On Saturday, 12.03.2022, the President of Poland signed the Law on Assistance to Ukrainian Citizens in Connection with Armed Conflict. The Act has already been published in the Journal of Laws and thus the legal solutions regulated by it are already in force
Below we present a list of the most important facilitations and benefits for the citizens of Ukraine:
The person who will be able to take benefit of the help provided by this law is.
- a citizen of Ukraine who arrived in the territory of Poland directly from the territory of Ukraine as of 24 February 2022 and declares his intention to stay in the territory of Poland,
- a citizen of Ukraine holding a Card of the Pole, who, together with his/her immediate family, arrived in the territory of Poland directly from the territory of Ukraine as from 24 February 2022 and declares his/her intention to stay in the territory of Poland,
Therefore, the assistance proposed in the draft of the aforementioned Act will not be available to persons
– persons who are not citizens of Ukraine,
– Persons who are the citizens of Ukraine, but arrived on the territory of Poland from a country other than Ukraine, e.g. via Slovakia,
– persons who are the citizens of Ukraine, arriving to the territory of Poland from Ukraine, but not declaring their intention to stay in the territory of Poland.
The above mentioned persons, who will not be able to benefit from the provisions of the new act, will be able to use the forms of legalisation of stay in Poland available so far.
- The stay of Ukrainian citizens, to whom the aforementioned act applies, will be legal for 18 months, starting from 24 February 2022;
- The act will also not apply to those who have a temporary or permanent residence permit, refugee status, as well as those who have applied for refugee status starting from 24 February;
- Ukrainian citizens covered by the new law will be able to apply for a PESEL number. According to the announcements, it will be possible to submit such an application already from Monday, 14 March 2022;
- Assigning a PESEL number to a citizen of Ukraine covered by the act will, among other things, enable him/her to conduct business on the same basis as Polish citizens;
- A Ukrainian citizen who will be legally residing on the territory of Poland under the new law will be able to be granted a temporary residence permit (for a period of 3 years at a time) upon his/her request. In such a case the Ukrainian citizen is entitled to work in the territory of Poland without the need to possess a work permit;
- Entilted citizens of Ukraine under this new law will have guaranteed access to public health care, including free psychological care, and education at schools and universities;
- Citizens of Ukraine benefiting from free lending of a flat will not be affected by the provisions on the protection of tenants (among others, difficulties in eviction).
