Registering a child with SIO in Poland: how to check and not lose “800+” and “300+” payments

New rules have entered into force in Poland that directly affect Ukrainian families receiving social benefits for children with temporary protection status (PESEL UKR). From now on, two key payments – a monthly allowance of 800+ and a one-off 300+ at the beginning of the school year – will be available only if the child is officially registered in the Polish education information system SIO. This means that the mere fact that a child is in school or kindergarten is no longer sufficient — it is important that his data be entered into the state register. Failure to register with the SIO may result in the loss of social assistance, even if the child is actually studying.

What is SIO and how does it work?

SIO is System Informacji Oświatowej, or Education Information System, which operates under the authority of the Polish Ministry of Education and Science. It stores personal educational data of all children studying in Polish educational institutions – both public and private (subject to appropriate accreditation).

Every child who: attends a Polish school, kindergarten or special education institution; is in inclusive or specialized education and has a PESEL or other official identification number, must be entered in the SIO. This system is used by the state to plan education budgets, provide insurance, distribute textbooks, and—most importantly—confirm eligibility for financial aid.

From June 2025, the data from the SIO will be the only source of verification of the fact of a child’s enrollment in the Polish education system during the consideration of applications for assistance.

What has changed in payments

Rodzinny Kapitał Opiekuńczy / Świadczenie wychowawcze (“800+”) is a monthly payment of PLN 800 for each child under 18 years of age. Until 2025, it was provided without additional requirements for school status. Now the condition is clear: the child must be officially enrolled in a kindergarten, school or special educational institution and entered into the SIO system.

Dobry Start (“300+”) – a one-time payment of PLN 300 for each academic year (for children aged 7-20 years, and in case of disability – up to 24 years) will also no longer be issued automatically. Eligibility will be checked against the SIO – only registered learners will have access to the payment.

Why it is important for Ukrainian parents to know this

Since 2022, Poland has provided Ukrainian children with a large number of social and educational benefits: free access to education, school lunches, medical care, as well as financial support. But now, in connection with the transition to a more systematic control, ZUS (Zakład Ubezpieczeń Społecznych) will check not the fact of the child’s stay in the institution, but its presence in the SIO database.

In many cases, a school or kindergarten could mistakenly not enter a child in the register – due to technical failures, personnel errors or the absence of a PESEL. And this threatens the loss of the right to assistance even in the presence of all other grounds.

How to check if a child is entered in the SIO

Even if a child attends school or kindergarten every day, one cannot be sure of the presence of his data in the SIO without verification. It is necessary to act in several stages.

Step 1. Contact the class teacher (wychowawca klasy)
This is the first person who has access to enrollment information and can see if a child is enrolled in SIO.

Step 2. If the manager is not sure or does not see confirmation, contact:

• the school secretariat – it is he who is responsible for entering data into the register,
• the school director – he is administratively responsible for inclusion in the SIO,
• intercultural assistant or coordinator for the integration of foreigners – many schools have such specialists who take care of Ukrainian students.

Step 3. If the school does not have confirmation or cannot provide information, contact the education authorities in your city or province:

• Urząd Miasta or Gmina (Town/Village Council) – ask the Department of Education (wydział oświaty),
• Kuratorium Oświaty is the Voivodship Board of Education, contact details for your region can be found at gov.pl,
• Social worker (pracownik socjalny) – if you already have contact with MOPS or OPS, a social worker can help with a check or referral to the relevant institution.

What documents are required to apply for assistance

Once you have confirmed that the child is registered with the SIO, it is important to have the appropriate confirmation. It can be:

• a certificate from the school with the wording potwierdzenie prężynia do szkoły;
• an official certificate that the child is entered in the SIO (you can ask the administration of the institution to issue it upon request).

Next, you should apply for “800+” or “300+” through:

• online platform Emp@tia,
• online banking systems (eg PKO, ING, mBank, etc.),
• mZUS mobile application.

You should be aware that even if payments have been previously approved, ZUS will check for data updates every year. New training is a new confirmation. At the same time, home education (nauczanie domowe) is recognized only if it is agreed with the Kuratorium i Oświaty and is officially registered. In this case, the data is also entered in the SIO. If the child studies “informally” or remotely without a status recognized by the Polish state, he will not be considered part of the education system, and therefore will not receive assistance. If private educational institutions are licensed by the Ministry of Education (MEN) and provide information to the SIO, they are also included in this process.

Why it should be done as early as possible

Verification and registration in SIO is not only a guarantee of access to financial support. It is also the basis for:

• free health insurance,
• access to social benefits,
• automatic calculation of lunches at school,
• distribution of textbooks and materials.

Therefore, inclusion in the SIO is a practical step towards social integration in Poland. Parents of Ukrainian children who plan to stay in Poland at least for the medium term should take these changes into account and ensure that the child is entered in the registry in advance.