New rules for the stay of Ukrainian citizens in Poland come into effect on March 5. The changes concern the extension of legal status, verification of digital documents, and border crossing rules for children.
This was reported by blogger Alexander Matveyev.
One of the key changes is the automatic extension of the legal stay of Ukrainians in Poland. This rule applies to both citizens with a special UKR status and those residing in the country on general terms.
Holders of UKR status no longer need to contact government agencies to renew it. You can check the relevance of your data via the Diia.pl application.
In addition, Polish visas and residence cards that expired during martial law remain valid. Ukrainians who have exceeded the permitted period of stay under the visa-free regime can also continue to legally reside in Poland.
At the same time, the Polish Border Guard is changing the rules for checking electronic documents. From now on, screenshots from the mObywatel or Diia.pl application will not be considered official confirmation of status.
When passing through border control, the active application must be shown in real time. If necessary, the user can be asked to update the data directly during the check.
Separate changes have been introduced for minors, as it is this category that most often has problems when crossing the border.
Children under 13 must be added to a parent's digital status in the app.
Teenagers aged 13 and over are required to have their own account on Diia.pl.
At the same time, it is important to take into account another nuance. If one of the parents, for example the mother, changes the UKR status to a residence card or visa, the child's status that was tied to her profile may be canceled. In this case, the child will not be able to cross the border, even if her stay in Poland remains legal.
Parents are advised to take care of separate legalization of their children's status in advance to avoid problems while traveling.
The new rules also clarify the procedure for obtaining the special UKR status. From now on, it can only be obtained in the case of direct entry into Poland from the territory of Ukraine.
Citizens arriving in Poland from other countries can take advantage of the visa-free regime for 90 days. During this time, they must officially find employment and submit documents for a residence permit.
Thus, for Ukrainians in Poland, automatic extension of legal stay is maintained, but control over digital documents and border crossing rules, especially for children, are becoming clearer.
