CUKR Card: What it is, how to get it, and 5 pitfalls

What is a CUKR Card?

CUKR is a residence permit with the annotation «Previously held temporary protection» (in Polish: Poprzednio posiadacz ochrony czasowej). It is a pobyt czasowy for a period of 3 years, designed specifically for Ukrainians with UKR status who have decided to transition from temporary protection to a standard residence permit.

The card was introduced by the law of January 23, 2026 (Dz.U. 2026 poz. 203). Applications can be submitted from May 4, 2026, exclusively online through the MOS portal.

Who can get it: 4 mandatory conditions

All four conditions must be met simultaneously. If at least one is not met — it is impossible to submit an application:

1. On the day of application — valid PESEL UKR.
2. June 4, 2025 — valid PESEL UKR. If the status was already lost on this date — CUKR is unavailable, even if the status was later restored.
3. On the day the card is issued by the voivode — valid PESEL UKR. The status must be maintained throughout the entire processing of the case.
4. Continuous UKR status for at least 365 days. Consecutively, without breaks. Short trips up to 30 days do not interrupt continuity, but longer ones — reset the counter.

Separately: children

Children born in Poland after February 23, 2022, can obtain CUKR — if one of their parents is a beneficiary of temporary protection and holds a CUKR card (Art. 106 ust. 2, Dz.U. 2026 poz. 203). Children who arrived from Ukraine can apply independently if they themselves meet the conditions.

UKR vs CUKR: what changes

Transitioning from UKR to CUKR — it's not just a new card. It's a change of rules:

Source for seniority: gov.pl/web/udsc/cukr-QA, official UDSC FAQ.

5 pitfalls to be aware of

This is the most important section. Read carefully before making any decisions.

• UKR seniority «expires» — officially Time under temporary protection does not count towards seniority for Rezydent UE and, accordingly, does not bring closer to citizenship. Even if you have lived in Poland for 4 years with UKR status, your «migration seniority» for these purposes is zero. Seniority begins to count from the day the CUKR card is received. Officially confirmed by UDSC in the FAQ, question #60.
• Deadline March 4, 2027, and queue — up to 180 days The deadline seems distant, but the case processing time is up to 180 days. If you apply in December 2026, the decision may come after UKR status expires. UPO (confirmation of submission) protects your status while waiting, but the risk of rejection without a «backup option» is real. Apply now, don't wait until the last moment.
• Applying for CUKR cancels the queue for a regular residence permit If you have already applied for another pobyt czasowy (e.g., for work) and are awaiting a decision — applying for CUKR will automatically close that case by force of law (Art. 42i, Dz.U. 2026 poz. 203). Without any notification. If CUKR is rejected afterwards — you will be left without status. Consider this before making a decision.
• PESEL via oświadczenie: the deadline passed on 31 August 2026 If you received PESEL UKR solely on the basis of an oświadczenie, without presenting a passport, and did not confirm your identity at an urząd gminy by 31 August 2026, your status has already been changed. From 1 September 2026 the minister for digitalisation replaced UKR with NUE for these people, and NUE is simply the PESEL register marker for a foreigner from outside the EU (Art. 25 ust. 2, Dz.U. 2026 poz. 203). Along with the status, the right to legal residence under art. 106 ust. 1 disappeared (Art. 25 ust. 3). The provision itself says nothing about benefits, but 800+ under Art. 1 ust. 2 pkt 2 lit. ca of the Act on state support in raising children is tied directly to holding a “numer PESEL ze statusem UKR”, so once it becomes NUE that basis disappears. For CUKR this is a closed door: the condition of holding a PESEL UKR as at 4 June 2025 has not been met retroactively, and it can no longer be met. The act provides for neither an extension of the deadline nor a restoration of the status. Legalisation now starts from scratch under the general rules of the ustawa o cudzoziemcach, and the sooner the better, because residence without a legal basis is already running.
• PESEL based on a Karta Polaka or birth document: 60 days from passport issue A separate provision that is still in force, with no fixed calendar date. If your PESEL was granted on the basis of a Karta Polaka, another photo document or a document confirming birth, you must confirm your identity at any urząd gminy with a valid passport within 60 days from the date that passport was issued (Art. 26 ust. 1, Dz.U. 2026 poz. 203). The same applies to people whose PESEL was granted on an invalid travel document, or whose passport has expired: the period runs from the date of the new document (ust. 2). If you have already confirmed your identity at a gmina office with a valid passport after your PESEL was granted, the obligation does not apply to you (ust. 3). In practice: collect a new passport at the consulate and plan the gmina visit straight away, because 60 days pass quickly.

Additional angles: what else you should know

One-way door

If you have already received a regular pobyt czasowy — your PESEL UKR is automatically canceled, and CUKR is no longer available to you. Those who chose standard residence permit earlier — there is no turning back.

Family: everyone pays separately

Spouse and children also have the right to CUKR if they meet the conditions. Each family member applies separately — each application requires a separate payment of 440 PLN. There is no joint family application. (gov.pl/web/udsc/cukr-QA)

After CUKR: what next in 2029?

CUKR is issued for only 3 years and is not extended. After it expires, a new basis for residence will be required — pobyt czasowy for work, family circumstances, or another legal basis. Without a new basis in 2029, your residence will become illegal. Plan ahead.

If you have Karta Polaka — there's a faster way

If you have Karta Polaka — you have a direct and significantly faster path to stały pobyt: you can apply immediately, with no required period of prior residence in Poland (Art. 195 ust. 1 pkt 9). CUKR is not mandatory in this case. More details — in our article «Stały pobyt or Karta Polaka».

What you lose and what you keep

Timeline to citizenship (without Karta Polaka)

If your goal is Polish citizenship, here is a realistic path:

Have KP → stały pobyt immediately, with no prior-residence requirement (Art. 195 ust. 1 pkt 9)

This diagram reflects the PLTest team's view of a possible path. Each situation is individual — consult an immigration lawyer and official institutions.

When NOT to get CUKR

• You already have pobyt czasowy or stały pobyt. PESEL UKR has already been canceled upon receipt — CUKR is unavailable.
• You left Poland for more than 6 months in 2024 and returned after June 4, 2025. On the control date, UKR status was absent — the condition is not met.
• You have Karta Polaka. There is a faster and simpler path — stały pobyt straight away, with no year of waiting.

How to apply: briefly

1. MOS Portal — the only way: mos.cudzoziemcy.gov.pl (the procedure described on the UDSC site). Paper applications and email are not accepted.
2. Payment of 440 PLN in two separate installments: 340 PLN — to the city mayor's account (opłata skarbowa); 100 PLN — to the voivode's account (for the card). Each urząd has its own account — check the website of the relevant urząd.
3. Fingerprints and signature — are taken automatically from registers. It is not necessary to visit the urząd wojewódzki to submit fingerprints. If the data is not in the register — contact the urząd gminy with your passport.
4. Processing time — up to 180 days. After the decision: pick up the card within 60 days, otherwise it will be canceled.