The Polish government plans to end the special status for Ukrainian refugees after March 4, 2026, granting equal rights, limiting benefits, and requiring work for full services.

The Polish government has prepared a bill to end the special status for Ukrainian refugees, which was introduced after the start of the full-scale invasion.

This was reported by Interia, citing the Ministry of the Interior’s spokesperson Karolina Galecka, as noted by Babel.ua.

According to her, the bill provides that after March 4, 2026, all Ukrainians will have the same rights as other migrants in the country.

Ukrainians will still be able to receive urgent medical care, but if they require other medical services, they will need to work and pay contributions. The same applies to the “800 plus” program — financial aid from the state for families raising children who arrived from Ukraine in Poland due to the war, which provides a monthly payment of 800 zlotys (8,982 hryvnias) per child — it will only be available to working parents.

The Ministry of the Interior explains the changes by noting that most refugees have already found work, their children attend schools, and they have integrated into Polish society. Therefore, the special status for them “may create a risk of unequal treatment among other migrants.”

At the same time, the bill guarantees Ukrainians legal residence in Poland at least until March 4, 2027 — under temporary protection or on other legal grounds, in accordance with the European Commission’s recommendations.

The government plans to adopt the bill before the end of this year.

At the end of September, Polish President Karol Nawrocki signed a law extending aid to Ukrainian refugees. The legal residence status of Ukrainian refugees in Poland was extended until March 4, 2026. At the same time, the requirements for receiving the “800 plus” financial aid were changed, and access to medical services for adult Ukrainian citizens was limited.