Temporary protection for Ukrainians 2026 — UKR status, the 31 August deadline and what changes on 1 September

For hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian citizens living in Poland, 2026 brings two key messages: temporary protection has been extended to 4 March 2027, while at the same time the rules governing UKR status changed on 5 March 2026. This guide explains exactly what changed, who must act and by when, and how to secure your stay for the longer term.

Temporary protection extended to 4 March 2027

By decision of the Council of the European Union, temporary protection for people fleeing the war in Ukraine — granted under Directive 2001/55/EC — is in force until 4 March 2027. This means protected persons do not have to apply for asylum and their stay in Poland remains legal.

The end of the “special act” — what changed on 5 March 2026

As of 5 March 2026, the so-called Ukrainian special act (the act on assistance to Ukrainian citizens) was wound down. Some of the previous solutions disappeared, and temporary protection itself was moved into the Act on granting protection to foreigners within the territory of Poland. For most people this means a change of legal basis and new formal obligations.

Confirming your identity by 31 August 2026 — the most important deadline

If you received a PESEL UKR number on the basis of a declaration alone, without showing a passport (this applies to many people who arrived shortly after 24 February 2022), you are required to confirm your identity with a valid travel document at any municipal (gmina) office by 31 August 2026.

This is a deadline you must not miss. After that date, such a person's UKR status will be changed to NUE status and temporary protection will expire — you will then need to obtain a new basis of stay in order to remain in Poland legally.

Entering Poland after 5 March 2026

People who entered Poland after 5 March 2026 and wish to be covered by temporary protection must file an application for a PESEL UKR number within 30 days of entry. A delay may mean no protection and the need to legalise your stay under the general rules.

Diia.pl instead of a paper certificate

Beneficiaries of temporary protection are no longer issued a paper certificate. The document confirming protection is the Diia.pl app — make sure it is active and up to date.

What happens on 1 September 2026 if you do not confirm your identity

The effect is automatic — no official decision or summons comes first. On 1 September 2026 the UKR status is cancelled, and with it the right of residence based on temporary protection disappears.

• Your stay stops being legal — with the risk of a return decision; how to challenge one is explained in our guide to the order to leave Poland.
• An entry ban across the Schengen area — a return decision is often combined with an alert in the SIS database that blocks entry for years (see entry ban and the SIS alert).
• Employment loses its legal basis — the notification of entrusting work rests on legal residence, and losing it hits the employer as well.
• Diia.pl stops being a residence document — and it is precisely what travel inside the Schengen area and border checks rely on.

If the deadline has already passed, waiting is the worst option — every further month of stay without a legal title weakens your position in the proceedings. Action is still possible, but you need to know what to base the application on. We will review your situation and show you a realistic route.

How to confirm your identity — what to prepare before the visit

The obligation applies only to people whose PESEL number with UKR status was granted on the basis of a statement of personal data alone, without presenting a valid travel document. If you showed a passport when the number was issued, no confirmation is needed.

• Where — at any municipal office; it does not have to be your place of registration or the office that issued the PESEL number.
• With what — a valid travel document, which in practice means a valid foreign passport.
• Children — minors are covered too; a parent or guardian appears on their behalf, with their own document and the child’s document.

The biggest problem is a passport that has expired or been lost. A new document is issued by the Ukrainian consulate, which can take weeks — while the 31 August 2026 deadline is rigid and cannot be extended. Leaving it to the last days of August is a real risk of not making it in time.

Non-standard situations — no passport, a mismatch between the PESEL record and the document, a child staying in Poland without one of the parents — require several steps planned at once, because the deadline runs in parallel with consular procedures. In such cases it is worth acting with a lawyer instead of testing at the counter whether it works.

Do not wait until March 2027 — temporary protection is not a permanent basis

The date 4 March 2027 is a horizon, not a guarantee. Temporary protection lasts as long as the Council of the European Union keeps extending the mechanism — each extension is a political decision, not an acquired right. Anyone planning a future in Poland should build their stay on their own legal title.

Moving to a residence card is possible today if you work, run a business, study or live in Poland with your family. After a sufficiently long, uninterrupted stay, the path to permanent residence and EU long-term resident status opens up. The application is filed exclusively online through the MOS portal, and the real waiting time is far longer than the statutory month — we show it in our overview of processing times at the Masovian Voivodeship Office.

That is why sequence matters: the closer March 2027 gets, the more people will file at the same time and the longer everyone will wait. We handle such cases from start to finish — also fully remotely, with no visits to the office: we determine the right basis of stay, assemble the documents and keep track of the deadlines.

What next? How to secure your stay beyond protection

Temporary protection is a temporary solution. If you are building your future in Poland, it is worth thinking ahead about a more stable basis of stay. The most common routes are:

• A temporary residence permit (residence card) — for example based on work, business, studies or family. More in our guide to the residence card in Warsaw.
• A permanent residence permit or EU long-term resident status — for those who meet the conditions of longer, uninterrupted residence. See: legalising your stay in Poland.
• Legal work — a work permit or an employer's declaration. Check: employment of foreigners in Poland.

Moving from temporary protection to a residence card requires an application to the voivode, a complete set of documents and strict deadlines. A formal error or delay can sink the application — which is why it is worth doing it with a lawyer.

How we can help

Our law firm handles cases of Ukrainian citizens every day: from confirming UKR status and formal obligations, through residence card applications, to permanent residence and citizenship. We will review your situation, prepare a complete set of documents and keep track of deadlines — including the nearest one, 31 August 2026. See our offer for foreigners in Warsaw.

Legal status as of 10 August 2026. Temporary-protection rules are amended from time to time — before making a decision, confirm the current rules or contact our law firm.

Useful links

• Poland residence permit documents 2026 — checklist, certification and e-filing
• Temporary protection for Ukrainian citizens — UDSC
• MOS portal — electronic submission of residence applications
• How to set up Profil Zaufany (gov.pl)