Mortgage in Poland for Ukrainians in 2026: PESEL UKR, CUKR card and bank requirements

A Ukrainian citizen can get a mortgage in Poland, but in 2026 the key question is the legal basis on which you live in Poland. A PESEL number (Polish national identification number) with UKR status on its own gives you legal residence only until 4 March 2027, while a CUKR residence card is a temporary residence permit for 3 years. In this article we explain what has changed in the law, how banks view these documents and how much you need to earn to buy an apartment from our listings in Warsaw or Wrocław.

Key facts

• Since 5 March 2026, temporary protection has been governed by the Act on Granting Protection to Foreigners rather than the "special act" (specustawa) – as provided by the Act on phasing out the solutions of the Act on Assistance to Citizens of Ukraine (Journal of Laws (Dz.U.) 2026, item 203).
• UKR status gives you legal residence until 4 March 2027 – the date to which the EU has extended temporary protection.
• A CUKR residence card is a temporary residence permit for 3 years. Applications are filed online from 4 May 2026 to 4 March 2027; fees: PLN 340 + PLN 100.
• A Ukrainian citizen buying a self-contained residential unit does not need an MSWiA permit (from the Ministry of the Interior and Administration) – except in the border zone.
• Banks usually expect a stable income in Poland, a history in BIK (the Polish credit bureau) and a down payment of 10–20%. The validity of your residence document matters a lot for a 25–30-year mortgage.

UKR status and PESEL UKR in 2026 – what has changed

The Act of 23 January 2026 on phasing out the solutions of the Act on Assistance to Citizens of Ukraine came into force on 5 March 2026. It repealed most of the provisions of the 2022 "special act". The rules on temporary protection were moved to the Act on Granting Protection to Foreigners in the Territory of the Republic of Poland. The stay of a person with a PESEL number with UKR status is still legal – now under Art. 106 of that Act, i.e. for as long as the EU Council decision on temporary protection remains in force.

Council Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/1460 extended temporary protection until 4 March 2027. The Office for Foreigners (UdSC) states plainly that, according to current information, UKR status will be valid only until that date.

Important rules to keep in mind in 2026:

• Leaving Poland for more than 30 days means losing temporary protection, and therefore your UKR status.
• People who received a PESEL UKR on the basis of a declaration had to confirm their identity with a valid passport at the municipal office by 31 August 2026. Anyone who did not do so has had NUE status since 1 September 2026 and loses the right to stay on the basis of temporary protection.
• People arriving in Poland after 4 March 2026 must apply for a PESEL UKR within 30 days of crossing the border.

For a bank, this means one thing: UKR status confirms legal residence for a few months ahead, not for years. This is the weakest point of an application for a 25- or 30-year mortgage.

CUKR residence card – who can get it and for how long

The CUKR residence card (karta pobytu) is a card with the annotation "Poprzednio posiadacz ochrony czasowej" ("Previously a holder of temporary protection"). On the day you collect it, your stay becomes a temporary residence permit for 3 years. You will get it if you meet all of these conditions at the same time:

• you had UKR status on 4 June 2025,
• you have current UKR status on the day you apply and on the day the card is issued,
• you have held UKR status continuously for at least 365 days – periods before and after leaving Poland are not added together.

The application can only be filed electronically in the MOS system (Moduł Obsługi Spraw – the online case handling module). The cost is PLN 340 in stamp duty for the permit and PLN 100 for issuing the card. You must collect the card within 60 days of being notified by the voivodeship office – otherwise it will be cancelled. Once you collect it, you lose UKR status and the benefits linked to it, but you gain full access to the labour market, the right to run a business on the same terms as Poles and travel within the Schengen area (up to 90 days in any 180-day period). The permit lapses if you leave Poland for more than 6 months. After 3 years you will obtain your next permit under the general rules.

