CUKR Residence Card in Poland: The Complete 2026 Guide
Who can turn temporary protection (PESEL UKR) into a 3-year residence card, how to apply in MOS step by step, what it costs, how long it takes and what changes after you collect the card.
CUKR Residence Card in Poland: The Complete 2026 Guide
Who can turn temporary protection (PESEL UKR) into a 3-year residence card, how to apply in MOS step by step, what it costs, how long it takes and what changes after you collect the card.
4 March 2027the filing date in the law that keeps your stay legal while you wait
440 złtotal fees (340 zł + 100 zł), paid before you apply
3 yearscard validity, counted from the day it is issued
MOS onlyonline application, signed with Profil Zaufany or a qualified e-signature
180 daysthe legal deadline for the office to issue or refuse the card
60 daysto collect the card after you are notified, or it is cancelled
What is the CUKR card?
“CUKR” is the common name for a residence card (karta pobytu) for Ukrainian citizens and their family members who have temporary protection in Poland. The card carries the note “Poprzednio posiadacz ochrony czasowej” (previously a holder of temporary protection). The name comes from the PESEL register: “UKR” is the status of temporary protection beneficiaries, and “C” stands for card.
When you collect the card, your temporary protection ends and you get, by law, a temporary residence permit valid for as long as the card. The permit does not depend on why you are in Poland (work, study, family). There is no separate decision granting it: the card itself is the result of the procedure.
The rules are in articles 42c–42x of the Act on assistance to citizens of Ukraine (consolidated text: Dz.U. 2026 poz. 1293). Applications have been accepted since 4 May 2026.
Who qualifies
You can apply if you are a Ukrainian citizen who came to Poland because of the war, or one of these family members who came with them: a spouse, a minor child, a minor child of the spouse, or a close family member of a Ukrainian citizen who holds a Karta Polaka. People with Polish citizenship or the citizenship of another EU country cannot apply.
You must meet all of these conditions at the same time:
you had UKR status on 4 June 2025;
you have UKR status on the day you file the application;
you have held UKR status without a break for at least 365 days. These 365 days do not have to come right before the application, but they must be consecutive. Separate shorter periods do not add up;
according to the Office for Foreigners (UdSC), your PESEL UKR must also still be active on the day the card is issued.
Children born in Poland. A child born in Poland from 24 February 2022 to a mother with temporary protection can get a CUKR card if the child has UKR status. The 4 June 2025 and 365-day conditions do not apply to these children. The mother must already have received her own CUKR card before the child’s application is filed, and the child’s card is valid for as long as the mother’s. A child who came from Ukraine applies on the general rules, regardless of the parents’ cards.
Who cannot get CUKR (typical cases from the UdSC Q&A)
People who received an ordinary temporary residence permit (for example for work) in 2025. Getting that permit ended their UKR status, so they had no UKR status on 4 June 2025 or on the filing day.
People who lost UKR status before 4 June 2025, for example after leaving Poland for longer than the law allows, and got it back later.
People who have no UKR status on the day they want to file.
Not sure about your status? The status and its history are in the PESEL register. Any municipal office (urząd gminy) can check it for you.
The deadline: 4 March 2027
Under art. 42x of the Act, if you file the CUKR application by 4 March 2027, your stay remains legal until you collect the card (or the card is cancelled because you did not collect it), or until a refusal or a decision discontinuing the case becomes final. Voivodeship offices state the same date as the deadline for applications.
Two facts worth knowing. First, in August 2026 the EU extended temporary protection for people from Ukraine until 4 March 2028 (Council Implementing Decision, announced by UdSC on 6 August 2026). Second, the MOS page describes the filing deadline as “until the end of temporary protection”. The Act, as published in Dziennik Ustaw, still uses 4 March 2027 for the legal-stay protection, so that is the safe date to plan for. If Polish law is amended, we will update this guide.
Before you start: 5 checks
Profil Zaufany (or a qualified electronic signature). You need it to log in to MOS through login.gov.pl and to sign the application. You can set up Profil Zaufany for free online through some banks; see pz.gov.pl.
