GMI Legal Update: Polish temporary protection for Ukrainians will be extended

The Sejm adopted another package of amendments to the Ukrainian special bill. Below
we present the most important of the planned solutions:

1. The period of temporary protection will be extended by law until 4 March 2024.
2. However, some of the Ukrainian refugees will be able to stay in Poland for longer. The stay of under-age children who will go to kindergarten or school on 4 March 2024 and their parents or guardians will be considered legal until 31 August 2024. Under-age high school graduates (who take the baccalaureate at the revised deadline) and their parents or guardians, in turn, will be allowed to stay in Poland until 30 September 2024.
3. The validity of national visas and temporary residence permits held by Ukrainians will also be automatically extended until 4 March 2024. This applies to documents whose validity would normally end on 24 February 2022 at the earliest.
4. Until 4 March 2024, the stay of Ukrainian citizens residing in Poland on the basis
   of Polish Schengen visas, visas or residence permits issued by other Schengen states or visa-free regime will also be considered legal if the last day of their permitted stay on this basis fell within the period from 24 February 2022.
5. The special protective mechanism eliminating the risk of a negative decision on
   a temporary residence permit cases will also be extended until 4 March 2024. In case of not meeting criteria for a residence permit, an applicant will receive a separate type of residence permit for only 1 year (subject to exceptions).
6. The suspension of deadlines for the processing of cases concerning residence permits for foreigners will also be extended until 4 March 2024. Thus, the possibility to combat inaction of the authorities or protracted proceedings in such cases will be further restricted.

The bill will now be taken up by the Senate. The amendments will enter into force 14 days after their publication in the Journal of Laws.

We will report on further developments on our LinkedIn profile.

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