A residence permit in Poland allows you to stay in the country from 3 months to 3 years, cross the border multiple times and visit Schengen countries without visas. To apply for it, it is important to have good reasons to stay in Poland for a long time (employment, family reunification, education). You can apply for a Polish residence permit by submitting an application with an existing national visa.

The permit will be the basis for granting a residence permit and in the future citizenship. Since the country is a member of the European Union, you may not to wait several years for a passport, and acquire the status of a citizen under one of the simplified migration programs. This will allow you to go to Poland and stay there for up to 14 months.

The main ways of obtaining a Polish residence permit

The Aliens Act provides many grounds for granting a Polish residence permit to foreign nationals. It is important to take into account that it is impossible to extend the card – before its expiration date it is necessary to apply for a new residence permit card.

Temporary residence permit is granted by the decision of the voivode, and every year Poland forms quotas for issuing a certain number of cards for each individual ground. The most popular reasons for staying in the country are work, business and family reunification.

Residence on the basis of employment

The permit is granted to foreign workers if the vacancy cannot be filled by local professionals. It is important that your salary is not below the national average. If you change a place of work, a new type of residency must be obtained.

Permit on the basis of family reunification

A residence permit by family reunification is granted to spouses of Polish citizens and their supported children up to the age of 21. Close relatives of the holder of a residence permit or of a foreign citizen with refugee status or subsidiary protection can receive such a card. The permit is granted for a period of 1-3 years, depending on individual circumstances.

Residence permit for a highly qualified specialist

A residence permit is granted to highly qualified professionals when they sign a contract for a period of 12 months or more. The annual salary must be at the level of 150% of the national average. During the first 2 years you cannot change employer and position, otherwise the residence permit card is canceled.

Residency by transfer of employees within the company

The residence permit card is issued to those who have been working in the company for at least 12 months or 6 months as trainees as part of an intra-company transfer. It is important to guarantee a return to the main employer abroad at the end of the transfer period. A Polish residence permit can be granted to an employee from abroad who is seconded to perform tasks in Poland. The residence permit is granted if there is a permit for employment.

Permission to conduct business

A temporary residence permit is granted to entrepreneurs who run a business in Poland and their income must be at least 12 times the average gross monthly salary in the province. It is also important to prove the financial ability to ensure the company’s operation.

Residence permit for education

You can apply for a temporary residence permit for studies by submitting a certificate from the local university on admission or continuation of studies and confirming the payment of the course fees. The residence permit is granted for 15 months in the first year, and for 2 years if you participate in European Union student mobility programs.

Residence permit for internships

It is possible to obtain a residence permit for an internship after having completed higher education for 2 years before requesting a Polish residence permit. Additionally, it is necessary to enclose a written application from the internship organizer and a contract with him/her, which details the work program, its conditions and duration. The residence permit is issued for the duration of the contract, but for up to 6 months.

Seasonal worker status

A residence permit can be obtained with a work permit with a validity period longer than a visa or visa-free regime. The card is granted for the period of validity of the contract on performance of assigned duties, but not more than 9 months from the date of the first crossing of the Polish border in the current year.

Conducting research activities

The residence permit card is issued to foreign scientists who enter the territory of Poland to carry out developmental tasks or scientific research. A written application will be required, which records the obligation of the institution to reimburse the foreigner’s return expenses. The application must also be accompanied by a contract of employment of the scientist with information about his/her purpose, conditions provided, salary and duration of the tasks (the residence permit is issued for the period of research and development activities).

Humanitarian purposes

A temporary residence permit is issued to refugees or victims of human trafficking. The card can be issued if comprehensive documentary evidence of a threat to life and health in the country of origin is provided. The period of validity of a temporary residence permit is from 6 months to 3 years, which depends on the individual situation.

Volunteering

Polish residence permit is granted to citizens of other countries who take part in European Voluntary Service programs according to the concluded contract. The card is issued for the period of fulfillment of duties, but the period does not exceed one year.

The residence permit is also granted to family members of an immigrant working in Poland, graduates of Polish universities (for the purpose of employment or starting a business) and religious figures. In 2025 in the country there are no active programs for granting residence permit for investment, when, for example, it is necessary to buy real estate of a certain value and immediately issue a temporary residence permit. But it is important to know that it is possible to become an EU citizen much easier and without a residence permit by going through an accelerated procedure.

