mObywatel Users Face August 5 Deadline for Document Security Updates

Over 12 million Polish state application users must log in by August 5, 2026, to automatically update their digital document certificates and prevent access disruptions.

Deadline for mObywatel Users

Over 12 million users of the state application must perform a simple action no later than August 5, 2026. Failing to meet the deadline will not invalidate plastic documents, but it may cause their digital security features to expire and temporarily restrict access to mDowód, student IDs, and other mobile documents.

In August 2026, a standard update of document certificates available in the mObywatel application will be carried out. According to the official announcement, most users do not need to submit an application, visit an office, or independently install additional software. The condition for the automatic operation is logging into the application no later than August 5, 2026.

Upon launching mObywatel, the system will connect to state infrastructure and renew the certificates assigned to the documents. Messages regarding updating or refreshing individual items may appear on the screen, which is a correct part of the procedure and not a malfunction notice.

The update does not only affect the appearance of the documents. A certificate is an electronic attestation confirming user data and enabling the verification of the authenticity and validity of a mobile document. Without a current certificate, the system cannot ensure full verification of the document or its secure association with a specific person.

Basic Certificate and One-Year Validity

The rules for issuing certificates stem directly from the Act of May 26, 2023, on the mObywatel application. According to Article 2, item 5, the user certificate is an electronic attestation confirming the data of the person using the application. The law distinguishes between a basic certificate, a pupil certificate, and a student certificate.

Article 10 of the Act states that the basic certificate contains the user’s first names, last name, PESEL number, and citizenship, the certificate serial number, information about its issuer, and the exact start and end of the validity period. The document also records the address of the service allowing automatic, free, and reliable verification of the certificate’s validity.

The basic certificate is issued by the minister competent for computerization or the office serving them. It is valid for one year, and its validity period cannot exceed the expiration date of the mObywatel document itself. Certificate renewal may occur after re-establishing the user’s identity or by using a still-valid certificate. This is why logging in before the deadline allows the procedure to be carried out without involving the user in additional identification.

Consequences of Certificate Expiration

Failure to log into the application before the designated date may result in the expiration of certificates. This does not mean the deletion of data from the PESEL register, the Central Register of Vehicles and Drivers, the Identity Card Register, or other state databases. It also does not cause the automatic invalidation of a physical identity card, driver’s license, or student ID.

The consequences affect the digital layer of the document. The document may cease to be active in the application or fail the verification procedure correctly. The method of regaining access will depend on the type of document. In some cases, opening its details and performing the update indicated by the application will suffice, while in others, re-authentication or adding the document from the beginning will be necessary.

This August operation should not be confused with updating the program itself in the Google Play or App Store. The document certificate is an attestation linked to the user, whereas the application version is software installed on the phone. In practice, however, it is advisable to use the current version of mObywatel, as older releases may not support the latest security mechanisms and services.

Identity Re-Verification for mDowód

Special rules will apply to mDowód and the Temporary Protection Document. If their certificates expire, the user will not be limited to simply refreshing the document. Re-authentication via the National Node, which is the state electronic identification system, will be necessary.

Identity can be confirmed using a trusted profile, e-ID, or electronic banking, among other methods. Upon successful completion of authentication, the application will download the necessary data from the appropriate registers again and issue the document along with a valid certificate.

The mObywatel document itself, operating under the name mDowód, is issued automatically for five years. However, the basic certificate is valid for a shorter period of one year. This means the document may retain its five-year validity period, although the underlying certificate requires periodic renewal.

According to Article 7, paragraph 4 of the Act, if regulations require confirming identity or Polish citizenship based on an identity card, this obligation is also fulfilled by presenting mDowód. Crossing a state border remains an exception, as mDowód is not a travel document and does not replace a physical identity card or passport during foreign trips.

Pupil Certificates and mObywatel Junior

The update will also cover documents used in mObywatel Junior. A child using the application should log into it no later than August 5, 2026. Parents and guardians must note that logging only into their own mObywatel account does not necessarily replace launching the application on the child’s device.

The pupil certificate is linked to the school ID. Article 11 of the Act indicates that it contains the pupil’s first names, last name, and PESEL number, serial number, issuer designation, and an identifying number for the mobile ID. The certificate is issued for the school year or semester for which the associated ID was issued.

If the certificate expires, re-adding the school ID may require generating a new QR code via the Integrated Educational Platform and then scanning the code in the application. Additional documents present in mObywatel Junior may require re-adding after the ID is reactivated.

Student IDs and Dean’s Office QR Codes

A separate procedure may cover some students using student IDs. Not every student will be required to obtain a new code. The application will display an appropriate notification exclusively to individuals whose document requires reactivation.

