Residence of Ukrainian Citizens in Poland after 2026. What will the amendment change and what happens after 4 March 2027?

1. Introduction

As of 5 March 2026, an amendment to the Act on Assistance to Citizens of Ukraine in
Connection with the Armed Conflict in the Territory of that State has entered into force.
These changes affect the rules governing the legal stay of Ukrainian citizens in Poland, in
particular the functioning of the PESEL number with UKR status, which since 2022 has served
as confirmation of temporary protection in Poland.

Until now, simplified residence legalization procedures allowed Ukrainian citizens to quickly
obtain a PESEL UKR number, providing temporary protection and consequently ensuring
the legality of their stay, as well as access to the labor market, social benefits, and education.

However, the amendment changes the legal framework governing temporary protection by
introducing transitional measures and preparing foreign nationals for a gradual return to
the standard residence legalization procedures resulting from the Act on Foreigners. It is
therefore important to understand the consequences of these changes and how to prepare
for the subsequent stages of residence legalization.

2. PESEL UKR and temporary protection, legal stay of Ukrainian citizens until 4 March 2027

The amendment to the Act provides that persons covered by temporary protection retain
the legality of their stay in Poland until 4 March 2027. In the Polish legal system, being
covered by temporary protection is confirmed through the assignment of a PESEL number
with UKR status. At the same time, the legal regime for granting the PESEL UKR number is
changing:

a) Persons arriving in Poland after 5 March 2026, covered by temporary protection in
accordance with Council Decision (EU) 2022/382, should submit an application for
the assignment of a PESEL number with UKR status within 30 days of their arrival in
Poland. Failure to submit such notification within the prescribed time limit may result
in the loss of the possibility to benefit from the rights arising from temporary
protection in Poland.

b) Persons who already hold a PESEL number with UKR status do not have to take
additional actions, provided that their identity documents remain valid. In the case
of persons to whom a PESEL number with UKR status was assigned without
presenting a valid identity document containing a photograph, it should be updated
by 31 August 2026. Otherwise, the temporary protection status in Poland may expire as of 1 September 2026, and consequently the right to legal stay in Poland will be lost.

It should be noted, however, that the temporary protection in Poland referred to above
expires if a foreigner covered by temporary protection leaves the territory of the Republic
of Poland for a period exceeding 30 days.

3. What after 4 March 2027? End of the simplified procedure

After 4 March 2027, if the period of temporary protection is not extended, the PESEL
number with UKR status will cease to be recognized as confirmation of temporary protection
in Poland and, consequently, will no longer constitute a basis for legal stay in Poland. In such
a situation, persons who wish to remain in Poland will have to use the standard procedures
provided for in the Act on Foreigners.

This may mean the necessity to:

a) submit an application for a temporary or permanent residence permit and obtain a
temporary or permanent residence card,

b) meet all formal requirements, including demonstrating the purpose of stay,
possession of sufficient means of subsistence, a place of residence and health
insurance.

In practice, this means a return to standard administrative timeframes, full verification of
documents and fulfillment of statutory requirements. In the case of formal errors or missing
documentation, the authority may refuse to grant a residence permit, which results in the
obligation to leave the territory of Poland or to undertake additional actions in order to
regularize the residence situation.

It is worth noting that proceedings concerning residence permits in Poland may last even
several months. For this reason, many people decide to start the residence legalization
procedure earlier in order to avoid the risk of a break in the legality of their stay after the
end of temporary protection. For persons who previously benefited from the simplified
system, the safest solution may be to start the procedure for obtaining a temporary or
permanent residence card already now, in order to ensure continuity of rights after 4 March
2027.

4. Summary

The amendment to the Act on Assistance to Citizens of Ukraine introduces significant
changes for foreigners staying in Poland. The legality of stay of persons covered by
temporary protection has been extended until 4 March 2027, and the PESEL number with

UKR status remains during this period confirmation of being covered by temporary
protection in Poland, and therefore also confirmation of the legality of stay in Poland.
At the same time, an obligation has been introduced to submit an application for the
assignment of a PESEL number with UKR status within 30 days from arrival in Poland for new
foreigners covered by temporary protection, as well as an obligation to update data for
persons to whom the number together with UKR status was assigned without presenting a
valid identity document containing a photograph.

After 4 March 2027, if the period of temporary protection is not extended again, further
stay in Poland will be possible only on the basis of a standard residence title in accordance
with the provisions of the Act on Foreigners.

In practice, many people decide to start the procedure for obtaining a residence card even
before the end of temporary protection in order to avoid the risk of a break in the legality
of their stay.

It is also worth remembering that, in accordance with Article 108 of the Act on Foreigners,
if an application for a temporary residence permit is submitted during the period of a
foreigner’s legal stay in Poland, his or her stay is considered legal until the date of issuance
of the final decision in this matter.

In such a situation, using the assistance of an experienced lawyer may significantly facilitate
a smooth transition from PESEL UKR status to a standard residence permit.