The emergency 2022 Special Act that had governed the stay of millions of displaced Ukrainians in Poland officially lapsed at midnight on 4 March 2026. From today, the legal basis for protection and access to benefits is found in Poland’s general Act on Foreigners and the EU-wide Temporary-Protection Directive, which has been prolonged until 4 March 2027. The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) published a detailed guidance note in Polish and English explaining what changes—and what does not—for refugees and their Polish hosts. The most immediate obligation concerns newcomers: anyone who enters Poland after 4 March 2026 now has 30 days to register for a PESEL-UKR number at their local municipality. Failure to do so will jeopardise legal stay, social support and access to the labour market.
![New post-4 March rules for Ukrainian refugees in Poland kick in]()
If you’re unsure which documents to gather or how to navigate the new registration rules, VisaHQ’s Poland team can walk you through PESEL-UKR applications, residence permits and future work-permit options; full details are available at https://www.visahq.com/poland/
Existing PESEL-UKR holders keep their right to work or run a business without additional permits, but those who were registered on the basis of a declaration rather than a passport must present a valid travel document by 31 August 2026. Housing subsidies change as well. Free collective accommodation may now be limited to people with disabilities, seniors (women 60+, men 65+), pregnant women, single carers of infants and other vulnerable groups. Others are expected to move to the private rental market or employer-provided housing, mirroring the rules that apply to third-country nationals under normal immigration law. For employers the message is stability in the short term but paperwork in the medium term. Ukrainian staff who already hold PESEL-UKR remain work-eligible, yet new hires arriving after 4 March must meet the 30-day registration deadline. Companies are therefore advised to audit personnel files, update onboarding checklists and plan for possible work-permit applications once EU temporary protection ends in 2027. At policy level, Warsaw argues that ending the Special Act brings Poland into line with the standard EU framework while preventing "dependence" on ad-hoc wartime measures. NGOs, however, warn that vulnerable refugees risk falling through administrative cracks if municipalities are not sufficiently resourced to process the expected surge of PESEL applications in the coming weeks.
If you’re unsure which documents to gather or how to navigate the new registration rules, VisaHQ’s Poland team can walk you through PESEL-UKR applications, residence permits and future work-permit options; full details are available at https://www.visahq.com/poland/
Existing PESEL-UKR holders keep their right to work or run a business without additional permits, but those who were registered on the basis of a declaration rather than a passport must present a valid travel document by 31 August 2026. Housing subsidies change as well. Free collective accommodation may now be limited to people with disabilities, seniors (women 60+, men 65+), pregnant women, single carers of infants and other vulnerable groups. Others are expected to move to the private rental market or employer-provided housing, mirroring the rules that apply to third-country nationals under normal immigration law. For employers the message is stability in the short term but paperwork in the medium term. Ukrainian staff who already hold PESEL-UKR remain work-eligible, yet new hires arriving after 4 March must meet the 30-day registration deadline. Companies are therefore advised to audit personnel files, update onboarding checklists and plan for possible work-permit applications once EU temporary protection ends in 2027. At policy level, Warsaw argues that ending the Special Act brings Poland into line with the standard EU framework while preventing "dependence" on ad-hoc wartime measures. NGOs, however, warn that vulnerable refugees risk falling through administrative cracks if municipalities are not sufficiently resourced to process the expected surge of PESEL applications in the coming weeks.
