A number of legislative acts came into force in Poland on 1 May 2004

A number of legislative documents in Poland came into force on the date of its accession to the EU, i.e. on 1 May 2004.

An Act on Social Assistance of 12 March 2004 provides a person with refugee status with a possibility to apply for integration assistance within 14 days after being granted such status. The act sets the 12 month maximum period of assistance and the maximum amount of USD 100-200 per person per month, the availability of health insurance, and access to social counselling. Among other new elements, the act obliges the province administrator to indicate the place of residence of the refugee, and specifies the role of the Minister of Economy, Labour and Social Welfare and the Minister of Education and Sport in the refugee integration process. Local authorities have been tasked with the implementation of integration programmes.

An Act on Principles and Conditions of the Entry and Stay in the Territory of the Republic of Poland by Citizens of Member States of the European Union as well as Members of Their Family of 27 July 2002 regulates terms of entry and stay in Poland for EU citizens in regard to common policy of the Member States. An alien having a Schengen visa or other form of authorisation issued by an EU country is still required to obtain a Polish visa or other form of authorisation to stay in the Polish territory.

An Act on Changing the Act on Census and Identity Cards of 16 April 2004 regulates the conditions of registration in the territory of Poland for aliens having authorisation to stay or being citizens of EU Member States. It also regulates the terms of granting the identification number to aliens registered in Poland for the permanent or temporary (longer than 2 months) stay or those who are obliged to obtain the social or health insurance.

A Regulation of the Minister of Interior and Administration on the minimum amount of financial means while entering the territory of the Republic of Poland, the documents certifying those means and the purposes of crossing the border of 29 September 2003 sets the minimum amount of money for the aliens crossing the border at 300 PLN per day and lists the documents which could stand for those financial means (such as an invitation with an obligation of an invitee to cover possible medical costs).

In May 2004, Poland signed two Council of Europe conventions relating to refugees – the European Agreement on the Abolition of Visas for Refugees of 20 April 1959, and the European Agreement on Transfer of Responsibility for Refugees of 16 September 1980. The formal procedure of their ratification is under way.