On 24 August 2023, the special arrangements for foreigners staying in Poland introduced in connection with the COVID-19 pandemic will expire, including:
- residence periods and validity periods of national visas in cases where the last day of the period of stay under such visas would occur in the period from 14 March 2020. (during an epidemic emergency or epidemic state) – until the 30th day following the date of revocation of whichever state was last in force;
- validity periods of temporary residence permits and residence cards expiring in the period from 14 March 2020. (during an epidemic emergency or epidemic state) – until the 30th day following the day on which the last of the states was revoked;
- periods of validity of Polish identity documents of foreigners that expire in the period of an epidemic emergency or epidemic state – until the 30th day following the day of cancellation of the last of the states;
- the periods of validity of Polish identity documents of foreigners that expire in the period of an epidemic emergency or a state of epidemics – until the end of the 30th day following the last day of cancellation of the state;
- recognition of the stay of foreigners on the territory of Poland as legal by virtue of law, if on 14 March 2020 they were staying in Poland on the basis of short-term residence titles, i.e:
- visa-free movement
- on the basis of Schengen visas
- on the basis of long-stay visas or residence permits issued by other Schengen States
- on the basis of long-stay visas or residence permits issued by EU Member States that are not Schengen States (if, in accordance with the law of the European Union, such visas or permits entitle their holders to stay on the territory of the Republic of Poland)
Foreigners wishing to stay in Poland in the period from 24 August 2023 should submit proper applications for obtaining a residence permit.
The above-described legal solutions may cease to be valid earlier than 24 August 2023 but only in the case of a sufficiently early cancellation of the epidemic emergency currently in force on the territory of Poland (and not replacing it again with a state of epidemic). This would cause the 30-day time limits set out in the repealed provisions to start running, with the expiry of which the extended periods of entitlement, validity of documents or time limits for actions to be taken would expire.