Several hundred thousand Belarusians live in Poland today. Each of them faces difficulties in the legalization of stay, from the inability to obtain an apostille to an expired Belarusian passport. The Polish Ministry of the Interior has established a working group to address these issues and improve Belarusians’ situation. It includes Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Advisor on Legal Affairs, Kristina Rikhter, and the Director of the Legal Aid Department of the Belarusian Solidarity Center, Olga Dabravolskaya.
Over two years of cooperation with the Polish side, they have achieved changes in several migration procedures for Belarusians, including the following.
✔️ Since July 9, 2022, Belarusians in Poland can obtain a residence permit based on a humanitarian visa. To apply for such a residence permit, an application form, photographs, and copies of all passport pages, including pages with the humanitarian visa, are required.
✔️ Since January 2022, Belarusians can obtain a travel document (alien passport) through a simplified procedure. Until June 30, 2024, any Belarusian residing in Poland temporarily or permanently can obtain it. Poland has also abandoned the requirement of additional evidence that one cannot obtain a passport through standard procedures.
✔️ The alien passport has been recognized as an identification document in the interpretation of the Polish Ministry of the Interior, not just a travel document.
Belarusians are recommended to ask their questions about the legalization of stay and other aspects related to staying in Poland in local organizations and initiatives such as the Belarusian Solidarity Center in Warsaw or Partyzanka. Information about ways to legalize stay in Poland can also be found at the link.
A working group at the Polish Ministry of the Interior has been created to find legal solutions to help Belarusians living in exile. Proposals on how to improve the conditions for Belarusians in Poland can be sent to legal@tsikhanouskaya.org. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Office will convey them in its further communication with the Polish authorities.