Upon receiving the notification, the student should go to their university’s dean’s office, download a new QR code, and then re-add the student ID in mObywatel. This operation must be performed before the current certificate expires.

Article 12 of the Act specifies that the student certificate contains their first names, last name, and PESEL number, certificate serial number, information about the issuing entity, and the number identifying the mobile ID. It is issued for the semester for which the associated student ID was issued.

Mobile Document Verification and Application Functions

A certificate is not merely a technical addition visible in the application settings. Article 9 of the Act provides that a mobile document submitted for verification is endorsed with an electronic signature checked using the user’s certificate.

The person or institution verifying the document can confirm its authenticity, validity, integrity, and origin by checking the document data, the advanced electronic seal of the minister competent for computerization, the user’s electronic signature, visual security features, or the correct operation of the service supporting the document.

Therefore, the expiration of a certificate does not solely cause the document card to disappear from the screen; it may prevent cryptographic confirmation that the document is current, originates from the proper system, and has not been altered.

Article 3 of the Act sets out the basic functions of the application, which include retrieving personal data and information on rights and legal status from public registers, teleinformation systems, and specific non-public registers; storing, presenting, and transmitting mobile documents for verification; transferring data to other persons or entities; using the mObywatel document and mObywatel profile; using the phone as one of the authentication factors for the trusted profile; and executing electronic payments related to services provided to the user. The application may also download data concerning a minor child if the user is an authorized parent or legal guardian.

Services Catalog and Data Responsibility

According to the current catalog, mObywatel provides 37 services. These services are not identical to the documents stored in the application, which include mDowód, mDriving Licence, Large Family Card, School ID, Student ID, or digital professional entitlement confirmations. Services allow specific operations, data checks, submission of requests, payments, or official matters to be handled.

Article 20 of the Act states that the administrator of personal data processed in the mObywatel system is the minister competent for computerization. Data is processed to provide services, ensure teleinformation security, and protect the security of legal transactions.

Data in the mObywatel system may be stored for six years from the date of expiration or revocation of the user certificate. For data processed in the electronic identification system where the mObywatel profile is issued, this period is 20 years from the date the profile is revoked.

Based on Article 21, the minister prepares and updates the regulations for using the application and the service provision policy for certificates. These documents specify conditions for safe program use, technical requirements, and rules for creating, issuing, and using certificates. Users must follow these regulations and certificate policies.

Scale of the Update for 12 Million Users

According to Ministry of Digital Affairs data from May 2026, 12 million people use mObywatel, twice as many as at the end of 2023, when the application had 5.7 million users. Approximately 1.5 million logins are recorded daily.

Users have activated a total of 26 million digital documents. mDowód alone is held by 12 million people, mDriving Licence by 6.8 million users, and the My Vehicles service by 4.5 million people accessing data for 9 million cars.

Over two and a half years, the application has been expanded with 89 services, documents, and features. In 2025, 16 new documents and 20 services and features were introduced. In June 2026, the Personal Mailbox providing access to e-Delivery and ePUAP was added, and the Business service was expanded to include suspending and resuming business activity and managing proxies.

Frequently Asked Questions

What needs to be done by August 5, 2026? Users must launch the mObywatel application and log in correctly, after which document certificates will update automatically in most cases.

Is it necessary to download a new application? No. The August operation concerns document certificates rather than reinstalling the program, though checking for the current version of mObywatel is recommended.

Will failing to log in invalidate a physical identity card? No. Certificate expiration in the application does not invalidate physical identity cards or remove user data from state registers.

What happens to mDowód after a certificate expires? Relaunching mDowód may require confirming identity via the National Node, such as through a trusted profile, e-ID, or electronic banking.

Is mDowód as valid as an identity card? In Poland, mDowód serves to confirm identity and citizenship under Article 7 of the Act, but it is not a travel document and does not allow crossing borders.

Must every student go to the dean’s office? No. Only individuals receiving an application notification regarding downloading a new QR code and re-adding their student ID need to visit the dean’s office.

Does a child also need to log in? Yes, if using mObywatel Junior, the login must occur no later than August 5, 2026.

What to do after a school ID expires? Obtaining a new QR code via the Integrated Educational Platform and re-adding the document to the application may be necessary.

How long is the basic certificate valid? Under Article 10 of the Act, the basic certificate is issued for one year and cannot outlast the associated mObywatel document.

Can documents still be presented without internet access? Many mobile documents can be presented offline, though network access is needed for certificate updates, downloading current data, and using certain services.

Does the update affect all mObywatel services? Document certificates are updated. Services like Air Quality, Vehicle History, or Safe Bus are not documents and lack user certificates, though some require an active mDowód or valid mObywatel profile.