Karta Pobytu

Polish Residence Permit & Citizenship

Comprehensive residence permit consulting for foreigners planning to stay in Poland for more than 3 months.

Foreigners planning to stay in Poland for more than 3 months may apply for a Polish residence permit if they meet the required conditions. Under the Foreigners Act of 12 December 2013, a residence permit is granted for a maximum of 3 years. The duration varies depending on your purpose of stay. For example, students applying for the first time receive a maximum of 15 months. When your permit expires, you must reapply following the same procedures.

Types of Polish Residence Permit

This is the temporary residence permit for foreigners who want to work and live in Poland. Under the Foreigners Act, a residence permit for work purposes is granted for a maximum of 3 years, though it may be shorter depending on your employment contract and salary.

Required Documents

Filing method and core documents

From 27 April 2026, applications in many residence procedures, including temporary residence, permanent residence and EU long-term residence, are generally prepared and submitted electronically through MOS; statutory exceptions may still use paper procedures
Biometric photographs required for the relevant procedure
Passport or travel document and the required scans or copies, depending on the filing route; the original may still be requested for identity and biometric formalities
Proof of payment of the application fee (stamp duty)

Additional documents for workers

Employment-related documents depend on the specific procedure and current rules. Informacja starosty is generally no longer required in new proceedings initiated from 1 June 2025. Transitional rules may still apply to proceedings started earlier.
Documents confirming health insurance – ZUS premium payment records
PIT – Personal Income Tax declarations (if you worked the previous year)
Tax clearance certificate (no tax debt)
Documents showing your employer has sufficient financial standing to employ you

Additional documents for students

Student status certificate from your school
Documents proving payment of tuition fees
University transcript (not required for new students)
Health insurance
Documents showing accommodation costs (rental or dormitory agreement)

Application Fee

440 PLN (Worker)

PLN 340 stamp duty (Student) + PLN 100 for standard residence card issuance. Statutory reductions may apply in eligible cases.

Processing Time

Case-specific

Processing time depends on factors including the type of permit, completeness of the documents, the competent authority and its current workload. Statutory procedural periods should not be treated as a guaranteed date for the case to be completed in practice.

Where to Apply

Voivodeship Office

Masovian: Marszałkowska 3/5, 00-510 Warsaw

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