The CUKR card is a three-year Polish residence card for Ukrainian citizens who have been staying in Poland under temporary protection with PESEL UKR status. It carries the annotation "Previously a holder of temporary protection" and confirms a temporary residence permit granted on special conditions, without a separate decision by the voivode. Applications have been accepted since 4 May 2026, only online through the new MOS portal. The official costs are PLN 340 in stamp duty and PLN 100 for the card. A CUKR card gives free access to the Polish labour market and allows Schengen travel for up to 90 days in 180, but the permit is lost if you leave Poland for more than six months. This guide explains who qualifies, how to apply and how to keep the card. All rules were checked on 11 November 2026 against official Polish sources.

Why the CUKR card exists

Since 2022, many Ukrainian citizens in Poland have lived under temporary protection, confirmed by a PESEL number with UKR status. Temporary protection is, by design, temporary. Zielona Linia notes that UKR status will most probably apply only until 4 March 2027 (Zielona Linia). The CUKR card offers a way to move from temporary protection to a temporary residence permit and gain three years of stability, counted from the day the card is issued.

Who can apply

The main group

The MOS portal describes the main group as Ukrainian citizens and eligible members of their families who have UKR status, including on 4 June 2025, and who meet the further requirements linked to that status (MOS portal). The voivodeship office in Poznań explains that you must meet all four conditions at the same time. These include having a current PESEL UKR on the day you apply and having had a current PESEL UKR on 4 June 2025 (Wielkopolska Voivodeship Office). The office's page lists all four conditions, and you should read them in full before applying.

Children born in Poland

A child born in Poland after 23 February 2022 can also obtain a CUKR card if the conditions are met, including that the child has a current PESEL UKR when the application is filed and when the card is issued, and that the child's mother has a CUKR card (Wielkopolska Voivodeship Office). For a child, the card's validity follows the validity of the card issued to the mother (MOS portal).

Who should look at other options

If you do not meet the UKR conditions, the CUKR route is not available to you. Other permits, such as the temporary residence and work permit, follow the general rules. See how to apply for a Polish residence permit online.

What the card gives you

Three years of residence

The card is issued for three years (MOS portal), and the validity of your temporary residence permit matches the validity of the card (Office for Foreigners). In the PESEL register, your status changes from UKR to CUKR.

Free access to work

Zielona Linia explains that the CUKR card gives free access to the Polish labour market: work is possible without a work permit or a declaration, and the employer does not need to send the notification to the district labour office that is required for UKR status. A CUKR holder may also run a business in Poland on the same terms as Polish citizens (Zielona Linia).

Travel in Schengen

With a valid travel document, the CUKR card allows travel within the Schengen area for up to 90 days in each 180-day period (Office for Foreigners). See travelling in Europe with a Polish residence card for the general rules.

How to apply

1. Create a new MOS account. Accounts from the previous version of MOS were not transferred, so even if you used MOS before, you need a new account (Office for Foreigners).
2. Log in personally through login.gov.pl. The Office for Foreigners warns never to give anyone your login details (Wielkopolska Voivodeship Office).
3. Fill in the CUKR application form in MOS according to the instructions.
4. Add the required attachments, including a current digital photograph and confirmation of payment.
5. Sign the form with a trusted signature or a qualified electronic signature through login.gov.pl (MOS portal).
6. Send and save. After sending, you can save the application as PDF and XML files and receive an official confirmation of receipt, the UPO (Office for Foreigners).

Fees

The official information states that the only costs are the stamp duty for granting a temporary residence permit, PLN 340, and the fee for issuing the residence card, PLN 100 (Office for Foreigners). Pay both to the accounts given for your voivodeship and attach proof of payment. Be wary of anyone who charges large sums to "arrange" a CUKR card. The application is made personally online.

Collecting the card

If the card is issued, the voivode informs you that you can collect it (Office for Foreigners). Collect it on time. Zielona Linia explains that if you do not collect the card within 60 days of being informed that it is ready, you do not obtain the temporary residence permit and the card is cancelled (Zielona Linia). The official information adds that your status will then not change from UKR to CUKR. Your temporary residence permit begins when you collect the card.

Rules you must follow after you get the card

Report changes of address

A CUKR card holder must inform the voivode of every change of place of stay within 15 working days (Zielona Linia).

Do not leave Poland for too long

Leaving Poland for more than six months results in the loss of the temporary residence permit (Zielona Linia). The Office for Foreigners also reminds people still on UKR status that the UKR status is cancelled if they leave Poland for more than 30 days (Office for Foreigners). Plan long trips carefully, both before and after you receive the card.

