Arrival in Poland

The official information of the Polish government is available at http://ua.gov.pl. According to the information contained therein, people with valid biometric passports may enter Poland on normal terms.

Due to the armed conflict, it is currently possible to enter Poland from Ukraine regardless of nationality and regardless of the fact of having a valid identity document. Persons entering without a valid identity document while crossing the border apply for international protection, i.e., refugee status (colloquially: asylum).

NOTE: The processing time of an application may take several months, often six months or more. During this time, people cannot take up employment. They people receive limited financial support as well as access to medical care (including hospital and specialist care), but cannot receive expensive treatments that are provided through specialised treatment programmes, as in the case of Spinraza. SMA Foundation Poland has appealed to the Ministry of Health to change the regulations.

Until the regulations have changed, SMA Foundation Poland recommends that patients with SMA who want to receive treatment should stay in Poland on the basis of a biometric passport, and not on the basis of an application for refugee status.