Ukrainians in Poland need to update PESEL UKR by August 31, 2026: who should do it

Ukrainians who are in Poland with PESEL UKR status must check and update their data by August 31, 2026. Otherwise, it may affect their legal stay and access to social services. This is reported by inPoland.

PESEL UKR update 2026: who must go through the procedure

This primarily applies to those who received PESEL without a valid foreign passport or based on temporary documents.

It is mandatory to update the data if:

• PESEL was issued without a foreign passport

• internal documents or application were used

• child received a number without a passport.

Updating is also necessary in case of changes:

• receipt of a new foreign passport

• change of name or surname

• discovery of errors in the registry

• addition of new documents.

In such cases, you need to confirm your identity with valid documents and make changes in the system.

Status of Ukrainians in Poland: why it is important to update data

PESEL with UKR status grants Ukrainians a number of rights in Poland, including:

• legal stay

• official employment

• access to social benefits

• medical care

• opening bank accounts

• access to government services

• education for children.

At the same time, these opportunities directly depend on the relevance of information in the registry.

If the data is not updated in time, possible:

• problems with residence status

• limitations on benefits

• difficulties accessing medical services.

Updating is done by contacting the relevant authorities in Poland with valid documents.

Changes are related to new requirements of Polish legislation, which requires the data in the system to match the actual documents.

Let us remind you, after the special law expires, the stay of Ukrainians in Poland will only be possible on general grounds. Meanwhile, the Polish authorities are preparing separate mechanisms that are intended to facilitate legalization specifically for citizens of Ukraine.