flash news: #foreigners

28 October 2025
The Ministry of Internal Affairs is proposing four grounds for acquiring Polish citizenship

On 27 October 2025, a debate entitled "Challenges and directions of change in the area of citizenship and repatriation" was held at the Ministry of Internal Affair’s headquarters. During the meeting, the planned draft changes to the rules for acquiring Polish citizenship, which the ministry is currently working on, were presented.

read more
Are the intended changes for the better? No more confirming the legality of foreigners' stay with a stamp in their passport.

Alongside the introduction of the EES (Entry/Exit System), which will ultimately replace passport stamps confirming foreigners’ entry to and exit from the EU, the Polish authorities are also planning to abandon other stamps relating to foreigners. These include stamps confirming the submission of residence permit applications and the legality of a foreigner’s stay while awaiting a decision on the issuance of the relevant permit.

read more
14 October 2025
On Sunday, 12 October 2025, the EU launched the EES (Entry/Exit System)

The EES is a European Union IT system used to register data on third-country nationals crossing the EU's external borders for short stays (up to 90 days within a 180-day period).

read more
30 September 2025
Extension of the validity of the Ukrainian Special Act until 4 March 2026

On 26 September 2025, the President of the Republic of Poland signed the Act of 12 September 2025 amending certain acts to verify the right to family benefits for foreigners and the conditions for providing assistance to Ukrainian citizens in connection with the armed conflict in that country.

The most important changes in the so-called Ukrainian Special Act:

  • The provisions have been extended until 4 March 2026, which means that the uncertainty regarding the legality of residence and employment of Ukrainian citizens without UKR status has been dispelled;
  • Both adults and minors will be able to obtain a PESEL number with the UKR annotation only in person.
read more
23 September 2025
Withdrawal of temporary protection for Ukrainian citizens – EU Council presents recommendations

Current EU regulations guarantee protection for Ukrainian citizens until 4 March 2027. However, in July this year, the European Commission proposed to start planning its gradual phasing out. In recent weeks, the EU Council has indicated that the phasing out of temporary protection should be based on Ukrainian citizens obtaining national residence permits reflecting their new purpose of stay or voluntarily returning to Ukraine.

read more
15 September 2025
Suspension of border traffic on the Polish-Belarusian border

The Interior Ministry has announced that border traffic between Poland and Belarus will be completely suspended from 12 September 2025. This means that all border crossings - road, rail, and pedestrian, will be closed until further notice.

read more