--- title: Getting a Temporary Residence Permit in Poland country: poland service: "temporary-residence-permit" category: immigration difficulty: complex estimated_time: A decision is not issued earlier than one month after a complete application; in practice some provinces take two months to several months cost_range: "440–540 zł in total — the application stamp duty plus the residence-card fee" last_verified: 2026-05-28 canonical: https://publicservices.guide/poland/temporary-residence-permit/ status: current confidence: low tags: - immigration - "residence-permit" - "temporary-residence" - "karta-pobytu" - wojewoda - "third-country-national" sources: - https://www.gov.pl/web/udsc-en - https://www.gov.pl/web/udsc/oplaty - https://www.gov.pl/web/uw-zachodniopomorski/pobyt-czasowy-na-terytorium-rp - https://www.biznes.gov.pl/pl/portal/ou1613 - https://migrant.poznan.uw.gov.pl/en/procedury/temporary-residence-and-work-permit - https://www.gov.pl/web/udsc/cyfryzacja-procedur-dotyczacych-legalizacji-pobytu-cudzoziemcow - https://migrant.poznan.uw.gov.pl/pl/slownik-pojec/stabilne-i-regularne-zrodlo-dochodu - https://isap.sejm.gov.pl --- # Getting a Temporary Residence Permit in Poland **Country:** 🇵🇱 Poland **Last verified:** 2026-05-28 **Estimated time:** A decision is not issued earlier than one month after a complete application; in practice some provinces take two months to several months **Cost:** 440–540 zł in total — the application stamp duty plus the residence-card fee ## Required documents - **Valid passport** *(paszport)* - Required: Original travel document valid for the intended period of stay, with scans or photographs of all pages attached to the online application - Cost: Already issued - _Note:_ The West Pomeranian office lists a valid passport with photocopies of all pages among the required documents. - **Online application** *(wniosek)* - Required: Application completed in the national case-handling system, naming the ground for stay (employment, study, business, or family) - Where to get: The Moduł Obsługi Spraw at mos.cudzoziemcy.gov.pl - _Note:_ The form can be saved incomplete and finished later; an electronic receipt confirms submission. - **Employer's appendix** *(Załącznik nr 1)* - Required: For a combined residence-and-work permit, Appendix No. 1 completed and signed by the employer - Cost: Already issued - _Note:_ This appendix folds the right to work for the named employer into the residence decision, so no separate work permit is needed. - **Digital photograph** *(fotografia)* - Required: One photograph meeting the online system's technical specification - Format: JPG, at least 684 × 883 pixels, file size up to 2.5 MB - _Note:_ The specification is published for the online system; a non-conforming photo is a common cause of a summons. - **Proof of stamp-duty payment** *(potwierdzenie opłaty skarbowej)* - Required: Confirmation that the application stamp duty was paid to the city office for the seat of the competent governor - Cost: See the Costs section - _Note:_ Kept as a required attachment to the application. - **Health-insurance documentation** *(ubezpieczenie zdrowotne)* - Required: Evidence of health cover appropriate to the type of contract held (employment or mandate contract) - Cost: Varies by cover - _Note:_ Listed among the required documents by both the Poznań and West Pomeranian offices. - **Evidence of stable and regular income** *(stabilne i regularne źródło dochodu)* - Required: Documentation that money is received regularly from a legal source — for example an employment contract, a mandate contract, or other proof of regular payments - Threshold: A minimum monthly net amount set by reference to social-welfare income thresholds, revised periodically; a per-person figure applies where you support a family - _Note:_ Confirm the current figure with the competent office, as the threshold changes. ## Costs - **Application stamp duty:** 340–440 PLN — Varies by permit type: 340 zł for a plain temporary residence permit; 440 zł for the combined temporary residence and work permit. Set by the Rozporządzenie Ministra Spraw Wewnętrznych z dnia 25 kwietnia 2014 r., not by the Act on Foreigners. - **Residence card issuance:** 100 PLN — Confirmed as the current fee by the national Office for Foreigners and the business portal. Re-issue after loss or destruction is 200 zł, and 300 zł for a subsequent loss or destruction. ## Steps ### 1. Identify the correct ground and competent provincial office - Determine which permit variant fits your reason for stay — for example a combined residence-and-work permit for employment, or a permit on grounds of study, business activity, or family reunification - Identify the competent *urząd wojewódzki* — competence follows your place of residence, so someone living in Wielkopolska files with the Office of Wielkopolska Province in Poznań, and someone in West Pomerania with the office in Szczecin - Confirm you have a concrete, lawful ground for staying longer than 90 days, as the permit is purpose-bound to that ground continuing > **Tip:** The permit is granted by the provincial governor (*wojewoda*); the national Office for Foreigners runs the online system and hears appeals. _Links:_ - [Office for Foreigners — national authority and online system](https://www.gov.pl/web/udsc-en) ### 