Complete data in the PESEL register: name, surname, date of birth, sex, citizenship and the series, number and expiry date of a valid passport. Also fingerprints (not taken from children under 6) or a note that they could not be taken, and a signature specimen (from age 12). If something is missing, MOS will not let you file. Go to any urząd gminy with your passport to update it.
Passport shown. If your PESEL UKR was given only on the basis of a declaration, without a passport, the Act required you to show a passport by 31 August 2026, or the UKR status was lost.
A digital photo (JPG). The requirements are below.
Both fees paid, with the confirmations saved as PDF.
How to apply, step by step
Read the MOS rules and the CUKR information on mos.cudzoziemcy.gov.pl.
Create a new user account in MOS (“Moje konto”). Create it yourself (an adult) or as a parent or guardian of a child. Every account belongs to one person. UdSC advises creating a new account even if you used the older version of MOS.
Log in through login.gov.pl with Profil Zaufany or a qualified signature.
Pay both fees (340 zł and 100 zł) to the correct accounts. See the next section.
On the MOS home page, choose “Krok 3. Złóż wniosek online” and then “Wniosek UKR”. Your personal data is pulled in automatically from the registers. If MOS says you cannot file, your register data is incomplete or does not match. Fix it at a urząd gminy first.
Fill in the form in Polish, following the instructions in the form. You can save it and come back later before sending.
Attach the photo (JPG) and both payment confirmations (PDF).
Check everything, then sign through login.gov.pl with a trusted signature (Profil Zaufany) or a qualified electronic signature. A Polish citizen filing for a child can also use a personal signature (e-dowód).
Send it and download the UPO, the official confirmation of receipt. Keep it. MOS does not issue a separate certificate (zaświadczenie) that you filed.
Only the applicant can file. A proxy (pełnomocnik) cannot sign or send the application. Someone may help you fill it in, but the signature must be yours. An application sent on paper, by e-mail or by any route other than the MOS service is left unexamined. No appointment at the office is needed to file: you go there only to collect the card.
Documents you attach
Attachment
Format and requirements
Photo
JPG, taken in the last 6 months, 35×45 mm, at least 684×883 px, max 2.5 MB. Face covering 70–80% of the photo, plain light background. No head covering (a religious exception needs a statement) and no dark glasses (an exception needs a disability document or statement).
Proof of 340 zł stamp duty
PDF: the electronic transfer confirmation or a scan of a paper receipt
Proof of 100 zł card fee
PDF: the electronic transfer confirmation or a scan of a paper receipt
That is all. During the procedure you will not normally be asked for your passport, fingerprints or a signature specimen. The voivode uses data already in the registers, unless they decide something extra is needed in your case.
Fees: 440 zł in total
Fee
Amount
Paid to
Stamp duty (opłata skarbowa) for the temporary residence permit
340 zł
The city office (prezydent miasta) of the city where your voivode has its seat, to its bank account or at its cash desk
Card fee
100 zł
The voivodeship office (urząd wojewódzki) you apply to
Pay before you file, as two separate payments. Take the account numbers only from the official website of your voivodeship office or city office.
There are no exemptions or reduced fees. The fees are also due for children.
If a fee is missing, the voivode refuses the card.
The Act says fees are not refunded after a refusal, a discontinued case, an application left unexamined, or a card that was not collected.
How long it takes
Stage
Time
Office issues or refuses the card
Legal deadline: 180 days. UdSC says real waiting times cannot be predicted and differ between voivodeships.
Usually 30–60 days, part of the 180. Not done for children under 13.
Collecting the card
Within 60 days of the notice to collect it, in person
Appeal against a refusal
14 days from delivery of the decision. The appeal is decided within 90 days.
The office that handles your case is the voivode for the place where you live on the day you file. If you move later, the office stays the same, but tell it your new correspondence address (by post or e-Doręczenia).
What CUKR gives you, and what you lose
After you collect the card:
a temporary residence permit for 3 years, independent of the purpose of your stay;
full access to the labour market: work like a Polish citizen, without a work permit and without your employer notifying the labour office;
running a business on the same terms as Polish citizens (entry in CEiDG);
crossing the Polish border without a visa, and stays in other Schengen countries of up to 90 days in any 180-day period, if you meet the entry conditions (including a valid passport);
your time in Poland starts counting toward EU long-term resident status from the day you collect the card. Time on UKR status does not count;
you can still receive benefits such as family and child benefits (for example 800+) or a social pension, if you meet the conditions of those benefits.
