In short
- You need a current PESEL UKR, one you already held on 4 June 2025, and 365 days of continuous UKR status.
- Apply only in MOS, by 4 March 2027; the fees are 340 zł plus 100 zł for the card.
- The card gives three years of residence and work without a permit, but it ends your UKR status.
In 2026 Poland began moving Ukrainians from temporary protection to ordinary residence permits. The main tool is the CUKR card: a three-year temporary residence permit on special terms. If you have a PESEL with UKR status, this is what you need to know before you apply.
What the CUKR card is
The CUKR card confirms a temporary residence permit granted for three years. The card carries the note Poprzednio posiadacz ochrony czasowej ("previously a holder of temporary protection"). It comes from the law that began winding down the 2022 special act, in force since 5 March 2026. Applications opened on 4 May 2026.
Who qualifies
All four conditions must be met:
- You have a current PESEL UKR on the day you apply.
- You already had a PESEL UKR on 4 June 2025.
- You still have a current PESEL UKR when the voivode issues the card.
- You have held UKR status without a break for at least 365 days.
If even one is missing, the card is refused. Spouses, minor children, children of a spouse and close relatives with a Karta Polaka who came because of the war can apply on the same terms. A child born in Poland after 23 February 2022 can apply if the mother holds a CUKR card.
How to apply
- Check your PESEL record first. MOS won't accept the application unless the record is complete, with a valid passport, fingerprints and a signature specimen. If something is missing, update it at your municipal office (gmina).
- Open a new account in MOS and log in through login.gov.pl. Old MOS accounts no longer work.
- Fill in the application, add a current digital photo and proof of both fees.
- Sign with a Trusted Profile, a qualified electronic signature or an e-ID card, and submit. Save the confirmation of receipt.
- Collect the card when the voivode contacts you, within 60 days. If you don't, the permit lapses.
The fees are 340 zł in stamp duty and 100 zł for the card, paid separately into different accounts. Applying in MOS is free; the Office for Foreigners advises against paying intermediaries who promise faster cards.
Is this your situation? Two minutes will tell.
What you gain, and what you give up
You gain: three years of legal residence; the right to work without a work permit and without your employer notifying the labour office; the right to run a business on the same terms as Polish citizens; Schengen travel with a valid passport, up to 90 days in any 180; and time that counts toward EU long-term residence.
You give up: UKR status, which ends automatically when you receive the card, together with UKR-specific support such as free accommodation and meals in collective centres. Benefits under other laws, such as 800+, continue if you meet their conditions.
Keep in mind: leaving Poland for more than six months ends the permit, and you must report a change of address to the voivode within 15 working days.
If you already have a residence case pending
This is the trap. When the office receives a CUKR application, any pending case for an ordinary temporary residence permit is discontinued automatically, without a separate decision. If the CUKR card is then refused, you could be left with no open case at all. Check that you meet all four conditions before you file.
The dates to watch
- 4 March 2027: the last day to apply for the CUKR card, and the end of UKR status under current Polish law.
- 31 August 2026: the deadline, now passed, for people registered without a passport to confirm their identity, or lose PESEL UKR.
- 4 March 2028: the EU extended temporary protection to this date in August 2026 (Implementing Decision 2026/1912), with a new condition on military obligations for first-time applicants. When we checked, Polish law still set 4 March 2027.
- Work: an employer can hire a person with UKR status on a free notification until 4 March 2027, and other Ukrainian citizens until 4 March 2029. Read working on a declaration or notification.
If you're unsure which route is safer, the CUKR card or an ordinary permit, we check your PESEL data, your history and any pending case before anything is filed. See temporary residence permits.
Questions
No. You apply online in MOS. The voivode contacts you when the card is ready to collect, and you have 60 days to collect it.
UKR-specific support, such as free accommodation and meals in collective centres, ends when you receive the card. Benefits under other laws, such as 800+, continue if you meet their conditions.
Yes. With a valid passport you can travel in the Schengen area for up to 90 days in any 180. Leaving Poland for more than six months ends the permit.
Sources
Written by Legacy Advisory team
General information, not advice on your case. Rules change; check the date above.