Getting a Temporary Residence Permit in Poland

Researched from official sources ยท May 28, 2026

A third-country national applies for a Polish temporary residence permit (zezwolenie na pobyt czasowy) through the provincial governor.

The governor grants this purpose-bound permit for a fixed period of up to three years, with the residence card issued after a positive decision.

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

440โ€“540 zล‚ in total โ€” the application stamp duty plus the residence-card fee

What You Need

Tap to check off items as you gather them

Additional Items

  • For regulated professions, additional documents confirming qualifications
  • Proof of your place of residence in Poland, as listed by the West Pomeranian office
  • Marriage or birth certificates where the ground for stay is family reunification
  • The current income-threshold figure used to judge stable and regular income, confirmed with the competent office before filing

Step-by-Step

  1. 1

    Identify the correct ground and competent provincial office

    Expat New Arrival
    1. Determine which permit variant fits your reason for stay โ€” for example a combined residence-and-work permit for employment, or a permit on grounds of study, business activity, or family reunification
    2. Identify the competent *urzฤ…d wojewรณdzki* โ€” competence follows your place of residence, so someone living in Wielkopolska files with the Office of Wielkopolska Province in Poznaล„, and someone in West Pomerania with the office in Szczecin
    3. Confirm you have a concrete, lawful ground for staying longer than 90 days, as the permit is purpose-bound to that ground continuing

    ๐Ÿ’ก Tip: The permit is granted by the provincial governor (wojewoda); the national Office for Foreigners runs the online system and hears appeals.

    Office for Foreigners โ€” national authority and online system (gov.pl โ†—)
  2. 2

    Pay the application stamp duty

    Expat New Arrival
    1. Pay the application stamp duty (opล‚ata skarbowa) to the city office for the seat of the competent governor before or at submission
    2. Pay 340 zล‚ for a plain temporary residence permit, or 440 zล‚ for the combined temporary residence and work permit
    3. Keep the payment confirmation โ€” it is a required attachment to the application

    โš ๏ธ Watch out: The application stamp duty and the residence-card fee are paid into separate accounts โ€” paying both in one transfer to the wrong account can delay the case.

    Office for Foreigners โ€” fees (gov.pl โ†—)
  3. 3

    Complete and submit the application online

    Expat New Arrival
    1. 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
    2. 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
    3. Name the ground for stay accurately, as it determines the evidentiary track and the documents you must attach

    ๐Ÿ’ก 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. 4

    Attach all required documents

    Expat New Arrival
    1. Attach the employer's Appendix No. 1 (Zaล‚ฤ…cznik 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
    2. Attach health-insurance evidence and proof of a stable and regular income from a documented, legal source
    3. For regulated professions, attach the additional documents confirming your qualifications

    โš ๏ธ Watch out: 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. 5

    Respond to any summons for missing documents

    Expat New Arrival
    1. 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
    2. Meet the deadline to keep the case moving, as missing it can lead to the case being left unexamined
    3. Re-attach the corrected documents through the case-handling system
  6. 6

    Await the decision and collect the residence card

    Expat New Arrival Resident
    1. A decision is not issued earlier than one month after submission; in some provinces the practical wait runs to two months or several months
    2. Once the permit is granted, pay the residence-card (karta pobytu) issuance fee of 100 zล‚ into its separate account and supply any documents needed to produce the card
    3. Collect the card in person โ€” it is the physical proof of legal stay and carries the permit's validity period

    ๐Ÿ’ก Tip: If the residence card is later lost or destroyed, the re-issue fee is higher than the first issuance.

What Could Go Wrong

Stamp duty paid to the wrong account: The application stamp duty and the residence-card fee go to separate accounts; combining them in one transfer can delay the case.

Recovery: Pay each charge into its own account using the payment details published by the competent office, and keep the stamp-duty confirmation as a required attachment.

File found incomplete: If the governor finds the file incomplete, a summons is issued to supply the missing documents within a deadline of no less than 14 days from delivery.

Recovery: Meet the deadline to keep the case moving; missing it can lead to the case being left unexamined. Re-attach the corrected or missing documents in the case-handling system.

Wrong-purpose visa: Converting a visa issued for tourism, family visits or study into a residence-and-work permit on a ground that does not match can lead to refusal.

Recovery: Make sure the ground for the residence permit is consistent with the basis on which you entered Poland before filing.