If you already have a residence case pending

Some Ukrainian citizens with UKR status had already applied for a temporary residence permit on other grounds. The Poznań office explains that if you have a case pending and apply for a CUKR card, your current temporary residence proceedings are discontinued by law (Wielkopolska Voivodeship Office). Think carefully about which route suits you before applying, especially if your pending case concerns a permit with different rights, such as an EU Blue Card.

After three years

The CUKR card gives a three-year temporary residence permit. If you want to stay after it ends, you will need another basis of stay under the general rules, applied for through MOS during your legal stay. Depending on your situation, options may include a temporary residence and work permit, a permit for business activity, or, after enough years of qualifying residence, longer-term residence. See extending your residence and work permit in Poland and our guide to the long-term EU resident permit.

For employers

An employer hiring a CUKR card holder does not need a work permit, a declaration or the UKR notification (Zielona Linia). The employer should still keep a copy of the worker's valid residence card, register the worker for social insurance within seven days (Social Insurance Institution), and note the card's expiry date. Employers who currently employ Ukrainian workers on UKR status should plan for 4 March 2027, the date Zielona Linia gives as the most probable end of UKR status.

CUKR compared with other options

The table summarises information from the Office for Foreigners and Zielona Linia linked above. The main advantages of CUKR are the three-year period and free access to work, which is why the Poznań office describes it as the simplest route to three years of legal stay for those who qualify (Wielkopolska Voivodeship Office).

Worked examples

A worker with UKR status since 2022

A Ukrainian citizen has had UKR status continuously since 2022, including on 4 June 2025, and still has it. She creates a new MOS account, completes the CUKR form, pays PLN 340 and PLN 100, attaches a digital photograph and the payment confirmations, signs with her trusted profile and saves the UPO. When the voivode informs her that the card is ready, she collects it within 60 days. From then on, her status in the PESEL register is CUKR, and her employer no longer needs to send the UKR notification.

A worker with a pending single permit case

A Ukrainian citizen with UKR status applied for a temporary residence and work permit last year and is still waiting. If he applies for a CUKR card, the earlier case is discontinued by law. He compares the two options: the CUKR card gives three years and free access to work, while the pending permit, if granted, would be tied to his employer. He decides based on his own plans.

A family with a child born in Poland

A mother with a CUKR card has a child born in Poland in 2023 who has a current PESEL UKR. The child can obtain a CUKR card if the conditions are met, with validity matching the mother's card.

Protecting your login and data

The Office for Foreigners repeatedly warns never to share your login details for login.gov.pl. Anyone who has them can act in your name in government systems. If someone offers to file your CUKR application for you using your login, decline. Apply yourself, and ask for help only from people you trust who do not need your password.

Polish terms you will see

• Poprzednio posiadacz ochrony czasowej: "previously a holder of temporary protection", the annotation on the CUKR card.
• Ochrona czasowa: temporary protection.
• Status UKR: the PESEL status for people under temporary protection.
• Odbiór karty: collection of the card.
• Zmiana miejsca pobytu: change of place of stay.

Where to get official help

• Zielona Linia, the information centre of the public employment services, answers questions about employing foreigners on 19 524 and publishes guidance at zielonalinia.gov.pl.
• The voivodeship office handling your case can answer questions about residence procedures and deadlines.
• The MOS portal has a contact form for questions about residence procedures and the portal itself (MOS portal).
• The Office for Foreigners publishes questions and answers about CUKR at gov.pl/web/udsc.

Checklist before applying

• Check that your PESEL has UKR status today and had it on 4 June 2025.
• Read all four conditions on the voivodeship office page.
• Check whether you have another residence case pending, and decide whether to switch.
• Prepare a current digital photograph.
• Pay PLN 340 and PLN 100 and keep both confirmations.
• Make sure you can sign through login.gov.pl.
• Do not plan a trip of more than 30 days away from Poland while still on UKR status.

For an overview of all the 2026 changes for foreign workers in Poland, see our guide to the new regulations for foreign workers in Poland.

Your next steps

1. Check your PESEL status and the four conditions on the voivodeship office page.
2. Decide whether CUKR is the best route, especially if another case is pending.
3. Create a new MOS account and check that you can sign through login.gov.pl.
4. Pay PLN 340 and PLN 100 and prepare a digital photograph.
5. Apply, save the UPO, and collect the card within 60 days of being told it is ready.

If you are unsure whether you meet all four conditions, contact the voivodeship office before you apply. Applying when you do not qualify costs time and money, and the stamp duty rules for residence applications mean fees are not generally refunded after a refusal.