Poland’s long-running Special Act on Assistance to Ukrainian Citizens—adopted in March 2022 days after Russia invaded Ukraine—will formally expire on 4 March 2026. In a bill signed by President Karol Nawrocki on 19 February and published on 3 March 2026, lawmakers repealed most temporary protections that had given Ukrainians fast-track access to residence, work and social benefits. The new law, analysed by Warsaw firm Wardyński & Partners, confirms that Ukrainians already registered with the PESEL UKR identifier will keep temporary-protection status until 4 March 2027. After that date they must transition to mainstream immigration categories such as temporary-stay, EU long-term resident or permanent-residence permits. Deadlines in pending residence-permit cases remain suspended, but identity verification using a valid passport becomes mandatory by 31 August 2026; failure to comply will trigger automatic loss of UKR status and the right to remain. For employers the change is significant. From 5 March 2026, Ukrainians may continue to work on the basis of PESEL UKR notifications, yet new business activity on Polish territory will be possible only for holders of a standard residence title (temporary protection, permanent residence, EU Blue Card, etc.). Posted-worker assignments exceeding 30 days abroad will now terminate temporary-protection rights, creating additional compliance risk for multinationals that send staff from Polish entities to EU clients. The phase-out is meant to equalise rules for all foreign nationals and to ease administrative pressure on voivode offices, which have struggled with a two-year backlog. Critics, including NGOs, warn that tens of thousands of Ukrainians who entered without passports may be unable to secure travel documents from war-torn regions in time, risking irregular status next year. HR teams are therefore advised to audit employee files, initiate passport renewals, and map transition paths to work/residence permits well before the August identity-verification deadline. For corporate mobility programmes the message is clear: 2026-2027 will be a high-volume re-application cycle. Companies should budget for additional legal fees and potential work-disruption contingencies as case queues grow once suspended time-limits are reinstated.
Source: HRLaw.pl
