New rules for Dowód osobisty in Poland: will they come into effect on December 1

Poland is preparing to change the rules for obtaining a dowód osobisty: the applicant will be able to specify the commune where they want to collect the finished document, even if they submitted the application elsewhere. The news concerns holders of Polish citizenship, which over 10,000 Ukrainians received in 2025. This was reported by InPoland.net.pl.

Where to collect a Polish identity card now

According to the current procedure, a finished dowód osobisty is collected in the commune that accepted the application. If a person has moved or is working in another city during the processing time, they have to return to that office. The Gov.pl service page currently states such a procedure.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Administration of Poland proposes to allow the applicant to choose another commune in advance for receiving the document. Such an option is provided by a government project, but the current instruction does not yet confirm its implementation.

Will the new rules come into effect on December 1, 2026

InPoland.net.pl names December 1, 2026, as the date for the start of changes after being postponed from July. At the same time, the government page describes the choice of collection location as a proposed norm, and Gov.pl still advises to collect the document where the application was submitted. Therefore, it is advisable to plan a visit to another commune under the new rules only after the official update of the regulations.

The project also provides for the possibility of restoring the validity of a certificate canceled due to a clear error. This is a separate procedure that still needs to be enshrined in law. It specifically concerns the Polish dowód osobisty, not the electronic document Diia.pl for Ukrainians with appropriate status.