2. Pay the application stamp duty - Pay the application stamp duty (opłata skarbowa) to the city office for the seat of the competent governor before or at submission - Pay 340 zł for a plain temporary residence permit, or 440 zł for the combined temporary residence and work permit - Keep the payment confirmation — it is a required attachment to the application > **If this fails:** The application stamp duty and the residence-card fee are paid into separate accounts — paying both in one transfer to the wrong account can delay the case. _Links:_ - [Office for Foreigners — fees](https://www.gov.pl/web/udsc/oplaty) ### 3. Complete and submit the application online - Submit the application electronically through the case-handling system; provincial offices have moved to online-only submission via the system, so check your competent wojewoda's notice - Use the system to fill the form without booking an in-person appointment, save an incomplete form to finish later, and obtain an electronic receipt confirming submission - Name the ground for stay accurately, as it determines the evidentiary track and the documents you must attach > **Tip:** The case-handling system is referenced on the official portal; the depth of the per-case workflow is documented there rather than reproduced here. ### 4. Attach all required documents - Attach the employer's Appendix No. 1 (Załącznik nr 1) for a work-based permit, the digital photograph meeting the system's technical specification, and scans of all pages of your valid passport - Attach health-insurance evidence and proof of a stable and regular income from a documented, legal source - For regulated professions, attach the additional documents confirming your qualifications > **If this fails:** Missing or mismatched attachments are the most common cause of a summons later in the process; double-check the competent office's published list before submitting. ### 5. Respond to any summons for missing documents - If the governor finds the file incomplete, you are called to supply the missing documents within a deadline of no less than 14 days from delivery of the summons - Meet the deadline to keep the case moving, as missing it can lead to the case being left unexamined - Re-attach the corrected documents through the case-handling system ### 6. Await the decision and collect the residence card - A decision is not issued earlier than one month after submission; in some provinces the practical wait runs to two months or several months - Once the permit is granted, pay the residence-card (karta pobytu) issuance fee of 100 zł into its separate account and supply any documents needed to produce the card - Collect the card in person — it is the physical proof of legal stay and carries the permit's validity period > **Tip:** If the residence card is later lost or destroyed, the re-issue fee is higher than the first issuance. ## FAQ ### Are EU, EEA or Swiss citizens covered by this guide? No. This permit is for third-country (non-EU/EEA/Swiss) nationals. EU, EEA and Swiss citizens use a separate registration-of-residence procedure and do not apply for a zezwolenie na pobyt czasowy. The two routes are administered under different rules — the temporary-residence-permit route under the Act on Foreigners for third-country nationals, and registration of residence for EU/EEA/Swiss citizens exercising free movement. ### How much does it cost? The application stamp duty is 340 zł for a plain temporary residence permit and 440 zł for the combined temporary residence and work permit, plus 100 zł for the residence card after a positive decision. The stamp duty and the card fee are paid into separate accounts. ### How long is the permit valid? Up to a maximum of three years. The exact period is set in the decision by the governor and depends on the ground for stay, because the permit is purpose-bound rather than a general right of residence. ### Can I still submit a paper application? Provincial offices have moved to online-only submission through the case-handling system at mos.cudzoziemcy.gov.pl. As of 27 April 2026 the Office of Wielkopolska Province in Poznań states applications may only be submitted through the system, and the national Office for Foreigners describes the shift to exclusively-electronic submission. Check your competent governor's current notice before filing, as the cut-over date can differ by province. ### Do I get a separate work permit with a residence-and-work permit? No. The combined temporary residence and work permit (zezwolenie na pobyt czasowy i pracę) authorises both residence and work for the named employer in a single decision, so no separate work permit is needed. The employer completes and signs Appendix No. 1, which forms part of the application file. ### What income do I need to show? You must show a stable and regular source of income at a minimum monthly net amount set by reference to social-welfare income thresholds, which are revised periodically. The income must come from a documented, legal source — for example an employment or mandate contract with proof that you actually receive the payments. A per-person figure applies where you support a family in Poland. Confirm the competent office's current figure, as the threshold changes. ### What if my application is refused? A refusal decision by the