Due to the ongoing armed conflict in Ukraine, many civilians are choosing to flee the affected areas. Many of the refugees choose Poland as their destination. Also many multinational companies who have presence in Ukraine are preparing to relocate their employees and their families to safer locations. Obviously the current situation is not ideal for large-scale organised evacuation actions. Many residents prefer to flee on their own, choosing Poland as its destination.

These are the most important points that must be remembered when doing so:

Crossing the Ukrainian-Polish border

  1. Poland has simplified the immigration procedures to the extent possible. Everyone fleeing Ukraine is allowed to enter Poland. However, whenever possible, one should have with her/him any documents allowing to identify her/him (e.g. ID, passport, children birth certificates, medical documentation). But no visas or residence permits are required. Also, if a validity of a document currently in force expires while the conflict is still ongoing, no one will be required to leave Poland.
    Please note, however, that the Polish authorities have no impact on procedures and the time that it takes to process them on the Ukrainian side. Due to the massive scale of migration, queues of many hours are now forming at the borders with Poland. Although the waiting time may vary significantly from one crossing point to another.
  2. All Ukrainian-Polish border crossing points can now be crossed on foot.
  3. People fleeing Ukraine are exempt from mandatory quarantine after their arrival to Poland and are not required to show a negative COVID-19 test taken within the last 24 hours.
  4. It is permitted to bring animals into Poland, but dogs, cats and ferrets must be microchipped and vaccinated. This is not required with respect to other animals.
  5. Important information for those arriving by car: they should remember to report to the tax authorities after crossing the border. It is possible to obtain exemption from customs duties. Decision in this respect will be taken by the tax authorities.
  6. Reception points have been prepared on or near every border crossing. Such reception points can also be found in every Polish voivodship. The list of reception points can be found under this link: https://www.gov.pl/web/udsc/punkty-recepcyjne2
    Refugees do not need to register at the reception points. They can rest there, warm up, eat and drink something, seek medical care. Volunteers work hard to provide everyone with the necessary assistance and constantly refill supplies. Please note, however, that most of the items available there have been donated by private donors. As such, there may be periodic shortages of some products.
    Refugees can also seek information about accommodation, if nothing has been arranged for them.
  7. Some Polish railway operators, including the largest - PKP - have decided not to charge fares to persons fleeing Ukraine. No payment for public transport tickets has also been introduced by some cities.
    Transport from the border is also offered by volunteers. However, please note that these people usually arrive in their private cars and no list of verified transporters is kept. Therefore, when getting into such a car, basic precautions should be taken.
    If the organisation's group of Ukraine-based employees is expected, it is worth considering organising a transport for them.

Accommodation

If no accommodation has been arranged, refugees can seek information in reception points. Also major Polish cities created local information points. For example, Warsaw has prepared a list of verified offers of accommodation. Every day new locations are added, as many private individuals offer place to stay.

Some hotels and similar establishments set aside a pool of rooms and flats for people fleeing Ukraine.

As the vast majority of those crossing the border are women with children, some Polish cities, such as Warsaw, are preparing places in pre-schools and schools. Teachers who speak Ukrainian are also being sought, so that children can be educated in their mother tongue.

Employment in Poland

Currently, Poland is working on the introduction of new solutions that would guarantee an easy access to employment for people fleeing Ukraine. These solutions foresee that every stay of Ukrainian citizens who crosses the border after 24 February will be considered legal. Ukrainian citizens are to, by attaining a dedicated "stamp", stay legally in Poland and will have an open labour market. The "stamp" will also entitle them to social benefits available in Poland and medical care.

Before these new arrangements are introduced, a standard immigration procedure applies. Please be aware, however, that in case of citizens of Ukraine, Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Russia taking up employment in Poland up to 24 months a simplified procedure has been provided for. It requires:

  1. the Company's declaration on the intention to entrust work to the given individual.
  2. the declaration is subject to registration by the immigration office. The application can be submitted online via https://www.praca.gov.pl.
  3. The registration should not take longer than 7 days. At this moment, all administrative matters related to employment of persons from Ukraine are to be dealt with as a priority, out of the queue, without unnecessary delay.

If long-term employment is intended, a regular work permit may at this point be required.

Companies that want to hire refugees from Ukraine can post their job offers online via https://www.praca.gov.pl.

The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.