CUKR residence card: PLN 100 for children too. Voivodeship office warns about fee mistakes

CUKR residence card: what the voivodeship office is warning about

On 27 October 2026 the Foreigners' Department of the Mazovian Voivodeship Office in Warsaw published a notice on fees for CUKR applications. The office points to two mistakes it sees most often:

• the wrong amount for a child's card — parents pay PLN 50, but the fee for issuing a CUKR card is PLN 100 for adults and children alike;
• the wrong bank account — the transfer goes to an account meant for a different fee or a different authority. That triggers extra explanations, reconciliation of the payment and a refund request.

The same notice reminds applicants that CUKR cases cannot be tracked in the inPOL system — you cannot open an inPOL account for them.

CUKR card fees: how much you pay and to whom

The CUKR card is a residence card (karta pobytu) valid for 3 years, issued by the voivode to people with UKR status in the PESEL register. When you collect the card, temporary protection (ochrona czasowa) turns into a temporary residence permit (zezwolenie na pobyt czasowy). The legal basis is Articles 42c and 42d of the Act of 12 March 2022 on assistance to citizens of Ukraine.

According to the official procedure description on the MOS portal (Moduł Obsługi Spraw), you pay two separate fees:

Fee	Amount	Paid to
card issuance fee (opłata za wydanie karty pobytu)	PLN 100	the voivodeship office where you apply
stamp duty for the temporary residence permit (opłata skarbowa)	PLN 340	the city office in the city where the voivode is based (tax authority)

That is PLN 440 per person, including each child. These are two different accounts held by two different recipients. Sending the full amount in one transfer to one account is exactly the mistake the office warns about. Always check the account numbers on the website of the voivodeship office for the region where you live — each region has its own.

Applying for a residence permit through MOS: pay before you submit

A CUKR application can only be filed through MOS, after logging in via login.gov.pl and signing with a trusted profile signature (podpis zaufany) or a qualified electronic signature. You must sign it yourself — a representative with a power of attorney cannot do it for you. For a child, a parent or guardian files the application.

You attach:

• the application form;
• a recent photo in JPG format;
• proof of the PLN 100 card fee (PDF);
• proof of the PLN 340 stamp duty.

Both fees must be paid in advance, before you submit. The Mazovian office adds a practical tip: wait until the transfer is booked before attaching the confirmation. A bank document showing "transaction ordered for execution" is not yet proof of payment. Download the confirmation only once your bank shows the completed "transaction details".

In the transfer title, give the full name of the person the application concerns and the type of fee, e.g. "opłata za kartę pobytu CUKR – child's full name". This lets the office match the payment to the right case.

Residence card refusal over unpaid fees

This is about more than a few days' delay. MOS states plainly that if you do not pay either of the two fees, the voivode will refuse to issue the card. Paying too little — for example PLN 50 instead of PLN 100 for a child's card — means the required fee has not been paid in full.

The voivode has 180 days to decide on a CUKR application. A fee error can stretch that time or end in a refusal. If you spot the mistake after submitting, don't wait for a letter from the office — pay the missing amount to the correct account and send the office the confirmation. Request a refund of money sent to the wrong account separately.

Appealing a voivode's decision on a CUKR card

If you do receive a decision refusing the CUKR card, you can appeal (odwołanie) to the Head of the Office for Foreigners (Szef Urzędu do Spraw Cudzoziemców). The appeal must be filed within 14 days of the decision being delivered to you, in writing, through the voivode who issued the decision. Appeals are not filed through MOS — you can post it, hand it in at the voivodeship office's filing desk, or send it to the voivode's electronic delivery address (adres do doręczeń elektronicznych).

The 14 days run from the day of delivery, not from the date printed on the decision. Missing the deadline closes the appeal route, so write down the date you received the letter straight away.

Legal stay in Poland while your CUKR case is pending

For CUKR applications, MOS does not issue a certificate confirming that you applied (zaświadczenie). Your stay is legal by operation of law if you filed a correct application while under temporary protection. It stays legal until the day you collect the card, or until a refusal decision becomes final. Keep the official receipt (UPO) that MOS gives you after sending the application — it is your proof of the filing date.

Two more rules to keep in mind:

• if you already have a pending case for a regular temporary residence permit, filing a CUKR application discontinues that case by law;
• if you do not collect the finished card within 60 days of being notified, it will be cancelled and the fees refunded. Your stay is then no longer covered by the pending application.

What this means for you

• Before sending a CUKR application, check both payments: PLN 100 for the card to the voivodeship office and PLN 340 stamp duty to the city office. The amounts are the same for children and adults.
• Wait until the transfer is booked, then download the confirmation and attach it in MOS.
• If your application already went out with an error, pay the difference to the correct account and send the confirmation to the office right away.
• To check on your case, contact the voivodeship office directly — CUKR cases are not in inPOL.
• After a refusal is delivered, you have 14 days to appeal.

Employers of people with UKR status can help too: share this checklist with your staff before they pay. If you would like someone to check your fees and application before you send it, or to take on case handling after a refusal, message us on the chat. Case handling does not guarantee a decision, but it helps you avoid formal errors.

Legal status as of the publication date. This text is not advice on any individual case.