governor can be appealed to the Head of the Office for Foreigners (Szef Urzędu do Spraw Cudzoziemców) in Warsaw, which reviews the decision at national level. Refusals also arise where someone entered Poland on a visa issued for tourism, family visits or study and then tries to convert it to a residence-and-work permit on a ground that does not match. ## Sources - [Office for Foreigners (Urząd do Spraw Cudzoziemców / UdSC)](https://www.gov.pl/web/udsc-en) — accessed 2026-05-28 — _T1_ — National authority identity and seat: Office for Foreigners (Urząd do Spraw Cudzoziemców / UdSC), ul. Koszykowa 16, 00-564 Warszawa. The UdSC sets policy, runs the online case-handling system, and hears appeals against wojewoda decisions. - [Office for Foreigners (Urząd do Spraw Cudzoziemców)](https://www.gov.pl/web/udsc/oplaty) — accessed 2026-05-28 — _T1_ — Residence-card fee: Opłata za wydanie karty pobytu: 100 zł. Re-issue after loss or destruction: 200 zł; for a subsequent loss or destruction: 300 zł. Fees are set by the Rozporządzenie Ministra Spraw Wewnętrznych z dnia 25 kwietnia 2014 r. on fees collected from foreigners for issuing and exchanging documents, not by the Act on Foreigners. The application stamp duty and the residence-card fee are paid into separate accounts. - [Office of West Pomeranian Province in Szczecin (Wojewoda Zachodniopomorski)](https://www.gov.pl/web/uw-zachodniopomorski/pobyt-czasowy-na-terytorium-rp) — accessed 2026-05-28 — _T1_ — Application stamp duty by permit type: temporary residence permit 340 PLN; temporary residence and work permit 440 PLN. Required documents include a valid passport with photocopies of all pages, proof of residence, photographs, proof of stamp-duty payment, evidence of stable and regular income, and health-insurance documentation. Decision issued within two months from submission of a complete application, excluding periods specified in administrative-procedure law. Maximum validity three years; legal basis is the Act of 12 December 2013 on Foreigners (Dz.U. 2013 poz. 1650). - [Polish government business portal (biznes.gov.pl)](https://www.biznes.gov.pl/pl/portal/ou1613) — accessed 2026-05-28 — _T1_ — Temporary residence and work permit overview: application fee 440 zł; residence-card fee 100 zł; maximum validity three years; the wojewoda is the issuing authority and appeals go to the Head of the Office for Foreigners in Warsaw. Decision issued no earlier than one month after submission; practical waiting time in some provinces may reach several months. Digital photo specification: JPG, at least 684 × 883 pixels, file size up to 2.5 MB. - [Office of Wielkopolska Province in Poznań (Department for Foreigners)](https://migrant.poznan.uw.gov.pl/en/procedury/temporary-residence-and-work-permit) — accessed 2026-05-28 — _T1_ — The permit is granted for not longer than three years. Applications may only be submitted through the Case Handling Module (MOS); the Poznań office states this applies from 27 April 2026. Document list includes the online application, Appendix No. 1 (Załącznik nr 1) signed by the employer, one digital photograph, scans of all passport pages, confirmation of stamp-duty payment, and health-insurance documentation. Applications are rejected where the applicant entered Poland on a Schengen or national visa issued for tourism, family visits, study, or similar purposes. - [Office for Foreigners (Urząd do Spraw Cudzoziemców)](https://www.gov.pl/web/udsc/cyfryzacja-procedur-dotyczacych-legalizacji-pobytu-cudzoziemcow) — accessed 2026-05-28 — _T1_ — The shift to exclusively-electronic submission via the case-handling system; the only costs for foreigners applying for residence permission are the state fee for submitting the application (amount depending on the type of permission) and the fee for issuing a residence card (100 zł). The Moduł Obsługi Spraw lets applicants submit requests online without scheduling appointments, save incomplete forms, attach digital documents, and obtain electronic receipts. - [Office of Wielkopolska Province in Poznań (income-test glossary)](https://migrant.poznan.uw.gov.pl/pl/slownik-pojec/stabilne-i-regularne-zrodlo-dochodu) — accessed 2026-05-28 — _T1_ — The stable-and-regular-income test is judged against a minimum monthly net amount set by reference to social-welfare income thresholds, which are revised periodically. A per-person figure applies where the applicant supports a family in Poland. The reference social-welfare income criterion is 1 010 zł net monthly for a single household and 823 zł net monthly per person in a family as cited from 1 January 2025; applicants should confirm the current figure with the competent office before filing. - [Internetowy System Aktów Prawnych (ISAP, Sejm)](https://isap.sejm.gov.pl) — accessed 2026-05-28 — _T1_ — Ustawa z dnia 12 grudnia 2013 r. o cudzoziemcach (Dz.U. 2013 poz. 1650) establishes the temporary residence permit and names the wojewoda competent for the foreigner's place of residence as the organ that grants or refuses it by decision; where the file is incomplete the foreigner is called to supply missing documents within no less than 14 days from delivery of the summons. --- Verification pending — see the canonical page for the latest trust state. Canonical: https://publicservices.guide/poland/temporary-residence-permit/