International Protection (Asylum and Subsidiary Protection)

To qualify for protection in Poland, you must meet the criteria for one of two categories:

Refugee Status

You qualify for refugee status if you have a well-founded fear of being persecuted in your country of origin due to:

• Race
• Religion
• Nationality
• Political opinion
• Membership in a particular social group

You must be unable or unwilling to seek protection from the authorities in your home country due to this fear.

Subsidiary Protection

If you do not meet the strict definition of a refugee, you may still receive subsidiary protection if returning to your country would put you at a real risk of:

• The death penalty or execution.
• Torture, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment.
• A serious and individual threat to your life or health due to widespread violence in situations of international or internal armed conflict.

Critical Restrictions and Disqualifiers

• Instrumentalisation Clause: Under current 2025/2026 regulations, the Polish government may restrict the right to submit applications at specific border points (primarily the Belarus border) if it is determined that migration is being used by a foreign state to threaten national security.
• Exceptions to Restrictions: Even during border suspensions, applications must be accepted from unaccompanied minors, pregnant women, persons with disabilities, the elderly, and those in immediate life-threatening danger.
• Safe Third Country: Your application may be rejected if you arrived from a country deemed "safe" where you could have applied for protection earlier.