Poland will scrap the bespoke legal framework that has governed the stay of displaced Ukrainians since the first days of Russia’s full-scale invasion and replace it with the standard EU temporary-protection regime from 5 March 2026.
Under the transitional provisions adopted last week, all Ukrainians who arrived after 24 February 2022 – around one million people at the peak – will keep the right to live and work in Poland, but future extensions, social-benefit eligibility and access to integration services will be subject to the same rules that apply to nationals of other third countries. Marshal of the Sejm Włodzimierz Czarzasty told the Ukrainian news agency Ukrinform that the change is meant to make assistance “responsible, not chaotic”, stressing that Poland has already spent “billions of zlotys” on support and now needs more predictable instruments. (obozrevatel.com)
Travel-document and migration formalities can be daunting even for seasoned HR departments. VisaHQ’s Poland portal (https://www.visahq.com/poland/) keeps a real-time overview of residence, work-permit and temporary-protection requirements and can assist both employers and displaced Ukrainians with paperwork, appointment booking and status extensions, helping them stay compliant under the new rules.
![Poland ends special rules for Ukrainian refugees and folds them into EU-wide temporary-protection system]()
Practically, this means that registration for the PESEL national ID number will become mandatory within 30 days of arrival, temporary-protection cards will be issued by voivodeship offices rather than local councils, and refugees who relocate outside Poland for more than 30 days will automatically lose their status. Ukrainians who are already working, paying taxes and sending their children to Polish schools should notice little difference, but those who rely solely on humanitarian assistance will have to meet stricter reporting requirements.
For employers the key takeaway is that existing work authorisations (including simplified “UKR” notifications) remain valid, yet new hires will need the standard temporary-protection endorsement on their residence cards. Companies are advised to schedule appointments for affected staff well before the 5 March deadline; voivodeship offices in Warsaw, Kraków and Wrocław report that March slots are already 80 % booked.
Immigration advisers note that Poland is effectively aligning itself with the new, permanent EU Temporary Protection Directive that the Council intends to adopt later this year. That alignment should make mobility within the bloc easier for Ukrainian professionals who have received offers elsewhere, but it will also give Polish authorities clearer grounds to withdraw status from those who break the rules or acquire protection in another member state.
Under the transitional provisions adopted last week, all Ukrainians who arrived after 24 February 2022 – around one million people at the peak – will keep the right to live and work in Poland, but future extensions, social-benefit eligibility and access to integration services will be subject to the same rules that apply to nationals of other third countries. Marshal of the Sejm Włodzimierz Czarzasty told the Ukrainian news agency Ukrinform that the change is meant to make assistance “responsible, not chaotic”, stressing that Poland has already spent “billions of zlotys” on support and now needs more predictable instruments. (obozrevatel.com)
Travel-document and migration formalities can be daunting even for seasoned HR departments. VisaHQ’s Poland portal (https://www.visahq.com/poland/) keeps a real-time overview of residence, work-permit and temporary-protection requirements and can assist both employers and displaced Ukrainians with paperwork, appointment booking and status extensions, helping them stay compliant under the new rules.
Practically, this means that registration for the PESEL national ID number will become mandatory within 30 days of arrival, temporary-protection cards will be issued by voivodeship offices rather than local councils, and refugees who relocate outside Poland for more than 30 days will automatically lose their status. Ukrainians who are already working, paying taxes and sending their children to Polish schools should notice little difference, but those who rely solely on humanitarian assistance will have to meet stricter reporting requirements.
For employers the key takeaway is that existing work authorisations (including simplified “UKR” notifications) remain valid, yet new hires will need the standard temporary-protection endorsement on their residence cards. Companies are advised to schedule appointments for affected staff well before the 5 March deadline; voivodeship offices in Warsaw, Kraków and Wrocław report that March slots are already 80 % booked.
Immigration advisers note that Poland is effectively aligning itself with the new, permanent EU Temporary Protection Directive that the Council intends to adopt later this year. That alignment should make mobility within the bloc easier for Ukrainian professionals who have received offers elsewhere, but it will also give Polish authorities clearer grounds to withdraw status from those who break the rules or acquire protection in another member state.
