Most Ukrainians are fleeing from the war to Poland. During the first month of hostilities, over 2.3 million people found refuge in the country. There are several ways to get to Poland:

Border crossing

Due to the closure of the skies over Ukraine for civil aviation, it is possible to get to Poland exclusively by land corridors. There are 8 checkpoints across the border operating around the clock:

  • 1. Yagodin — Dorokhusk.
  • 2. Ustylug — Zosin.
  • 3. Ugrinov — Dolgobichuv.
  • 4. Rava-Russian — Grebennoe.
  • 5. Grushev — Budomezh.
  • 6. Krakovets — Korchevaya.
  • 7. Shegini — Medica.
  • 8. Smilnitsa — Kroschenko.

Pedestrian crossing of the border between the countries is allowed at all checkpoints in the Lviv region, as well as at the checkpoint "Ustylug — Zosin" in the Volyn region. The border "Yagodin — Dorokhusk" is passable by private vehicles, buses are organized for walking refugees from the Ukrainian side. Near the checkpoints there are tents of volunteer organizations where you can have a free snack, drink coffee or tea.

You can get information about the workload of border crossings with Poland using the online map at the following link (https://www.google.com/cards/d/u/0/viewer?ll=49.03659174096597%2C23.364445860361734&z=9&fbclid=IwAR20pPYpKFwX3-LtlOvP2odLwElI4ki804neZ2WKcp3vW1vFYFFUrpih8Aw&mid=1JXuZtKb8jETJ7kkRoCUGHbScFoGDl8HK).

Rail transport runs between the countries on the routes "Kiev — Kovel — Helm — Warsaw" and "Kiev / Odessa — Lviv — Przemysl". At the Przemysl border station, it is possible to transfer to intra-Polish trains and trains further to Europe (Krakow, Berlin, Prague, etc.).

Poland accepts Ukrainian citizens with any identity document. You can enter using a biometric "foreign passport", an internal passport, children's are allowed into the country on a birth certificate (without the written permission of the second parent). When crossing the border, there are no restrictions regarding the coronavirus pandemic. Tests and quarantine have been canceled for citizens of Ukraine since February 25, 2022.

Pets can be carried with you even in the absence of the necessary documents and vaccinations. In the declaration, it is enough to specify "Zgodnie z procedura nadzwyczajna".

Which of the men can cross the border?

Men aged 18 to 60 years can cross the Ukrainian-Polish border in the order of approved exceptions:

  • with the presence of documents on deferral from conscription or on registration for special military registration;
  • with the conclusion of the military medical commission regarding unfitness for military service;
  • single parents of minor children's;
  • guardians of a disabled child;
  • with three or more children's under the age of 18;
  • those who care for a sick child, wife, parents or wife's parents;
  • whose close relatives died or went missing in the area of the Operation of the united forces in the Donbas.

Legal stay in Poland

Temporary migrants from Ukraine are allowed to legally stay in Poland for up to 18 months. Ukrainians are granted the right to work, medical care, and the opportunity to place a child in a school or kindergarten. Those who are already in Poland and their legal stay is ending have no reason to worry — they can also stay in the country for 18 months.

Once the state pays financial assistance to internally displaced persons in the amount of 300 zlotys, and families with minor children's are entitled to monthly social payments of 500 zlotys.

Refugee status

If there is nowhere to live and there are no funds for further existence, Ukrainians have the right to apply for refugee status. It is necessary to notify an employee of the Polish border service at the stage of crossing the border. Internally displaced persons are provided with a place to stay (often in a specially equipped camp), hot food, medical care.

Special camps have been set up in many Polish cities to receive refugees.

Bureaucratic procedures for obtaining refugee status can take up to six months. During this period, it is impossible to leave Poland (including returning to their homeland, since the government withdraws their passport), it is forbidden to get a job and conduct business, it will also be difficult to find normal housing (applicants for refugee status are granted temporary asylum).

After about six months, refugees receive a residence permit in Poland for a period of three years, they are issued a document for travel between EU countries. In the future, you can officially get a job and open a bank account.

Design of PESEL

To use most of the services inside Poland and apply for social benefits from the state, you need to get a PESEL — the Polish equivalent of an identification code. Powszechny Elektroniczny System Ewidencji Ludności is an 11-digit digital symbol identifying an individual.

The document is issued according to a simplified procedure in the uzhonda at the place of residence (the executive authority, which is an analogue of our centers for the provision of administrative services). Admission takes place on a first-come, first-served basis or by online appointment on the institution's website. The following documents are required to apply for PESEL:

  • identity document (passport, internal passport, child's birth certificate);
  • colour photo 3.5x4.5 cm;
  • a standard application for the provision of a PESEL number (the form can be obtained on the spot or downloaded from the website https://www.gov.pl/web/gov/otrymay-nomer-PESEL-ta-dovirenyy-profil-posluha-dlya-hromadyan-Ukrayiny-u-zvyazku-zi-zbroynym-konfliktom-na-terytoriyi-tsiyeyi-krayiny).
The registration of PESEL usually takes place quickly. After receiving a digital identifier, Ukrainians get access to the full list of state services inside Poland.

The fingerprint registration procedure is carried out directly on the spot (children's under the age of 12 are exempt from it), and in the absence of the necessary documents from the list above, the applicant signs a declaration of criminal liability regarding the submission of false information.

After registration of PESEL, refugees from the war in Ukraine have access to the Polish equivalent of "Dii" — digital documents with the most important personal data can be pulled into the mObyvatel mobile application: first and last name, photo, assigned identification code, date and place of birth, citizenship.

