Many refugees who intend to leave Poland for their home or another country are concerned with the logical question of how to cancel a PESEL number. The law on assistance to citizens of Ukraine in connection with the armed conflict on its territory does not provide for any possibility of deleting or canceling the number.

Do I need to cancel the number?

The rules for issuing the PESEL number are regulated by the law on the population register (ustawy o ewidencji ludności). According to its provisions, deleting entries contained in the relevant register is prohibited. Therefore, you should not write any statements of refusal.

What to do if you need to leave

Refugees who travel abroad for more than 30 days should notify the government of their departure so that the country that protected them does not ask unnecessary questions and make them return the benefits received. Leaving Polish territory for a month or more, a refugee loses the status of temporary protection, free medicine, financial assistance, and other benefits.

You can announce your departure online by logging in to your PUE ZUS account and writing a letter. You can also give your personal consent in writing by contacting your local ZUS office. From next month, the government will stop charging payments. The algorithm for applying online can be found here.