In Poland, the number of applications for a residence card has sharply increased, and most of them are submitted by Ukrainian citizens. The reason is concerns that the temporary protection will expire in 2026, so Ukrainians are eager to legalize their stay in advance. This is reported by InPoland.
Residence card in Poland: which voivodeships submit the most
After the adoption of the amendment to the law, whereby temporary protection ends on March 4, 2026, the number of applications has rapidly increased. Data from voivodeship offices indicate:
- In Małopolska voivodeship, the number of submitted applications increased by 5000 from September to November 20
- Ukrainians' applications for temporary residence increased by 43%
- Applications for long-term EU resident status increased by 21%.
In other regions, the trend is similar:
- Kuyavian-Pomeranian voivodeship — +50% of applications
- Łódź voivodeship — +48%
- Podlaskie (Białystok) — record +130%.
According to data from migracje.gov.pl, in 2025 alone, 711,547 foreigners submitted applications for legalization. The most in Mazowieckie voivodeship — 185,617 applications.
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Why the number of applications for a residence card has sharply increased
Experts explain that Ukrainians are concerned about the expiration of temporary protection introduced after the full-scale invasion by Russia. The signing of the amendment by the President of Poland in September 2025 served as a signal to accelerate legalization, thus the burden on voivodeship offices significantly increases.
It is expected that the number of submitted applications will continue to grow, especially in regions with the largest Ukrainian community.
Earlier, we reported that all Ukrainian citizens who arrived in Poland through official border crossing points due to the war and registered for UKR status have the right to stay in the country until the end of September of the current year.