How has the number of Belarusians with residence permits in Poland changed over the last year? An interesting trend
In Lithuania, a noticeable reduction in the number of Belarusians with residence permits has been observed over the last two years, and 2025 became a record year for outflow. We looked at how the situation with Belarusians in Poland compares against this backdrop.
Illustrative photo. Photo: lookby.media
Has the mass outflow to Poland stopped?
As of early 2026, 141,290 Belarusian citizens hold valid residence permits of all types in Poland. Of these, 88,461 people have a temporary residence permit (Pobyt czasowy), and 41,771 people have a permanent residence permit (Pobyt stały). 1,018 Belarusians have refugee status. Another approximately 10,000 hold residence permits issued on various other grounds.
A year ago, there were 142,235 Belarusian citizens with all types of residence permits in Poland.
However, this difference does not indicate that there are fewer Belarusians in Poland. The fact is that Belarusians are actively acquiring Polish citizenship and, accordingly, are no longer counted among foreign citizens with valid residence permits.
In 2024, almost 5,700 Belarusians received Polish citizenship (data for 2025 is not yet available). In 2023, about 4,400 Belarusians obtained Polish passports, and in 2022, there were about 3,000 such individuals.
The number of Belarusians who received Polish citizenship in 2023-2024.
It turns out that in just three years, from 2022 to 2024, about 13,000 Belarusians received Polish citizenship and dropped out of the statistics for foreigners.
It is noteworthy that at the beginning of 2020, there were only 14,193 Belarusian citizens with all types of residence permits in Poland.
During the period from 2020 to 2025, the number of Belarusians with residence permits in Poland increased tenfold.
Number of Belarusian citizens with valid residence permits in Poland as of 2020 and 2026. Photo: screenshot from migracje.gov.pl
For comparison: ten years ago, at the beginning of 2016, there were only 4,527 Belarusian citizens with residence permits in Poland.
Statistics show that a record increase was observed in 2021-2023, after which growth began to slow down and stopped in the last year.
These data indicate that in 2025, there was no longer such a wave of departure from Belarus.
What does the picture look like together with Lithuania?
Lithuania ranks second in popularity among Belarusians after Poland. There, the number of residence permit holders with Belarusian passports has been decreasing for two consecutive years. In 2024, there was a decrease of 4,656 people, and in 2025, another decrease of 7,225. From the peak figures, the reduction amounted to 12,588 individuals: 50,286 people now compared to 62,844 people on April 1, 2024.
Illustrative photo. Photo: Nasha Niva
It is important to understand that Polish and Lithuanian data should be viewed from slightly different angles. Since in Lithuania, from July 1, 2024, with some exceptions, foreigners from third countries cannot work without a local residence permit, all Belarusian truck drivers, even those who have just started working, have a Lithuanian residence permit.
In Poland, work visas are issued differently, and among the same truck drivers, many drivers from Belarus have been working for years on visas and do not have residence permits because they do not want to bother with applying for a residence permit, as they do not plan to live in Poland.
Illustrative photo. Photo: Nasha Niva
Thus, it turns out that in the case of Poland, the percentage of residence permit holders who actually reside in the country is much higher than in Lithuania.
At the same time, there may be many people in Poland living on a visa obtained through the Pole's Card, or awaiting a residence permit (especially since the waiting period has increased). Nevertheless, statistics show that the mass outflow of population from Belarus, which we observed in previous years, has stopped.
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