Poland has unveiled a plan to allow displaced Ukrainians to transition from the current temporary protection status to a three-year residency on Monday, May 4.
The route, known as the CUKR, is available to Ukrainians who have a PESEL UKR tax identifier, held temporary protection status as of June 4, 2025, have maintained it continuously for at least 365 days, and continue to hold it at the time of applying for the residence card, according to Polish outlet RMF24.
The three-year residency would grant applicants the right to work legally without needing additional work permits. However, it would also mean that benefits tied to temporary protection would no longer be available, according to the Polish Office for Foreigners, as cited by the outlet.
The residence would count towards the duration needed to obtain a long-term EU resident permit.
Applications can only be submitted online via the Case Management Module portal, costing 340 Polish złoty ($93) for the application and 100 Polish złoty ($27.5) for issuing the card.
According to Kyiv Post’s sources in Poland, the standard process for obtaining temporary residency can take up to two years for foreigners, depending on the city of application. It remains unclear whether the CUKR route would accelerate the procedure.
The program’s official site said the decision is supposed to be issued within 60 days, but added that it isn’t the case in practice.
“Currently these deadlines are not met and proceedings continue for many months,” it says.
What changed?
Prior to CUKR, Ukrainians needed a specific purpose to apply for residency in Poland. This is no longer the case.
An official information portal for Ukrainians in Poland said those under temporary protection could only transition to temporary residency for the following reasons:
- Work
- Work in a profession requiring high qualifications (EU Blue Card)
- Running a business
- Being a family member of a Polish citizen
- Family reunification
“If you stay in Poland on the basis of temporary protection and have UKR status, you cannot apply for a temporary residence permit for other purposes, for example for studying, conducting scientific research, or other reasons provided for in the Act on Foreigners,” the site states.
“As of May 4, 2026, Ukrainian citizens can obtain a three-year temporary residence permit, the so-called CUKR residence card. This solution allows for obtaining residence without indicating a specific purpose,” it adds.
Looming deadlines for Ukrainians in Europe?
The EU rolled out the Temporary Protection Directive in March 2022 across the bloc for Ukrainians seeking refuge from the war – but that might soon end.
The EU-level directive, which mandates access to work and social security for displaced Ukrainians eligible for the status, remains in effect until March 2027. But as Russia’s full-scale invasion entered its fifth year, multiple European nations have reconsidered policies for displaced Ukrainians inside the country.
In March, Poland announced plans to phase out social benefits for Ukrainian refugees, introducing new curbs on social benefits, medical care, legal stay and education.
In April, Germany voiced a desire to limit the number of Ukrainian men seeking asylum and facilitate their return home. The same month, Ireland announced a phased withdrawal of housing benefits for Ukrainians in the country.
Ukrainian lawmaker Viktoria Hryb said in October 2025 that the EU is considering not renewing the temporary protection program after it expires in March 2027.
The Center for Economic Strategy (CES) said in a March report that only 23% of the 5.6 million Ukrainians living abroad planned to return if the temporary protection status expires, while an April 2025 study suggests that displaced Ukrainians who stayed fared much worse economically than those who went abroad.