Migration programs, which are currently in force in some countries of the European Union, allow you to become a full citizen of the association for up to 14 months and freely choose any of the EU countries for life and work.

Step by step procedure for obtaining a residence permit in Poland

1. Choosing a ground.
   Depending on your personal circumstances, the reason for moving to Poland may be one of the reasons listed above. It is important to take into account that the reason for immigration must be documented, providing all available evidence.
2. Obtaining a visa.
   For citizens of countries that have not signed a visa-free agreement with Poland, it is mandatory to obtain an entry permit. You should submit an application and a package of documents with documented and justified reasons for a long trip to the diplomatic mission in your place of residence.
3. Preparation of the package of documents.
   You should prepare a dossier identical to the one you prepared for visa application. On the completeness of the package of documents depends on the term of consideration and the result. All certificates and statements issued by a foreign country should be translated into Polish and notarized.
4. Submitting an application for residence permit.
   To apply, you need to fill in the relevant application form and sign up for a visit to the voivodship via the InPOL portal. Upon completion of the registration, you will be issued a ticket with the number and time of the personal visit. Together with the application, a package of documents as well as biometric data (fingerprints) is submitted for consideration. After that, you need to pay the stamp duty, which is refundable in case of a negative decision.
5. Waiting for the decision.
   If a complete set of documents is submitted, the application is processed within 60 days. If the processing period needs to be extended, the Voivodeship staff will inform the applicant in writing, as well as the date of issuance of the card.
6. Obtaining a residence permit.
   A residence permit can only be obtained in person at the Office for Foreigners. You must have a valid passport with you.

Requirements and conditions for obtaining a residence permit, necessary documents

To apply for temporary residency in Poland, you must enter the country accordingly for the stated purpose, and:

• take out health insurance;
• prove financial independence (receipt of salary, scholarship, payments to pensioners and so on);
• prove the availability of housing in Poland (rent or ownership of residential real estate);
• prove that you have no criminal record, no threat to state and national security on your part.

It is important to collect and submit a basic package of documents, which consists of:

• application for a residence permit;
• passport;
• photos in passport format 3 x 4 cm (4 pcs.);
• health insurance policy;
• a certificate of income or a bank account statement with the amount sufficient for living in Poland;
• proof of housing in the country (rental agreement, certificate of ownership);
• proof of the grounds for a long-term stay in the country (employment contract, marriage certificate, certificate of enrollment in a higher education institution or other);
• receipts for payment of stamp duty.

All documents in a foreign language must be translated into Polish by a certified translator and notarized. The originals of all documents should be submitted together with copies to confirm their authenticity.

Terms and cost of residence permit application: calculating expenses

The processing of a residence permit application usually takes 60 days, counting from the completion of one of the following events:

• submission of the application in person by the foreign national or his/her visit to the office after being summoned by the voivode for an interview;
• submission of a complete set of documents by the applicant or expiration of the deadline for their submission;
• submission of an application with an exhaustive dossier of the applicant.

The production of a residence permit card may take up to 6 months, its cost varies depending on the legal basis for granting it. In the process of residence permit issuance, other related services must also be paid. The table shows the main costs of obtaining a Polish residence permit:

Certain categories of applicants are exempted from paying the residence permit fee, namely refugees or beneficiaries of subsidiary protection, as well as repatriates. Students and underage applicants, as well as applicants from vulnerable categories of population pay 50% of the fee. At the moment in the country is not regulated accelerated procedure for consideration of applications for residence permit, but in most cases the decision is made within 30 days, not the maximum 60 days.

Renewal of residence permit, transition to permanent residence and citizenship

The legislation of the republic does not regulate the possibility of extending the residence permit – at the end of its validity should apply for a new residence permit card. Permanent residence in the country can be issued only after a certain period of time on the territory of the state. The minimum period for most categories of applicants is 4 years. Applicants residing in the country with refugee status, subsidiary protection or for humanitarian reasons, have the right to apply for a residence permit after 5 years. The main requirements for applicants for a permanent residence card are:

• having a stable income sufficient to live and support family members (if applicable);
• provision of a health insurance policy;
• absence of a criminal record.

