Poland’s Council of Ministers has quietly amended the Special Act on Assistance to Citizens of Ukraine, stretching all rights linked to EU temporary-protection status until 4 March 2026. Roughly one million displaced Ukrainians—many of them already active in Polish factories, IT hubs and logistics centres—retain the right to live and work in Poland under a simplified, notification-only procedure. ([visahq.com](https://www.visahq.com/news/2026-01-10/pl/temporary-protection-for-one-million-ukrainians-in-poland-extended-to-march-2026-focus-shifts-to-integration/))
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 deliver Polish-language tuition, skills assessments and job-matching services. Data from those centres will feed a new public dashboard that maps employment, benefit uptake and school attendance down to county level, giving employers unprecedented visibility into local talent pools. ([visahq.com](https://www.visahq.com/news/2026-01-10/pl/temporary-protection-for-one-million-ukrainians-in-poland-extended-to-march-2026-focus-shifts-to-integration/))
For corporate mobility teams the extension removes a cliff-edge risk: Ukrainian staff can continue working without full work-permit sponsorship, and new hires can be onboarded in as little as 24 hours via the electronic “praca.gov.pl” notification. Companies are already using the forthcoming dashboard to identify clusters of welders near shipyards or software testers near Kraków’s tech parks. ([visahq.com](https://www.visahq.com/news/2026-01-10/pl/temporary-protection-for-one-million-ukrainians-in-poland-extended-to-march-2026-focus-shifts-to-integration/))
![Temporary protection for one million Ukrainians in Poland extended to 4 March 2026]()
HR managers who need hands-on assistance with these evolving rules can lean on VisaHQ’s Poland portal, which provides step-by-step guidance on temporary-protection notifications, work-permit upgrades and future residence options. Visit https://www.visahq.com/poland/ for tailored, bilingual support that keeps both employers and Ukrainian nationals fully compliant.
Two caveats matter. From mid-2026, Poland’s flagship PLN 800-per-child benefit will require at least one parent to hold formal employment, nudging more beneficiaries into regulated jobs. Uninsured adult Ukrainians will also lose some free medical services, increasing the value of employer-provided health cover. HR teams should therefore budget for higher social-security costs and broker bulk language-training packages. ([visahq.com](https://www.visahq.com/news/2026-01-10/pl/temporary-protection-for-one-million-ukrainians-in-poland-extended-to-march-2026-focus-shifts-to-integration/))
The bottom line: by extending temporary protection but tightening integration requirements, Warsaw is signalling that most Ukrainians will be staying for the medium term. Employers that invest early in language and upskilling programmes will gain a competitive edge in Poland’s tight labour market.
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 deliver Polish-language tuition, skills assessments and job-matching services. Data from those centres will feed a new public dashboard that maps employment, benefit uptake and school attendance down to county level, giving employers unprecedented visibility into local talent pools. ([visahq.com](https://www.visahq.com/news/2026-01-10/pl/temporary-protection-for-one-million-ukrainians-in-poland-extended-to-march-2026-focus-shifts-to-integration/))
For corporate mobility teams the extension removes a cliff-edge risk: Ukrainian staff can continue working without full work-permit sponsorship, and new hires can be onboarded in as little as 24 hours via the electronic “praca.gov.pl” notification. Companies are already using the forthcoming dashboard to identify clusters of welders near shipyards or software testers near Kraków’s tech parks. ([visahq.com](https://www.visahq.com/news/2026-01-10/pl/temporary-protection-for-one-million-ukrainians-in-poland-extended-to-march-2026-focus-shifts-to-integration/))
HR managers who need hands-on assistance with these evolving rules can lean on VisaHQ’s Poland portal, which provides step-by-step guidance on temporary-protection notifications, work-permit upgrades and future residence options. Visit https://www.visahq.com/poland/ for tailored, bilingual support that keeps both employers and Ukrainian nationals fully compliant.
Two caveats matter. From mid-2026, Poland’s flagship PLN 800-per-child benefit will require at least one parent to hold formal employment, nudging more beneficiaries into regulated jobs. Uninsured adult Ukrainians will also lose some free medical services, increasing the value of employer-provided health cover. HR teams should therefore budget for higher social-security costs and broker bulk language-training packages. ([visahq.com](https://www.visahq.com/news/2026-01-10/pl/temporary-protection-for-one-million-ukrainians-in-poland-extended-to-march-2026-focus-shifts-to-integration/))
The bottom line: by extending temporary protection but tightening integration requirements, Warsaw is signalling that most Ukrainians will be staying for the medium term. Employers that invest early in language and upskilling programmes will gain a competitive edge in Poland’s tight labour market.
