This page is for people who are already in Poland or are only planning to move and want to understand which documents they will need and in what order. Here is the overall picture; the detailed steps are on separate pages, with links at the end.
How are PESEL, UKR status and a residence card different?
PESEL only identifies you in the population register, your status in that register shows your basis for staying, and a residence card (karta pobytu) confirms a permit you have been granted.
| PESEL | UKR status in the PESEL register | Residence card | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | A personal number in the population register | A marker showing that the person has temporary protection | A foreigner's document showing the type of permit |
| How to get it | Assigned to a foreigner who lives in Poland when they register their address; to others on application, if the law requires it | An application for assignment at any gmina within 30 days of entry | Usually after a permit decision, and the first card is issued without a separate application; the CUKR card is issued on an online application, and the permit arises on the day you collect it |
| What happens when the status changes | The number does not change | If the person is excluded from protection or the EU decision ends, the status is changed to NUE; after a CUKR card is received, to CUKR | The CUKR card carries the note “Poprzednio posiadacz ochrony czasowej” |
A residence card usually shows the type of permit, the registered address and the PESEL number. The CUKR card does not show an address.
In what order do you get your documents?
The order is set by the deadlines: you must register your address no later than the fourth day after arriving there, and apply for a PESEL number with UKR status within 30 days of entering Poland.
- Address registration (zameldowanie). A Ukrainian citizen registers no later than the fourth day after arriving at the address. Details are on the page Address registration.
- PESEL with UKR status. You apply in person at the office of any gmina (the smallest administrative unit, similar to a municipality or a Ukrainian hromada) within 30 days of crossing the Polish border. The steps are described on the page PESEL and PESEL UKR.
- Trusted profile (Profil Zaufany). It can be confirmed automatically together with the PESEL UKR application. You need it for public online services; the CUKR card application is signed with it or with a qualified electronic signature.
- Protection document in mObywatel. The former Diia.pl is now called “Dokument ochrony czasowej”. It can be used by Ukrainian citizens aged 18 and over who crossed the Ukrainian border after 24 February 2022 and have a PESEL number, an active trusted profile and active UKR status.
- CUKR residence card, if you meet the conditions. You apply online; see the page CUKR residence card.
For taxes, you usually do not need a separate number. PESEL serves as the tax identifier for a person who is not registered as a VAT payer and does not run a business, and also for someone who carries out unregistered activity (działalność nierejestrowana) with a small income. A NIP number is needed, for example, by registered entrepreneurs and VAT payers.
What is a trusted profile, and how do you get one?
A trusted profile (Profil Zaufany) lets you confirm your identity and sign applications in public online services. For holders of UKR status, it can be confirmed automatically if you give the required details in the PESEL UKR application and consent to it. Later, the profile can be confirmed in other ways too, for example at any gmina using a valid travel document.
Profiles confirmed under the special act and valid on 4 March 2026 remain valid. According to gov.pl, a profile is valid for 3 years from confirmation and can be extended online for another 3 years.
Do Ukrainian documents need an apostille and a translation?
Many Ukrainian documents do not need an apostille. The 1993 Agreement between Poland and Ukraine on legal assistance, in force since 14 August 1994, recognizes documents drawn up or certified by a competent authority of one country and bearing an official seal and signature, without legalization in the other. The same applies to copies and translations certified by that authority.
Both countries are also parties to the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention: for Ukraine it has been in force since 22 December 2003, for Poland since 14 August 2005. We have not found official confirmation that all Polish institutions (banks, universities, civil registry offices) accept Ukrainian documents without an apostille in practice, so it is better to check the requirements of the specific institution in advance.
An apostille on a Polish document is issued by the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the fee is 60 zł per document. For an in-person appointment you book through e-Konsulat, and you can also send the application by post. Notarial and court documents are first certified by a regional court, and higher education documents go through NAWA (the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange). The ministry warns that it does not work with intermediaries offering such services.
Translation
In cases under the Act on Foreigners, including residence permits, documents in a foreign language are filed together with a Polish translation made by a sworn translator. A sworn translator translates and certifies translations, certifies copies of documents in a foreign language and interprets. The official list of such translators is kept by the Ministry of Justice: you can search it by language (including Ukrainian), city and voivodeship. Translators who are temporarily suspended are not shown in the list.
What documents can a foreigner get in Poland?
The Act on Foreigners provides for these documents:
- a residence card;
- a Polish travel document for a foreigner;
- a Polish identity document for a foreigner;
- a temporary Polish travel document for a foreigner;
- the “zgoda na pobyt tolerowany” document on consent for tolerated stay.
Since 1 April 2026, the European travel document for return has been added to them. The first residence card is usually issued without a separate card application; the CUKR card is issued only on an online application.
What mistakes should you avoid?
- Thinking that the PESEL number alone gives you the right to stay. Your basis is shown by your status in the register or by a permit.
- Relying on the 30-day deadline for address registration: for Ukrainian citizens the deadline is 4 days.
- Filing translations not made by a sworn translator in permit cases.
- Buying an apostille appointment or a CUKR card application from intermediaries: you can do both procedures yourself.