Time spent in Poland on a CUKR card counts towards the period required for an EU long-term resident permit. For a future borrower this matters: it is precisely a more stable status that usually improves your assessment at the bank. We write more about residence documents and mortgages for all foreigners in Mortgage in Poland for foreigners.

How banks view PESEL UKR and the CUKR card

No law prohibits a bank from granting a mortgage to a Ukrainian citizen. However, each bank sets out in its own procedures which residence documents it accepts and for how long your right of residence must be valid. Banks do not publish uniform, detailed criteria for people with UKR status or a CUKR card – which is why you need to check the conditions at several banks at once.

The most important rule: the bank compares how long your right of residence is valid with the term of the loan. A mortgage usually runs for 25–30 years, while UKR status is currently confirmed until March 2027. A CUKR card gives you 3 years – more, but still less than the repayment period. In practice, banks also assess how long you have lived and worked in Poland and whether your stay has so far been extended without gaps.

Status	Document	Legal residence until	What it means for the bank
Temporary protection (UKR status)	PESEL number with UKR status, passport	4 March 2027 (as long as the EU Council decision is in force)	The shortest horizon – some banks may refuse or expect you to change your status before applying
CUKR temporary residence permit	Residence card with the annotation "Poprzednio posiadacz ochrony czasowej"	3 years from issue of the card	A standard temporary residence permit – the bank will check the card's expiry date and the stability of your income
Ordinary temporary residence permit	Residence card (e.g. work, temporary residence and work)	Until the card's expiry date	Assessed as with CUKR; continuity of residence and employment counts
Permanent residence or EU long-term resident	Residence card	Permit for an indefinite period (the card must be renewed)	The best position – the bank treats your residence as permanent

The practical takeaway: if you meet the conditions for a CUKR card and are planning a mortgage, it is usually worth applying for the card before you talk to a bank. You have until 4 March 2027 to do so.

Mortgage conditions for Ukrainians in practice – work, BIK, down payment

Apart from your residence status, the bank assesses you in the same way as a Polish citizen. What usually counts:

• Income in Poland, in PLN. Ideally a permanent employment contract or a longer period with one employer. Civil-law contracts (umowa zlecenie) and self-employment are possible, but banks usually require a longer income history.
• BIK history. Loans and instalments from Ukraine are not visible in the Polish BIK. A punctually repaid credit card or a small loan in Poland builds a history the bank can rely on.
• Down payment. Recommendation S of the KNF (Polish Financial Supervision Authority) advises that the loan should not exceed 80% of the apartment's value, i.e. a standard down payment of 20%. 10% is possible with additional security, most often low down payment insurance. See Mortgage down payment in Poland 2026 for details.
• Borrowing capacity. The bank calculates your instalment with a buffer for rising interest rates (at least +2.5 percentage points for a variable rate) and deducts your living costs. We show how this works in Borrowing capacity 2026 (in Polish).
• An account with a Polish bank. Having your salary paid into an account makes it easier to document your income. How to get a PESEL, a NIP (tax identification number) and a bank account before buying is covered in our checklist for foreigners.

Comparing the requirements of several banks takes time, and with UKR status or a new CUKR card the differences between banks can be significant. Book a consultation with our mortgage expert – we will compare offers from several banks and check which of them accept your residence document.

How much do you need to earn? An example with an apartment from our listings

According to TM Invest listings data as of 27 September 2026, the median price of a 2-room apartment (living room + 1 bedroom) in Białołęka in Warsaw is PLN 553k (approx. 39 m²), and in Fabryczna in Wrocław – PLN 512k (approx. 37 m²). We calculated the loan and income required at an interest rate of 6% (the NBP average for new housing loans in July 2026).

