraine (including in Ukrainian)

information on assistance from the Employment Service available in Ukrainian, contact details of the Employment Service

database of job vacancies (including some information in Ukrainian)

database of job vacancies in Europe (translation into Ukrainian is available)

ePraca application (in Polish)

Medical care for Ukrainians in Poland

Who can receive public healthcare in Poland?

If you are a citizen of Ukraine:

• and arrived in Poland on or before February 24, 2022;
  
• you have a document confirming the date of crossing the Polish border by the relevant services.
  

This also applies to minors.

What services are provided within the framework of public healthcare?

You can use free of charge:

• basic medical care,
  
• specialized outpatient care,
  
• diagnostic tests prescribed by a doctor,
  
• inpatient treatment,
  
• psychiatric treatment,
  
• rehabilitation (except for resorts),
  
• dental services.

What do I need to do to use medical care services?

To use public healthcare services, you need to have a document confirming the date of crossing the Polish border no earlier than February 24, 2022.

Where can I get free medical care in Poland?

Call the free round-the-clock hotline: 800 190 590

Child benefits in Poland in 2024

From July 1, 2024, Poland canceled the payment of a one-time financial assistance of 300 PLN for newly arrived Ukrainians.

In addition, the requirements for receiving 40 zlotys per day for accommodation and food will be tightened for Ukrainian citizens in a particularly difficult situation. Such assistance will now be granted only on the basis of a signed agreement with the voivode or a local government body acting on behalf of the voivode. The reason for this decision is simple: abuses by Poles who have been accommodating refugees.

Starting from January 1, 2024, the monthly payment for minor children in Poland for Ukrainians has increased. Previously, they received 500 zlotys per child, and now this amount will be 800 zlotys.

Those who have already received these payments do not need additional documents to receive the increased allowance - the new amount will be calculated automatically. However, Ukrainians who plan to receive this benefit for the first time will need to provide documents confirming their legal stay in Poland and that they are raising minor children.

On February 1, 2024, Poland started accepting applications for childcare allowance for the period from June 1, 2024 to May 31, 2025.

The application can only be submitted electronically via:

• PUE ZUS or the mZUS mobile application;
  
• Emp@tia portal;
  
• electronic banking.

More information about new benefits for parents in Poland is available here.

Education

According to the information published by the Ministry of National Education of Poland, from September 1, 2024, children of Ukrainian refugees are obliged to attend school on an equal footing with Polish children. This includes:

- one-year pre-school education;

- compulsory attendance at 8-year primary school;

- compulsory education in post-primary schools in the Polish educational system.

Only graduates who graduate from high school in the 2024/2025 academic year will be able to continue distance learning in the Ukrainian education system. For the rest of the students, participation in online classes organized by Ukrainian educational institutions should not prevent them from attending a Polish school.

You can find out how to enroll your child in a school here.