The legal stay of Ukrainian citizens (and certain members of their families) who came to Poland in connection with hostilities conducted on the territory of Ukraine from February 24, 2022 will be extended. until September 30, 2025
The act amending current regulations was announced in the Journal of Laws i will enter into force on July 1 this year
Changes were also introduced in the regulations preventing Ukrainian citizens from staying illegally and supporting the legalization of their stay in Poland. Analogous extension to 30 September 2025 there will be periods in which:
- periods of stay and periods of validity of national visas of Ukrainian citizens are extended by law;
- the periods of validity of temporary residence permits of Ukrainian citizens are extended by law;
- the deadlines for Ukrainian citizens to leave the territory of Poland are extended by law (pursuant to Article 299(6) of the Act of 12 December 2013 on foreigners);
- the deadlines for voluntary return (currently the dates for voluntary departure) specified in decisions on obliging a foreigner to return issued to Ukrainian citizens (pursuant to Article 315(1) of the Act on foreigners) are extended by law;
- the periods of validity of residence cards, Polish identity documents of a foreigner and documents "permit for tolerated stay" issued to citizens of Ukraine are extended by law;
- the stay of Ukrainian citizens on the territory of Poland is considered legal due to the end of the period of admissible short-term stay (on the basis of a Schengen visa issued by a Polish authority, on the basis of a visa issued by another Schengen state, on the basis of a residence permit issued by a competent authority of another Schengen state or as part of visa-free travel);
- does not apply to citizens of Ukraine in proceedings for granting a temporary residence permit for the purpose of conducting business activity specified in Art. 142 section 1 point 3 of the Act of 12 December 2013 on foreigners (Journal of Laws of 2024, item 769), the requirement related to the size and quality of the business activity conducted, if they run a business activity on the basis of an entry in the Central Registration and Information on Business;
- the provisions of Art. apply. 42a section 1 of the Act on assistance to citizens of Ukraine in connection with an armed conflict on the territory of this country, establishing a subsidiary substantive legal basis for granting a temporary residence permit to citizens of Ukraine;
- initiated proceedings on obliging a foreigner to return against citizens of Ukraine may not be initiated or discontinued.
The changes described are introduced by the Act of May 15, 2024 on amending the Act on assistance to citizens of Ukraine in connection with an armed conflict on the territory of this country and certain other acts (Journal of Laws, item 854).
The Act follows the extension by the Council of the European Union (Council Implementing Decision (EU) 2023/409 of 19 October 2023) of the temporary protection introduced by Council Implementing Decision (EU) 2022/382 of 4 March 2022 establishing a mass influx of displaced persons from Ukraine.
