Residence cards for Ukrainian citizens with a PESEL UKR number

Applications may only be submitted electronically via a dedicated portal (Case Management Module – MOS).

The act enabling the full implementation of this solution has been passed by Parliament and is awaiting the President's signature. We will announce the launch date of the IT system for electronic submission of applications for residence permits in Poland well in advance. Please note that this will not be 1 January 2026.

Who will be eligible for a CUKR residence card?

You will be eligible for a card if you meet all of the following conditions:

• you are a citizen of Ukraine or a family member of a citizen of Ukraine (e.g. spouse),
• your stay in Poland is considered legal in connection with temporary protection,
• on 4 June 2025, you had UKR status,
• on the date of submitting your application for a CUKR residence card, you have UKR status,
• you have had uninterrupted UKR status for at least 365 days.

Your underage child who arrived from Ukraine will be eligible for a residence card if they meet the above conditions. The application must be submitted by a parent or legal guardian on behalf of the child.

Your child who was born in Poland will also be eligible for a CUKR residence card if the child's mother arrived legally from Ukraine after 24 February 2022 in connection with the war and all of the following conditions are met:

• the child has legal residence in Poland on the basis of temporary protection,
• on the date of submitting the application, the child has UKR status,
• the child's mother has a CUKR residence card.

The application is submitted by the child's parent or legal guardian.

The system will reject your application for a CUKR residence card if, at the time of submission, your data in the PESEL UKR register is incomplete, i.e. the following data is missing:

• first name(s), surname, date of birth, gender, nationality,
• series, number and expiry date of a valid travel document,
• fingerprints or information on physical inability to provide fingerprints,
• a specimen of the person's signature (for persons over 12 years of age who are able to sign).

How can you obtain a CUKR residence card?

You will only be able to apply for a CUKR residence card electronically, using a dedicated portal (Case Management Module – MOS), accessible via a web browser. You will not need to make an appointment to submit your application or stand in queues – you can do it at a time that suits you. You will also be able to pause filling in the application, save the data you have entered and edit it again.

If you fill in the application correctly and attach the necessary attachments, you will be summoned to the provincial office only to collect your residence card.

Access to the MOS system will be free of charge. You will be able to submit the application yourself, without having to use the paid services of intermediaries. The only costs you will incur are the stamp duty when submitting the application (PLN 340) and the fee for issuing the residence card (PLN 100).

To apply for a CUKR residence card, you will need to:

• create a user account in the new MOS (Case Management Module) system; if you already have an account in the current MOS system, you will need to create a new account;
• log in to the MOS system yourself via login.gov.pl and fill in the application form for a residence card for Ukrainian citizens benefiting from temporary protection;
• sign an electronic application – you will need to have profilu zaufanego, kwalifikowanego podpisu elektronicznego or podpisu osobistego;
• add the required attachments:
  • a current photograph in digital format;
  • confirmation of payment (scan of the document or electronic transfer confirmation): a fee of PLN 100 for issuing a residence card and a stamp duty of PLN 340 for issuing a temporary residence permit.

After correctly signing and submitting your application, you will be able to save it in PDF and XML formats and receive an Official Receipt Confirmation (UPO).

If you are issued a residence card, the provincial office will inform you about the possibility of collecting your personalised residence card.

You will not receive a residence card if:

• you do not meet the above conditions,
• your data will be entered into the register of foreigners whose stay in the territory of the Republic of Poland is undesirable, or
• your data is included in the Schengen Information System for the purposes of refusing entry and stay, or
• its issuance is refused for reasons of national defence or security or the protection of public safety and order, or
• you have not paid the fee for the issuance of a residence card or the stamp duty for the granting of a temporary residence permit.

Why is it worth obtaining a CUKR residence card?

• Upon receipt of your CUKR residence card, your current legal residence will be converted into a temporary residence permit for a period of 3 years. You will have full access to the labour market (you will not need an additional work permit) and you will be able to conduct business activity in Poland on the same terms as Polish citizens.
• With a CUKR residence card, you will be able to enjoy all the rights granted to foreigners with a temporary residence permit in Poland.
• A CUKR residence card, together with a valid travel document, will entitle you to travel within the Schengen area for up to 90 days within a 180-day period.
• If you wish to apply for a long-term EU resident's residence permit in the future, the period of your stay in Poland on the basis of a CUKR residence card will count towards the period required to obtain this permit.

What should you keep in mind?

• If you receive a CUKR residence card, your UKR status will be cancelled and you will lose your entitlement to benefits under UKR status. However, you will be entitled to benefits under other regulations, e.g. 800+, if you meet the requirements specified in those regulations.
• After obtaining a residence card (CUKR), you will be required to inform the provincial governor who issued the card of any change of residence within 15 working days.
• If you leave Poland for a period exceeding 6 months, you will lose your temporary residence permit.
• If you do not collect your residence card within 60 days of being notified by the provincial office that it is ready for collection, you will not obtain a temporary residence permit and your residence card will be invalidated.
• You will be able to obtain another temporary residence permit under the general rules.

Source of information: gov.pl