Things that change:
You lose benefits that come only from UKR status, for example free accommodation and food in collective accommodation centres.
You must tell the voivode who issued the card, in writing, about any change of address within 15 working days. Otherwise letters sent to the old address count as delivered.
Leaving Poland for more than 6 months at a time is a reason to revoke the permit.
The card cannot be renewed. To stay longer, apply for another permit on the general rules before it expires.
A lost or damaged card is replaced on a paper application. The fee is 200 zł, or 300 zł if you lose it again through your own fault.
While you wait (application sent, card not collected yet), UKR rules still apply. You can travel, but a trip abroad longer than the UKR rules allow (30 days) can end your status.
Common mistakes
Filing while another temporary residence case is pending. Sending a CUKR application automatically discontinues a pending temporary residence case, with no decision issued. If CUKR is then refused, you have nothing pending. Decide which route you want before you send.
Trying to fix a MOS block by filing on paper. A paper or e-mail application is left unexamined. Update your PESEL data at a urząd gminy, then file in MOS again.
Using an old MOS account or letting someone else log in. Create a new account and log in yourself.
Paying one transfer for 440 zł, or paying the wrong office. The 340 zł and the 100 zł go to two different authorities.
A photo that does not meet the requirements, such as the wrong size, a dark background or an old photo.
An expired passport in the register. The PESEL register must show a valid passport.
A long trip abroad while you wait, which can end your UKR status.
Missing the 60-day pickup window. The card is cancelled and the fees are lost. You keep UKR status, but you would have to apply and pay again.
Not reporting a change of address, so you miss the notice to collect your card.
Filing for a child born in Poland before the mother has her card. The mother’s card must be issued first.
FAQ
Can I apply for CUKR if my PESEL UKR is active?
Only if you also had UKR status on 4 June 2025 and have held it for at least 365 consecutive days. An active PESEL UKR today is necessary, but it is not enough on its own.
Do I need to go to the office to apply?
No. You apply only online in MOS and you do not need an appointment. You visit the office only to collect the card in person, within 60 days of the notice.
Can a lawyer or an agency submit the application for me?
No. A proxy cannot sign or send it. You sign it yourself with Profil Zaufany or a qualified e-signature. For a child, a parent or guardian signs.
How much does the CUKR card cost?
440 zł in total: 340 zł stamp duty paid to the city office of the city where your voivode has its seat, and 100 zł for the card paid to the voivodeship office. There are no exemptions, and the fees are not refunded after a refusal.
Can I work while I wait for the card?
Yes. Until you collect the card, your UKR rules apply, including the right to work under those rules. After you collect it, you have full access to the labour market without a work permit.
What happens to my pending temporary residence application?
It is discontinued automatically by law when you send the CUKR application, with no separate decision. If CUKR is refused, that earlier case does not come back.
How long is the card valid, and can I renew it?
3 years from the day it is issued. A child born in Poland gets the same validity as the mother. The card cannot be renewed. Before it expires, apply for another permit on the general rules.
MOS says I cannot submit the application. What should I do?
This usually means your data in the PESEL register is incomplete or does not match, for example an expired passport or missing fingerprints or signature specimen. Go to any municipal office (urząd gminy) with your passport, ask them to check and update the data, then try again.
Can I travel with a CUKR card?
Yes. You can cross the Polish border without a visa and stay in other Schengen countries for up to 90 days in any 180 days, with a valid passport. Leaving Poland for more than 6 months is a reason to revoke the permit.
Not eligible for CUKR, or need a different permit?
If you are filing a temporary residence and work application in MOS yourself, the EEP MOS Package walks you through it: an eligibility check, a document plan and a field-by-field form guide. It covers temporary residence and work, not CUKR. For CUKR, the official MOS and UdSC pages linked below are enough.
Sometimes the language. Sometimes a useful service. Sometimes help with a process that is free at the official source. Here is how to tell the difference.
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