Eligibility quiz
Did at least two of your great-grandparents identify as Polish?
Benefits
Benefits for youBenefits for you
Live in Poland for life
You can live in Poland for an unlimited time.
Your residence card confirms your identity and lawful residence in Poland and is valid for 10 years.
Study in Poland
You can access education under the rules that apply to permanent residents.
Work in Poland
You can work in Poland without a work permit.
You can also run a business on the same terms as Polish citizens, following any rules for your particular activity.
Travel across borders
With a valid travel document, your residence card lets you cross Poland's border repeatedly without a visa.
You can visit other Schengen countries for up to 90 days in any 180-day period.
You need a valid travel document, enough money and an explanation of your visit and its conditions, and you must not be flagged as a security or entry risk.
If you cannot get or renew your national passport, you may be able to get a Polish travel document in certain circumstances.
It is normally valid for one year and lets you cross borders repeatedly.
Use public healthcare
You can use public healthcare if you meet the separate conditions for healthcare cover.
Get social support
You can access social assistance and family benefits if you meet the separate conditions for each benefit.
How to apply
Applying at a local officeApplying at a local office
Find your local office
Find the voivodeship office for the place where you live in Poland. It will handle your permanent residence application.
Searches DuckDuckGo for “Which voivodeship office handles permanent residence permit applications for your city Poland?”
Gather your documents
Prepare the required documents for your permanent residence application.
See required documentsFill in your application
Create an account in the MOS portal and log in through login.gov.pl. Fill in the permanent residence permit application and upload your documents.
Fill in the applicationPay any required fees
Pay any required fees as your office directs. Karta Polaka holders do not pay the stamp duty for granting the permit.
Searches DuckDuckGo for “How do I pay the fees for a Poland permanent residence permit at the voivodeship office for your city?”
Submit your application
Sign your application electronically and send it through MOS by the last day of your legal stay in Poland. Download your submitted form and official receipt.
Submit your applicationDownload your submission certificate
After the office has verified your submission, download and print the certificate from MOS. It confirms that you have submitted your application.
Get your certificateAttend your appointment
When the office calls you in, bring your original passport and any originals it asks for. Give your fingerprints and signature, and attend an interview if asked.
Find appointment informationSearches DuckDuckGo for “What happens at the personal appointment for a Poland permanent residence permit?”
Wait for the decision
Watch your MOS account and correspondence for messages from the office. Answer its questions and send any extra documents by the deadline it gives you.
See what happens nextSearches DuckDuckGo for “How do I follow a Poland permanent residence permit application and receive the decision?”
Get your residence card
After your permit is approved, get your residence card from your office. Your permanent residence permit lets you stay in Poland indefinitely; the card is a separate document that needs to be renewed.
Searches DuckDuckGo for “How do I get my residence card after a Poland permanent residence permit is approved in your city?”
Documents needed
Family certificates and recordsFamily certificates and records
Birth certificates *
Provide your birth certificate and the birth records connecting you through your parent and grandparent to the Polish relatives you rely on. If you rely on two great-grandparents, provide records connecting you to both of them. Use originals or officially certified copies and have the originals available for checking.
* Only if you need to prove your family relationship for a Polish-origin application or a Karta Polaka.
May need translationMay need apostille/legalisationMarriage certificates *
Provide marriage certificates that help connect your parent, grandparent and the Polish relatives you rely on. Include divorce or name-change records if they are needed to explain a change of name or family relationship. Use originals or officially certified copies and have the originals available for checking.
* Only if you need them to show your family relationship.
May need translationMay need apostille/legalisationRelatives' Polish records *
Provide records showing the Polish nationality or origin of the relatives you rely on, such as a citizenship record. Use originals or officially certified copies and have the originals available for checking. One Polish great-grandparent alone is not enough: you need a qualifying Polish parent or grandparent, or two Polish great-grandparents.
* Only if you apply based on Polish origin or apply for a Karta Polaka based on family.
May need translationMay need apostille/legalisationDeath certificates *
Provide death certificates for your parent, grandparent or the Polish relatives you rely on if the records help connect your family. Use originals or officially certified copies and have the originals available for checking.
* Only if you need them to show your family relationship.
May need translationMay need apostille/legalisationConsiderations
Things to think aboutThings to think about
Residence card replacement
You must replace your residence card every 10 years.
An expired card is no longer valid, but its expiry does not end your permanent residence.
Permanent residence can end
Your permanent residence can be withdrawn if its conditions are no longer met or for public safety or public order reasons.
It can also end if you acquire another status that legally replaces it.
If a final decision taking it away requires you to leave Poland, you must leave.
Discuss
Online communitiesOnline communities
Expats in Warsaw, Poland
English Facebook group for people living in Poland interested in Polish visas
Join on FacebookCudzoziemcy - trudne przypadki
Polish Facebook group for people living in Poland interested in Polish visas
Join on FacebookTemporary residence cards/ Visas/Legalisation in Poland (TRC)
English Facebook group for people living in Poland interested in Polish visas
Request to joinConsultation
Talk to a professionalTalk to a professional
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