Immigration to Poland

Immigration to Poland from Ukraine in 2026 works through a status that matches the purpose of your stay: temporary protection or the CUKR card for people who left because of the war, a temporary residence permit for work, business, studies or family, the EU Blue Card for highly qualified specialists, then EU long-term resident status and citizenship. Since 27 April 2026 residence applications are filed only online through the MOS system, and the decision is made by the voivode. Registering a company or buying property gives no right of residence on its own. Facts checked against Polish government sources on 9 October 2026.

Residence statuses in Poland at a glance

What changed in 2026

• 5 March 2026: Poland ended its special act on assistance to Ukrainian citizens. Temporary protection rules moved into the general act, and only holders of PESEL UKR, a CUKR card, a permanent status or the Pole’s Card may now open a JDG (sole proprietorship).
• 27 April 2026: applications for temporary and permanent residence and EU long-term resident status are accepted only online via MOS. Paper applications are no longer processed; applicants attend in person only to give fingerprints.
• 4 May 2026: applications for the CUKR card opened for Ukrainians with UKR status.
• 5 August 2026: EU Decision 2026/1912 took effect, extending temporary protection to 4 March 2028. New applicants from 31 July 2026 face a requirement concerning military obligations in Ukraine.

Work

To work for a Polish employer, a non-EU national obtains a temporary residence and work permit (zezwolenie na pobyt czasowy i pracę), stamp duty PLN 440. Holders of UKR status work without a permit; the employer only notifies the labour office within 7 days. Graduates with a high salary can use the EU Blue Card: the 2026 threshold is 150% of the 2025 average salary, which is PLN 13,355.34 gross per month.

Business and relocation

An entrepreneur goes through two separate procedures. The first is company registration: for a foreigner this is usually a sp. z o.o. with share capital of at least PLN 5,000, entry in the KRS register and filing beneficial owner data with CRBR. The second is the business residence permit, which the voivode grants once the company already has income or employees. A new company with no track record usually does not meet these conditions yet, so we plan the route in advance.

Studies and family

Studying at a Polish university and joining a family member who lives legally in Poland are separate grounds for a temporary residence permit, stamp duty PLN 340. The spouse of a Polish citizen may apply for citizenship after 3 years of marriage and 2 years on a permanent status.

Path to permanent residence and citizenship

The general path for a foreigner who lives in Poland for work or business is EU long-term resident status after 5 years of continuous legal stay, with stable income, health insurance and proven Polish. The permanent residence permit (pobyt stały) is granted on special grounds: Polish descent, the Pole’s Card, a child of a Polish citizen, asylum. After 3 years on one of these statuses you can apply for recognition as a Polish citizen.

What we do

• Choose a lawful route for your status, purpose, family and business.
• Check whether you meet the conditions for CUKR, the business permit, EU long-term resident status or citizenship.
• Prepare the MOS application and documents, and handle correspondence with the voivode’s office.
• Connect the migration side with the corporate one: company, accounting, taxes.

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Related services

Ukrainian documents for a Polish residence permit (certificates, translations, apostille) can be prepared with RegServ. Tax questions of a Polish company are covered by Crystal Tax. Market entry in Poland (subsidiary, branch, representative office) together with the migration route is handled through INNOVA Consulting Group (Poland).

Sources (as of 9 October 2026): Office for Foreigners: MOS system; Lower Silesian Voivode: online-only filing from 27 April 2026; Warmian-Masurian Voivode: CUKR card; Warmian-Masurian Voivode: fees; Council Implementing Decision (EU) 2026/1912; National Labour Inspectorate: rules from 5 March 2026; Biznes.gov.pl: business by foreigners; MOS: EU Blue Card; Poland Business Harbour; Lubusz Voivode: recognition as a Polish citizen.