Poland’s Council of Ministers has amended the Special Act on Assistance to Citizens of Ukraine, stretching all rights linked to EU temporary protection until 4 March 2026. The extension secures legal stay, labour-market access, healthcare and social benefits for roughly one million Ukrainians who fled Russia’s invasion and remain in Poland.
With immediate humanitarian needs largely met, Warsaw is pivoting from emergency reception to long-term integration. A nationwide network of National Integration Centres will pair regional authorities with NGOs to provide Polish-language tuition, skills assessments and job-matching. Data will feed into a new public ‘Ukrainians in Poland’ dashboard that maps employment, benefit uptake and school attendance down to county level.
For employers the move removes a cliff-edge risk: Ukrainian staff can continue working under a simplified, notification-only procedure rather than full work-permit sponsorship. HR teams can also mine the dashboard to identify talent clusters near existing plants or service centres.
![Temporary protection for one million Ukrainians in Poland extended to March 2026; focus shifts to integration]()
Whether organisations are helping staff extend temporary protection or preparing for the switch to standard residence permits, VisaHQ can streamline each step. Through its Poland-specific portal (https://www.visahq.com/poland/) the service offers real-time regulatory updates, document review and courier filing, reducing processing errors and freeing HR teams to focus on integration instead of paperwork.
Two caveats matter. From mid-2026 the flagship 800-plus child benefit will require at least one parent to hold formal employment, pushing more beneficiaries into regulated jobs. Uninsured adult Ukrainians will see their basket of free medical services trimmed, raising the value of employer-provided health cover.
Mobility managers should brief affected employees on the new timelines, budget for higher MOS e-portal fees when refugees transition to standard residence permits, and coordinate with local authorities on language-training availability.
With immediate humanitarian needs largely met, Warsaw is pivoting from emergency reception to long-term integration. A nationwide network of National Integration Centres will pair regional authorities with NGOs to provide Polish-language tuition, skills assessments and job-matching. Data will feed into a new public ‘Ukrainians in Poland’ dashboard that maps employment, benefit uptake and school attendance down to county level.
For employers the move removes a cliff-edge risk: Ukrainian staff can continue working under a simplified, notification-only procedure rather than full work-permit sponsorship. HR teams can also mine the dashboard to identify talent clusters near existing plants or service centres.
Whether organisations are helping staff extend temporary protection or preparing for the switch to standard residence permits, VisaHQ can streamline each step. Through its Poland-specific portal (https://www.visahq.com/poland/) the service offers real-time regulatory updates, document review and courier filing, reducing processing errors and freeing HR teams to focus on integration instead of paperwork.
Two caveats matter. From mid-2026 the flagship 800-plus child benefit will require at least one parent to hold formal employment, pushing more beneficiaries into regulated jobs. Uninsured adult Ukrainians will see their basket of free medical services trimmed, raising the value of employer-provided health cover.
Mobility managers should brief affected employees on the new timelines, budget for higher MOS e-portal fees when refugees transition to standard residence permits, and coordinate with local authorities on language-training availability.
