Since 23 July 2022, Ukrainian citizens who have entered Poland on or after 24 February this year can now cross over Poland’s external borders and travel in the Schengen area and to Ukraine on the basis of the Diia.pl electronic document, available on the mObywatel mobile application. The Diia.pl electronic document is the first European Union digital confirmation of a residency permit.

Any adult Ukrainian citizen who crossed the Polish-Ukrainian border on or after 24 February 2022 and was assigned a PESEL number, as well as having a trusted profile (in Polish: Profil Zaufany - PZ), can apply for the Diia.pl document. The creation of a PZ was possible when originally applying for a PESEL number. Ukrainian citizens who did not previously decide to set up a PZ can, nevertheless, go to the facility where they originally applied for their PESEL number and apply for a PZ. When applying for a PZ at any municipality office a passport is required as proof of identity. The required passport is the one used as an identity document when applying for a PESEL number. Ukrainian citizens who have both a PESEL number and a valid passport can also obtain a trusted profile using the online banking system.

The Diia.pl document is a digital certification of the legality of a Ukrainian citizen’s stay in Poland, which, together with a valid travel document, entitles Ukrainian citizens to cross the Polish borders and move freely within the Schengen area for 90 days within each 180-day period. The Diia.pl document has been introduced in order to solve the problems for Ukrainians returning to Poland after short trips to Ukraine. It is important to note that leaving Poland for longer than 30 days deprives the Ukrainian citizen of their protective rights under the Act on Assistance to Ukrainian Citizens in Connection with the Armed Conflict in the Territory of Ukraine.

The mObywatel application can also be used to identify oneself when either making use of medical services or concluding an employment contract since the Diia.pl document contains the most important information about a Ukrainian citizen – first and last name, photograph, and PESEL number.

Even though the electronic Diia.pl document constitutes the basis for a Ukrainian citizen’s legal stay and protection in Poland, it is not a document exempting said Ukrainian citizens from meeting the entry requirements of other countries (e.g. visa requirements).