Ukrainians who fled to Poland from the war are increasingly staying for good, and the state is putting their status in order. Until 4 March 2027, they can apply for a three-year CUKR residence card.
The CUKR card: who can get it and until when
From 4 May 2026 to 4 March 2027, Ukrainian citizens with active PESEL UKR status may submit applications for a residence card annotated “Former holder of temporary protection”, that is, a CUKR card. Applications are accepted exclusively through the electronic Case Handling Module of the Office for Foreigners.
According to voivodeship offices, the applicant must, among other things, hold current UKR status on the day the application is submitted and on the day the decision is issued, and have held it continuously for at least 365 days. UKR status on 4 June 2025 was also required. The card is valid for three years. If the application is not decided by 4 March 2027, the applicant’s stay is still considered legal.
Changes from 5 March 2026
The Act of 23 January 2026 on winding down special solutions changed the rules for people who are only now arriving. An application for a PESEL number with UKR status must be submitted within 30 days of entering Poland. People who obtained their number on the basis of a declaration had to confirm their identity at the commune office using a valid travel document by 31 August 2026. Failure to update the data means a change of status from UKR to NUE and the loss of temporary protection. Temporary protection includes, among other things, the right to work without a permit. From this date, sole proprietorships may be set up by beneficiaries of temporary protection or by people holding another residence title.
On 25 September, the Lublin Voivodeship Office published information about the extension of temporary protection until 4 March 2028.
How many people are staying
The report on citizens of Ukraine, published on gov.pl as of 1 July 2026, shows that PESEL UKR remains the dominant basis for the legal stay of war refugees. In the first half of 2026, about 41.6 thousand people obtained temporary protection status. Among newly registered people, men predominated, although across the entire register women make up 58 percent. For comparison, the report of the Office for Foreigners from almost two years earlier showed that 993 thousand people were under temporary protection, and 92 thousand had permanent residence or EU long-term resident status.
Return or stay
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in October, in an interview with Fox News, that the country needs 9.5 million people who are abroad to return. According to surveys by the Kyiv-based Centre for Economic Strategy, the share of refugees planning to return fell from 74 percent in November 2022 to 43 percent in January 2026 (data cited by Notes from Poland). According to the same outlet, about 75 thousand people have so far applied for the CUKR card.
