The legal situation of citizens of Ukraine who came to Poland due to the war in Ukraine

Published on by af
How Can We Help?
Drukuj

The old system of granting a right to obtain 3-year residence card after 9 months in Poland has been stopped. You can now apply for three kinds of temporary residence permits:

  1. A permit to live and work
  2. A permit for business activities
  3. A permit for highly qualified jobs

To qualify, you need:

  • A PESEL number labeled with ‘UKR’
  • Plan to stay in Poland for over 3 months
  • The main reason for your stay must be work, business, or a highly qualified job

Note:

  • Getting a temporary residence permit means you lose other benefits like free medical care and education that were available because of the Ukraine conflict.
  • You can still keep your temporary protection status. Getting a temporary residence permit is an alternative to this solution.

Other Changes:

  1. PESEL Number: If you’re from Ukraine, apply for a PESEL number within 30 days of arriving. Declare you don’t have other types of residence when you apply.
  2. Other EU Countries: You can’t have temporary protection in Poland if you already have it in another EU country.
  3. Family Benefits: If you leave Poland, payments like family benefits will stop. They will resume when you return and meet the criteria.
  4. Employment Notification: Employers have 14 days to notify the authorities if they employ someone with a new temporary work permit.
  5. Residence Extensions: If you’re already in Poland, certain types of residence have been extended till August 24, 2023.
  6. COVID Extensions: Rules that extended the validity of residence titles due to COVID will end on August 24, 2023.
  7. Leaving Poland: You won’t lose your PESEL number if you leave Poland for less than 30 days. If you leave for more than 30 days or gain different kinds of residence, your ‘UKR’ status could be revoked.
  8. Processing Time: There’s no set time limit for processing new residence permits till August 24, 2023.
  9. Business Conditions: If you want a permit for business, you don’t need to show income or employment until August 24, 2023.

Remember, these new rules started on April 1, 2023, so make sure to adjust your plans accordingly.

Unions Help Refugees