The processing of an application for a permanent residence card takes up to 6 months, the period of validity of the document is not limited and can be stopped only upon obtaining an EU long-term resident card or citizenship of the Republic of Poland.

The EU long-term resident permit is issued to applicants who have lived continuously in Poland for at least 5 years, who have a stable income, health insurance and who have proved their command of the Polish language at level B1 or higher.

Citizenship of the Republic can be obtained through the naturalization procedure, provided that the minimum period of residence on the basis of the permanent residence card is met. For different categories of applicants this period varies from 2 to 10 years. The majority of applicants fall under the condition of staying for 3 years if they have a stable source of income and housing in the country.

The process of applying for Polish citizenship with permanent residence:

1. Polish language test – the exam is held twice a year, its cost for adults is 120-180 EUR depending on the level of knowledge, for children it is necessary to pay 90 EUR.
2. Preparing a package of documents – you should submit your passport, residence permit card, certificate of knowledge of the state language, certificate of no criminal record and documentary proof of financial independence.
3. Registration for an appointment in the InPOL service – during the registration a ticket with the number and date of the visit to the Provincial Office for Foreigners will be issued.
4. Submission of the application for citizenship – after completing the application and submitting the dossier, you should also pay the stamp duty in the amount of 52 EUR.
5. Waiting for the decision – the answer is usually given in 30 days, but in individual cases the period can be extended up to 3 months.
6. Obtaining citizenship – in case of an affirmative answer on granting the citizenship status, you will have to come to the Office to take an oath and receive a certificate of citizenship of the Republic of Poland. After that you can start the processing of internal documents.

A separate category of applicants who can most easily obtain Polish citizenship are repatriates – foreign nationals who are of Polish origin, i.e., relatives up to and including the third degree of citizenship of the Republic, and who demonstrate their connection with the Polish people.

In addition to this possibility, there are alternative ways to obtain a passport of one of the European Union countries through an accelerated procedure. You can find out more about the simplified migration programs suitable for you at our free legal consultation.

Possible difficulties and reasons for refusal

In Poland it is not possible to obtain a residence permit on some popular grounds that exist in European countries: for investment, for financially independent persons. In some cases it is possible to be refused a Polish residence permit:

• there are reasons to believe that the applicant poses a threat to the state and public security of the country;
• presence of the applicant’s data in the Schengen Information System (SIS) or the Polish register of foreigners for the purposes of entry and residence ban;
• providing false information about oneself, the purpose of stay on Polish territory or forged documents;
• staying in the country on a Schengen visa issued on humanitarian grounds;
• staying in the country on a residence permit granted due to special circumstances;
• residence outside the territory of Poland;
• tax arrears;
• staying in the country illegally at the time of application for residence permit.

In order to obtain residency and not to make mistakes, you should study the country’s legislation well and go through the whole procedure as it is regulated. It is also possible to significantly simplify the immigration process by obtaining assistance in processing from migration lawyers. It is not difficult to prevent rejection by choosing the optimal basis for long-term stay in the country and preparing a full package of documents.

You can challenge the rejection of the application by filing an appeal to the first instance body within 14 days from the date of the decision. It does not require a detailed explanation, but must contain a clearly expressed dissatisfaction with the rejection.

The appeal suspends the execution of the contested decision until all the evidence in the case is finalized. As a result, an answer may be given to leave the decision unchanged, cancel it in part or recognize it as such, which has no legal force, and terminate the appeal proceedings. The case can be resumed through appeals, after which the file is reviewed anew.

Alternative options for fast processing of residence in Poland

The fastest way to move and stay in Poland in 2025 is to apply for a passport by repatriation. This simplified program is cheaper and more affordable to most foreign nationals than residency, but requires strict adherence to the procedure and legally competent verification of eligibility for such immigration.

To learn more about the terms and costs of obtaining a Polish passport through repatriation, as well as to check whether this method of legalization in the Republic is available to you, you can consult with Relocation Compass specialists. Migration lawyers will analyze your situation and suggest the best way to easily and quickly move to the territory of the European Union.