The Office for Foreigners has begun accepting applications for a new three-year residence card—informally dubbed the ‘CUKR’ card—from Ukrainians who have held temporary-protection status (PESEL UKR) for at least 12 months. The scheme, launched on 6 May, is processed entirely online through MOS 2.0, the overhauled Case Management Module that became mandatory for all residence filings in late April. Applicants pay PLN 340 for case review plus PLN 100 for card production and must submit biometrics at a later stage, but they gain an immediate electronic confirmation allowing full access to Poland’s labour market without a separate work permit. Family members can be included in the same session, streamlining what previously required multiple in-person appointments at voivodeship offices. Once the CUKR permit is issued, the holder’s temporary-protection benefits—free accommodation and some social allowances—cease, reflecting Warsaw’s push to transition long-term Ukrainian guests onto standard immigration pathways. Crucially, time spent under the three-year card counts toward the five-year qualification period for EU long-term resident status, making the option attractive for skilled workers that companies want to retain. Employment-sponsor HR teams should note that the MOS portal enforces strict digital-signature requirements; applications must be signed with a Trusted Profile or EU e-ID. Any submission by an unauthorised intermediary is automatically rejected, a change that already appears in MOS system logs. Poland hosts around 950,000 Ukrainian nationals with active PESEL UKR numbers. Government estimates suggest up to 300,000 may transition to CUKR status this year, easing pressure on over-extended temporary-protection budgets while giving employers greater certainty over retention.
Source: InPoland.net.pl