Apartment	Down payment	Loan	Instalment: 6%, 30 years	Instalment with buffer: 8.5%, 25 years	Indicative net income (instalment with buffer = 40–50% of income)
2 rooms, Białołęka, PLN 553,358	20% – PLN 110,672	PLN 442,686	approx. PLN 2,650	approx. PLN 3,570	approx. PLN 7,150–8,900
2 rooms, Białołęka, PLN 553,358	10% – PLN 55,336	PLN 498,022	approx. PLN 2,990	approx. PLN 4,010	approx. PLN 8,000–10,000
2 rooms, Wrocław Fabryczna, PLN 511,792	20% – PLN 102,358	PLN 409,434	approx. PLN 2,460	approx. PLN 3,300	approx. PLN 6,600–8,250
2 rooms, Wrocław Fabryczna, PLN 511,792	10% – PLN 51,179	PLN 460,613	approx. PLN 2,760	approx. PLN 3,710	approx. PLN 7,400–9,300

Example: a Ukrainian couple with CUKR cards, both on employment contracts, together earn PLN 9k net a month. With a 20% down payment (approx. PLN 111k), the instalment with the buffer for an apartment in Białołęka is about 40% of their income – such an application has a realistic chance. The actual instalment at 6% over 30 years will be approx. PLN 2,650. A single person with a net income of PLN 6k would need a larger down payment or a cheaper apartment – in our Wrocław listings, around 100 apartments cost up to PLN 500k.

Also remember the costs beyond the down payment: the notary, registering the mortgage, insurance. When you buy from a developer, you do not pay PCC (civil law transactions tax) – VAT is already included in the price of the apartment. We describe notary costs in Notary fees 2026.

Does a Ukrainian citizen need a permit to buy an apartment in Poland?

No, if you are buying a self-contained residential unit. The Act on the Acquisition of Real Estate by Foreigners exempts it from the permit requirement (Art. 8(1)(1)), as it does a space in a garage linked to the apartment. The exemption does not apply in the border zone. A house with a plot does require an MSWiA permit. We describe the whole process – from reservation to notarial deed (akt notarialny) – in our guide Buying a flat in Poland as a Ukrainian citizen, and the general rules for foreigners in Buying an apartment in Poland as a foreigner.

Frequently asked questions

Summary

A mortgage in Poland for Ukrainians in 2026 depends above all on residence status. A PESEL UKR gives you legal residence until 4 March 2027, a CUKR card – a permit for 3 years, and permanent residence or EU long-term resident status – the best position at the bank. Beyond that, the same things count as for any borrower: a stable income in Poland, a BIK history, a 10–20% down payment and borrowing capacity. For a 2-room apartment from our listings in Białołęka or Wrocław with a 20% down payment, the monthly instalment is approx. PLN 2.5–2.7k.

Want to know whether a bank will accept your residence document and how much you can borrow? Book a consultation with our mortgage expert – we will compare offers from several banks and help you find an apartment that fits your budget.

Legal status as of September 2026. Calculations are approximate and do not constitute a loan offer, a credit decision or legal advice. Each bank sets its own loan conditions and decides which residence documents it accepts.

Sources

• Act of 23 January 2026 on phasing out the solutions of the Act on Assistance to Citizens of Ukraine – Dz.U. 2026, item 203 (Art. 4, Art. 17, Art. 24–25, Art. 54).
• Act of 12 March 2022 on Assistance to Citizens of Ukraine – consolidated text Dz.U. 2025, item 337, as amended (Art. 42c–42t, 42x).
• Council Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/1460 of 15 July 2025 extending temporary protection until 4 March 2027.
• Office for Foreigners (UdSC) – procedure for issuing a CUKR residence card and questions and answers about the CUKR card.
• Act of 24 March 1920 on the Acquisition of Real Estate by Foreigners – consolidated text Dz.U. 2017, item 2278, as amended (Art. 8(1) and (3)).
• KNF, Recommendation S – version as amended in June 2023 (LTV, interest rate buffer) (in Polish).
• NBP, interest rate statistics (MIR) – interest rates on new PLN housing loans, July 2026.
• Apartment prices: TM Invest development catalogue, as of 27 September 2026.