Costs

Item Amount Payment Notes
Application stamp duty zล‚340โ€“zล‚440 Paid to the city office for the seat of the competent governor before or at submission Varies by permit type: 340 zล‚ for a plain temporary residence permit; 440 zล‚ for the combined temporary residence and work permit. Set by the Rozporzฤ…dzenie Ministra Spraw Wewnฤ™trznych z dnia 25 kwietnia 2014 r., not by the Act on Foreigners.
Residence card issuance zล‚100 Paid after a positive decision, into a separate account from the stamp duty Confirmed as the current fee by the national Office for Foreigners and the business portal. Re-issue after loss or destruction is 200 zล‚, and 300 zล‚ for a subsequent loss or destruction.
Application stamp duty zล‚340โ€“zล‚440
Payment:
Paid to the city office for the seat of the competent governor before or at submission
Notes:
Varies by permit type: 340 zล‚ for a plain temporary residence permit; 440 zล‚ for the combined temporary residence and work permit. Set by the Rozporzฤ…dzenie Ministra Spraw Wewnฤ™trznych z dnia 25 kwietnia 2014 r., not by the Act on Foreigners.
Residence card issuance zล‚100
Payment:
Paid after a positive decision, into a separate account from the stamp duty
Notes:
Confirmed as the current fee by the national Office for Foreigners and the business portal. Re-issue after loss or destruction is 200 zล‚, and 300 zล‚ for a subsequent loss or destruction.
Total: zล‚440

FAQ

General

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 โ€” 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 zล‚ for a plain temporary residence permit and 440 zล‚ for the combined temporary residence and work permit, plus 100 zล‚ 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 Poznaล„ 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 pracฤ™) 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 โ€” 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 Urzฤ™du do Spraw Cudzoziemcรณw) 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.

After This Process

  • โ†’ Collect the residence card (karta pobytu) once the permit is granted โ€” it is the physical proof of legal stay and carries the validity period
  • โ†’ Track the permit's expiry and plan a renewal application well before it lapses, as the permit is fixed-term
  • โ†’ If the ground for stay ends โ€” for example the underlying employment relationship โ€” review your status, since the basis for the permit ends with it
  • โ†’ Open a Polish bank account and obtain a PESEL number if you have not already, as both ease day-to-day administration

Sources

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More in Poland

8 sources cited last accessed 2026-05-28

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  1. T1
    Office for Foreigners (Urzฤ…d do Spraw Cudzoziemcรณw / UdSC) 2026-05-28

    National authority identity and seat: Office for Foreigners (Urzฤ…d do Spraw Cudzoziemcรณw / UdSC), ul. Koszykowa 16, 00-564 Warszawa. The UdSC sets policy, runs the online case-handling system, and hears appeals against wojewoda decisions.

    gov.pl
  2. T1
    Office for Foreigners (Urzฤ…d do Spraw Cudzoziemcรณw) 2026-05-28

    Residence-card fee: Opล‚ata za wydanie karty pobytu: 100 zล‚. Re-issue after loss or destruction: 200 zล‚; for a subsequent loss or destruction: 300 zล‚. Fees are set by the Rozporzฤ…dzenie Ministra Spraw Wewnฤ™trznych 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.

    gov.pl
  3. T1
    Office of West Pomeranian Province in Szczecin (Wojewoda Zachodniopomorski) 2026-05-28

    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).

    gov.pl
  4. T1
    Polish government business portal (biznes.gov.pl) 2026-05-28

    Temporary residence and work permit overview: application fee 440 zล‚; residence-card fee 100 zล‚; 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 ร— 883 pixels, file size up to 2.5 MB.

    biznes.gov.pl
  5. T1
    Office of Wielkopolska Province in Poznaล„ (Department for Foreigners) 2026-05-28

    The permit is granted for not longer than three years. Applications may only be submitted through the Case Handling Module (MOS); the Poznaล„ office states this applies from 27 April 2026. Document list includes the online application, Appendix No. 1 (Zaล‚ฤ…cznik 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.

    migrant.poznan.uw.gov.pl
  6. T1
    Office for Foreigners (Urzฤ…d do Spraw Cudzoziemcรณw) 2026-05-28

    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 zล‚). The Moduล‚ Obsล‚ugi Spraw lets applicants submit requests online without scheduling appointments, save incomplete forms, attach digital documents, and obtain electronic receipts.

    gov.pl
  7. T1
    Office of Wielkopolska Province in Poznaล„ (income-test glossary) 2026-05-28

    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 zล‚ net monthly for a single household and 823 zล‚ 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.

    migrant.poznan.uw.gov.pl
  8. T1
    Internetowy System Aktรณw Prawnych (ISAP, Sejm) 2026-05-28

    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.

    isap.sejm.gov.pl
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