How to find a place to live?

Due to the large influx of internally displaced persons from Ukraine, problems may arise with finding housing in Poland. In large cities, apartments for rent are flying like hot cakes, and their prices have jumped, which is dictated by high demand. You can find your own accommodation on such sites:

  • olx.pl (https://www.olx.pl//mieszkania/wynajem/);
  • otodom.pl (https://www.otodom.pl/);
  • morizon.pl (https://www.morizon.pl/);
  • dom.gratka.pl (https://gratka.pl/nieruchomosci).

The lion's share of all ads on such resources are from real estate agencies. Accordingly, you will need to board a commission (usually 50% of the cost of renting an apartment for a month) and give a deposit in the amount of a monthly rent. Some realtors now do not take commission from Ukrainians, but this point needs to be further discussed with the agent.

Many Polish realtors are looking for housing for Ukrainians free of charge, i.e. without commission to the agency.

Volunteer organizations provide their assistance in accommodating displaced persons from Ukraine. Also, our compatriots are willingly settled by Polish families. Families receiving refugees receive 1,200 zlotys from the State as support for two months.

It will be possible to find housing in small provincial towns without any problems. The main industry of Poland is concentrated near them, and in terms of infrastructure there is everything you need. In addition, in small towns there are no problems with medicine and it is easier to enroll children's in school or kindergarten.

Job search

Ukrainian citizens who arrived in Poland after February 24 have the right to work in the country without obtaining a permit. Also, our compatriots are provided with free assistance from the local employment service. You can find a suitable profession yourself on the website https://oferty.praca.gov.pl/portal/index.cbop , where the central database of vacancies is laid out.

You can find a job in Poland on specialized websites and with the help of local employment services.

From January 1, 2022, the minimum wage in Poland is 3.01 thousand zlotys. With an hourly wage, it starts from the mark of 19.70 PLN/hour. Regardless of the length of service, all employees without exception should receive such a minimum salary.

Other useful resources for finding a job in Poland:

  • pracuj.pl (https://www.pracuj.pl/);
  • praca.pl (https://www.praca.pl/);
  • jobs.pl (https://www.jobs.pl/);
  • infopraca.pl (https://www.infopraca.pl/);
  • helpukrainians.jooble.org (https://helpukrainians.jooble.org /) (Jooble has created a resource for internally displaced persons in European countries).

How to arrange a child in school or kindergarten?

Children under the age of 6-7 years can be attached to a public or private kindergarten. In order to get to kindergarten, you will have to get in line by contacting the local uzhond. The cost of a child's stay in a state kindergarten is set by local authorities: they decide how many hours a day a child can spend in kindergarten for free and for how much you need to board extra. You will also need to board for meals. In private kindergartens, the fee varies from about 500 to 1200 zlotys per month.

Children from Ukraine are willingly taken to Polish kindergartens and schools.

Ukrainian children's between the ages of 7 and 18 are accepted into Polish state schools without any problems. Registration to the school takes place through the education department of the city or village government. Lessons are conducted in Polish, there is no charge for school education. Now the country is introducing additional classes in Polish and other subjects for Ukrainian children's, allowing them to adapt to the educational process more quickly.

Benefits

Poland has introduced a number of benefits for migrants from Ukraine. For example, a Ukrainian passport allows free travel by regional trains. A social ticket must be obtained in advance at the ticket office or at the conductor. The benefits apply to Class 2 on TLK and IC PKP Intercity trains. They do not apply to men aged 18 to 60 years (except for the disabled). Upon presentation of the passport of Ukraine, you can travel free of charge on public transport throughout Poland.

With a Ukrainian passport, you can ride Polish trains and public transport for free.

The Polish government has introduced tax benefits for Ukrainians. Until December 31, 2022, our compatriots do not need to board inheritance and gift tax, as well as income tax for financial assistance from individuals or companies.

In pharmacies, Ukrainians can take advantage of a refund for purchased essential medicines. Many museums and zoos have introduced free entry for Ukrainian citizens upon presentation of a passport. At some charging stations, our compatriots can "fill up" electric cars for free.

Polish mobile operators offer Ukrainians free starter packages with discounted rates for calls to their homeland. For example, the telecommunications company Plus gives subscribers 500 minutes of free calls to the Ukrainian numbers of Lifecell, Vodafone and Kyivstar, and the operator T-Mobile — 300 minutes for international calls to Ukraine. Other mobile providers charge for calls at discounted rates (from 0.05 zloty per 1 minute of conversation).

Receiving medical care

If they cross the border after February 24, 2022, all Ukrainians will receive the right to free medicine. The expenses were borne by the National Health Fund and many private clinics.

The services of basic medical care, specialized outpatient care, diagnostic studies (in the direction of a doctor), inpatient treatment, psychiatric treatment, rehabilitation, dentistry are provided free of charge.

Basic necessities

You can buy the necessary things and personal hygiene products yourself, since prices in Poland are not at all "biting". With a limited low-cost, volunteer organizations are always ready to come to the rescue. They will also help with housing, registration of necessary documents, getting to the destination or even food for the first time.

Volunteers help our compatriots everywhere and in everything.

Help in social networks

Ordinary Poles will also help to establish a habitual way of life. Don't shut yourself in and actively use local groups on social networks (for example, on Facebook). Caring citizens will share the necessary household items, please the kids with toys, give or give a scooter or bicycle for use.

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We hope that you will not have to stay in a foreign country for a long time. Maintain a positive attitude and faith in victory!