Resettlement and humanitarian admission - Poland

Overview

Relevant EU legislation

Poland is bound by the Union Resettlement and Humanitarian Admission Framework Regulation (URF).

National legislation

Amended Act of 13 June 2003 on granting protection to foreigners on the territory of the Republic of Poland | Dz.U.z 2025r., poz. 223 z poźń. zm., in particular in its Article 2 (legal definition under 9c) and Chapter 5a (articles 86a and forward) which includes the details rules for resettlement in Poland.

Competent authority and stakeholders

Authorities responsible for establishing resettlement and humanitarian admission policy	Council of Ministers
Identification and referral of refugees for a) resettlement programmes b) humanitarian admission programmes c) community sponsorship programmes	N/A
Selection of refugees for a) resettlement programmes b) humanitarian admission programmes c) community sponsorship programmes	N/A
Pre-departure assistance a) resettlement programmes b) humanitarian admission programmes c) community sponsorship programmes	N/A
Travel arrangements a) resettlement programmes b) humanitarian admission programmes c) community sponsorship programmes	The Border Guard organises transportation from the third country to Poland
Arrival and reception a) resettlement programmes b) humanitarian admission programmes c) community sponsorship programmes	N/A

Programmes currently in place

Poland is not implementing resettlement or humanitarian admission programmes at the moment.

National quotas on resettlement and humanitarian admission

National commitments for resettlement, humanitarian admission and emergency quota

2-year Union Plan	National commitment for resettlement	National commitment for humanitarian admissions	Emergency quota
Period 2024-2025	0	N/a	N/a
Period 2026-2027	N/a	N/a	N/a
Period 2028-2029	N/a	N/a	N/a

Procedural and practical arrangements

The admission procedure

No information currently available

Type of protection granted and residence permit issued after the admission procedure

Resettled foreigners may be granted refugee status, subsidiary protection or issued other types of residence permits.

Pre-departure assistance

No information currently available

Travel arrangements

No information currently available

Arrival and reception

No information currently available

Integration support to resettled and admitted refugees

No information currently available

Resettlement programmes

Currently, Poland has no national resettlement programmes in place

Humanitarian admission programmes

Humanitarian visas

In response to events taking place in Belarus in the aftermath of the presidential elections, the Polish government announced the introduction of a humanitarian visa scheme for Belarusians from mid-August 2020 onwards. Under the scheme, the issuance of humanitarian visas was significantly facilitated.

On 17 September 2020, an amendment to the regulation on the temporary suspension or restriction of border traffic at certain border crossing points (issued in the context of the COVID-19 outbreak) entered into force, allowing Belarusian citizens holding tourists visas to enter Poland. From 22 September 2020 all Belarusian citizens are allowed to enter Poland through the external border, regardless of the basis on which they intend to cross the border.

The plan "Solidarity with Belarus" announced by the Polish government in August 2020 includes regulations with a special focus on students and academics. Humanitarian visas are issued to persons who can demonstrate to the consul that, due to their activity, they may be persecuted by the local authorities and therefore need to leave the territory of Belarus.

Complementary pathways

Community sponsorship schemes related to state-led resettlement programmes

Currently, Poland has no community sponsorship schemes related to state-led resettlement programmes in place

Community sponsorship schemes linked to civil society-led humanitarian admission programmes

Currently, Poland has no community sponsorship schemes linked to civil society-led humanitarian admission programmes in place

Community sponsorship schemes linked to other complementary pathways

Currently, Poland has no community sponsorship schemes linked to other complementary pathways in place