According to recent amendments to the Act on assistance to citizens of Ukraine in connection with the armed conflict on the territory of this country, the legal stay of Ukrainian citizens who arrived in Poland on or after 24 February 2024 will be extended until 30 September 2025. This extension also applies to the stay of their spouses and children who are not Ukrainian citizens.

The extension of the period of legal residence means that the validity of national visas, temporary residence permits, residence cards, Polish identity documents for foreigners, and permits for tolerated stay issued to Ukrainian citizens are extended by law. The stay of Ukrainian citizens on the basis of expired Schengen visas and those residing in Poland on the basis of visa-free arrangements is also considered legal. Furthermore, the deadlines for Ukrainian citizens to leave the territory of Poland and for voluntary return are extended by the law.

The amended law also introduces a new way for Ukrainian citizens under temporary protection to legalise their stay. They will be able to apply for a residence card, valid for 3 years, if they meet the following conditions:

• on 4 March 2024, they had UKR status
• they had UKR status on the date of their application for a residence card
• their UKR status has been uninterrupted for at least 365 days

This new option will be available from 2025, when an online service for applications will be launched (until March 2025). Currently, as of 1 April 2023, it is possible to apply for a temporary residence permit valid for 3 years for work or business purposes. Obtaining a residence card or a temporary residence permit results in the cessation of temporary protection status.

The amendments to the act will come into effect on 1 July 2024.