In short: the 60-day rule exists only for the CUKR card (a karta pobytu with the adnotacja "Poprzednio posiadacz ochrony czasowej"), which Ukrainian citizens with UKR status receive. If you do not collect that card within 60 days of the day the urząd wojewódzki announced it can be collected, the card is annulled (unieważnienie) and the fees you paid are not refunded (art. 42r ust. 2 specustawy). For a regular karta pobytu the law sets no collection deadline.
Below we look at where the rule comes from, why it matters more for CUKR than it seems, and how a regular card is collected in the Mazowieckie voivodeship.
Where the 60-day rule comes from
The rule is written into art. 42r ust. 2 ustawy o pomocy obywatelom Ukrainy w związku z konfliktem zbrojnym na terytorium tego państwa (tekst jednolity: Dz.U. 2026 poz. 1293): "W przypadku nieodebrania karty pobytu w terminie 60 dni od dnia udostępnienia przez urząd wojewódzki informacji o możliwości jej odbioru, kartę pobytu unieważnia się". The same provision says that in this case the opłata za wydanie karty and the opłata skarbowa for the permit are not refunded.
The deadline does not run from the day the plastic is produced. It runs from the day the urząd wojewódzki made available the information that the card can be collected.
CUKR applications have been accepted since 4 May 2026, only electronically through MOS (art. 42f). The decision to issue the card or refuse it is made within 180 days (art. 42l), and the card is issued for 3 years (art. 42p ust. 1).
Why this is serious for CUKR
With a regular karta pobytu, the permit comes from the wojewoda's decision and the card confirms it. CUKR works differently: UKR status turns into a zezwolenie na pobyt czasowy "z dniem odbioru" of the card (art. 42r ust. 1). Until you collect the card, there is no permit yet. If the card is annulled after 60 days:
- the zezwolenie na pobyt czasowy never comes into existence;
- the opłata skarbowa of 340 PLN and the 100 PLN for the card are not refunded;
- the law stops treating your stay as legal on the basis of this application: under art. 42x it is legal only until the card is collected or annulled (unieważnienie).
The specustawa offers no way to extend or restore this deadline.
How to know the card is ready
The Mazowiecki urząd tells you the collection date through e-Doręczenia, SMS or email. On its page about the work-based card it writes: "Oczekuj na wiadomość SMS lub pismo nadane przez e-Doręczenia z terminem odbioru decyzji i karty". A few practical rules follow from this:
- set up an e-Doręczenia address and check it at least once a week: the urząd names it as the channel for information "o terminie odbioru karty pobytu";
- keep the phone number and email in your case file up to date;
- for cases filed through MOS you can follow the status in inPOL: the urząd asks you to create an account there and link the case with a code sent to your email. CUKR cases are not handled in inPOL.
Can the card be collected by power of attorney
No. A karta pobytu is collected in person (art. 248 ust. 1 ustawy o cudzoziemcach), and the rule applies to CUKR as well (art. 42k specustawy). A regular card has one exception: if in the permit case the urząd exempted you from appearing in person under art. 106h ust. 1. This happens with children under 6 and with people who cannot come to the urząd because of an illness or disability confirmed by a medical specialist's certificate.
For children the procedure is as follows:
- the card of a child under 13 is collected by a parent, guardian or curator with a valid identity document (art. 248 ust. 2);
- if the child had turned 6 by the day the application was filed, the child must come with you (art. 248 ust. 2a).
Bring a valid passport. If you do not have one and cannot obtain it, in a particularly justified case you may show another identity document (art. 248 ust. 4 and 5).
If you are waiting for a CUKR card and know you will be out of Poland for the next two months, plan the trip around the 60 days: you cannot hand collection over to someone else.
If you have a regular karta pobytu
The ustawa o cudzoziemcach sets no deadline after which an uncollected card is annulled. The grounds for unieważnienie of a card are listed in art. 250 and 251: loss or damage, replacement, Polish citizenship, death of the holder, failure to return the card after the permit is revoked. Not collecting the card is not among them. The permit takes effect with the wojewoda's decision, not at the moment you pick up the plastic.
Still, do not put off collecting it. A karta pobytu confirms your identity in Poland and, together with your passport, gives you the right to cross the border multiple times without a visa (art. 242). Without the card in hand you cannot use that right.
The Mazowiecki urząd sets the collection date and place itself and tells you through e-Doręczenia or SMS. If you cannot come on the appointed day, write to the urząd in advance.
Checklist
- Find out which card you have: CUKR or a regular one. The 60-day rule applies only to CUKR.
- After filing, and especially after a positive decision, check e-Doręczenia, SMS and email.
- Keep the contact details in your case file up to date.
- For CUKR, plan trips with a 60-day margin from the moment you are told the card is ready.
- Bring a valid passport to the collection. Take your child along to collect the child's card if the child was 6 at the time of filing.
- If you missed the CUKR deadline, go over the situation with a specialist right away: the law does not allow the deadline to be restored, and CUKR applications are accepted until 4 March 2027.
A related deadline: loss of or damage to the card must be reported to the authority that issued it within 3 days (art. 232 ust. 1 ustawy o cudzoziemcach). More on this in our article on losing your card and the wtórnik.
We follow the urząd's messages in your case and tell you when and how to collect the card. A status check of your case at the urząd with a written report costs 250 PLN. This is general information, not individual legal advice: your case may have its own details. If you want us to handle the case until the card is issued, see karta pobytu case support.
Related materials:
- How the karta pobytu procedure works, step by step - the overview, from the grounds for the permit to collecting the card