This page is for people who are getting a PESEL number with UKR status, have received a new passport or want to check whether a trip abroad puts their status at risk.
How is an ordinary PESEL different from PESEL UKR?
PESEL is assigned as a personal number in the Polish population register, and PESEL UKR differs from an ordinary one by the status recorded in that register. A foreigner who lives in Poland is assigned an ordinary PESEL when they register their address (zameldowanie). Others are assigned one on application, if the law requires it. PESEL with UKR status is assigned on a separate application to holders of temporary protection, and it is UKR status that confirms they are staying in Poland legally.
The register has several statuses that matter to Ukrainians:
- UKR means temporary protection;
- CUKR is given to those who have received a CUKR residence card (karta pobytu CUKR);
- NUE is given when a person has been excluded from protection, when circumstances arise in which the law does not grant protection, or when the EU decision has ended, and also to those who did not confirm their identity by 31 August 2026.
Since 5 March 2026, holders of protection who are not Ukrainian citizens also receive PESEL UKR. The Office for Foreigners (UdSC) no longer issues certificates of protection. Certificates issued before that date remain valid until the end of 4 March 2027, and when the holder is assigned PESEL UKR, the certificate is canceled. Certificate holders who arrived legally from Ukraine in connection with the war can get PESEL UKR without entering Poland again.
How do you get PESEL UKR?
You apply for the number in person at the office of any gmina (the smallest administrative unit, similar to a municipality or a Ukrainian hromada) within 30 days of the day you cross the Polish border.
- A valid passport. The gmina confirms your identity using a valid travel document. The law allows another document only when the Minister of the Interior temporarily introduces this option by a separate regulation during a mass influx of people.
- A paper application. You sign it by hand and legibly. In the application you state how you are related to other holders of protection; the gmina checks these ties against civil status documents if they are not visible in the PESEL register. Your first name and surname are transliterated under the rules of the Act on the Profession of Sworn Translator.
- A photo and fingerprints. Fingerprints are not taken from children under 6, or when it is physically impossible.
- An application for a child. It is filed by a parent, guardian, court-appointed representative (kurator), temporary guardian or a person who actually cares for the child; the child must be present. If there are no such people, the gmina can assign the number on its own initiative.
In the application you can agree to automatic confirmation of a trusted profile (Profil Zaufany) so that you can use public online services. A refusal is issued as an administrative decision, and the law provides no appeal (odwołanie) against it.
From 5 August 2026, protection is granted only to those who have fulfilled their military obligations in Ukraine, if they did not yet have protection in Poland on 4 August 2026. We explain what counts as proof on the temporary protection page.
What not to take from the service page on gov.pl
The gov.pl service page for Ukrainian citizens (updated on 13 March 2026) still refers to repealed provisions of the special act. It says that a statement can replace an identity document and that fingerprints are not taken from children under 12. The law in force since 5 March 2026 requires a valid travel document and exempts children under 6 from fingerprinting. The same page calls the service free of charge; we have not checked which legal act says so.
What happens if you miss the 30 days?
Temporary protection ends: the law directly names failure to apply for PESEL UKR within the 30-day period as a ground for ending it.
How do you confirm your identity if your PESEL was assigned without a passport?
It depends on how the number was assigned: there are two different rules, so make sure you know which one applies to you.
| How your PESEL UKR was assigned | What you had to do | Consequence |
|---|---|---|
| Only on the basis of your own statement (oświadczenie), without any document | Confirm your identity at any gmina with a valid passport by 31 August 2026 | From 1 September 2026, those who did not do so in time had their UKR status changed to NUE and lost the right to protection |
| On the basis of a Pole's Card (Karta Polaka), another document with a photo, a birth certificate or an invalid passport, and also if your passport has expired since then | Confirm your identity at any gmina within 60 days of the date your new passport is issued | According to UdSC, this is free of charge and your PESEL number does not change; missing the deadline puts your UKR status at risk |
The obligation does not apply to those who have already confirmed their identity at a gmina with a valid travel document after the number was assigned.
How do you keep UKR status?
Your status is kept as long as the EU decision on protection is in force and there are no grounds for ending it.
- Do not leave Poland for more than 30 days. A longer absence ends protection.
- Update your data after getting a new passport within the deadline given in the table above.
- Do not get another permit unless you plan to switch. A temporary or permanent residence permit ends temporary protection.
What should you do if your status was changed to NUE?
NUE means that you no longer have a basis for staying as a holder of temporary protection. Together with UKR status, the person also loses the right to work on the basis of protection and the payments linked to it.
We have not found an official explanation of how people moved to NUE on 1 September 2026 can get protection back. In our reading of the law, the path is as follows: leave Poland and enter again, file a new application for a PESEL number with UKR status within 30 days of crossing the border and prove that you have fulfilled your military obligations in Ukraine, because after 4 August 2026 the person no longer has protection in Poland without a break. This is our conclusion from the law, not an explanation from the authorities, so before leaving it is better to check your situation with UdSC or the gmina office.
For those going to another Schengen country, the law separately allows UKR status to be changed on the basis of a departure application filed at a gmina. After you return, UKR status can be granted again on a new application, and the date of re-entry will count as the date it was granted.
What else is PESEL needed for?
- Taxes. PESEL serves as the tax identifier for a person who is not registered as a VAT payer and does not run a business. More on the page Taxes in Poland.
- 800+. In 800+ applications filed after 31 January 2026, PESEL is mandatory, and the right to the payment arises no earlier than the month in which the applicant and the child were assigned PESEL UKR. The conditions are described on the page Aid for Ukrainians in Poland.
- Trusted profile and online services. According to gov.pl, you need a PESEL number for a trusted profile.
What mistakes should you avoid?
- Coming to the gmina without a valid passport or another travel document.
- Missing the 30 days after entry.
- Confusing the two identity confirmation rules: the 31 August 2026 deadline has already passed, while the 60 days are counted from the issue of the new passport.
- Relying on the outdated service page on gov.pl.
- Leaving Poland for more than 30 days in the belief that your status will “wait” for you.