Eligibility quiz
Did one of your parents belong to the Polish nation?
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 onlineApplying online
Find your local office
Find the voivodeship office for the place where you are staying in Poland. You will apply for permanent residence, not a visa.
Searches DuckDuckGo for “Which Poland voivodeship office handles permanent residence applications for your city?”
Gather your documents
Prepare the required documents for your permanent residence application.
See required documentsGet the application form
Create a new account in the MOS portal and log in through login.gov.pl. Open the permanent residence application form.
Open the applicationFill in your application
Fill in the form in MOS. Choose the basis that applies to you: Polish origin or a valid Karta Polaka.
Find form helpSearches DuckDuckGo for “How do I fill in the Poland permanent residence application in the Office for Foreigners MOS portal?”
Pay the fees
Follow your voivodeship office’s payment instructions to pay any permit fee that applies and the residence card fee by bank transfer. Keep the payment confirmations to upload in MOS.
Searches DuckDuckGo for “How do I pay the Poland permanent residence permit and residence card fees at the voivodeship office for your city?”
Upload your documents
Upload the required digital documents and your payment confirmations to your application in MOS.
Upload your documentsSubmit your application
Sign your application electronically in MOS using a trusted profile, qualified electronic signature or personal signature, then send it. Your application is submitted when you send it electronically.
Submit your applicationSave your confirmations
Download and keep the UPO confirmation in PDF or XML. Once your office verifies and accepts your application, download the certificate of submission from MOS.
Find your confirmationsSearches DuckDuckGo for “How do I download the UPO and certificate of submission for a Poland permanent residence application in the Office for Foreigners MOS portal?”
Attend your appointment
When your voivodeship office asks you to attend, bring your original travel document and any original documents it asks to see. Give your fingerprints and a signature sample; the office may also interview you.
Searches DuckDuckGo for “What happens at a Poland permanent residence personal appearance at the voivodeship office in your city?”
Wait for the decision
Respond to your office’s questions or requests to correct your application or provide more documents by the deadline it gives you. The decision will be sent to the correspondence address given in MOS.
See what happens nextSearches DuckDuckGo for “How long does a Poland permanent residence application through the Office for Foreigners MOS portal take?”
Documents needed
Family certificates and recordsFamily certificates and records
Birth certificates *
Get your birth certificate and, if needed to show the link, your Polish parent’s birth record. If the names on your records differ, add records showing the changes, such as a marriage or name change record.
* Only if you need to show your relationship to your Polish parent for the Polish-origin route or a Karta Polaka application.
May need translationMay need apostille/legalisationParent’s nationality records *
Get original records showing that your parent was Polish by nationality. These can include Polish identity documents, civil or baptismal records, military records, or official documents recording Polish nationality. For a Karta Polaka application, records showing that your parent held Polish citizenship can also be used; a Karta Polaka alone does not prove Polish origin for the permanent-residence application.
* Only if you apply for permanent residence based on Polish origin or need to show your Polish parent’s background for a Karta Polaka application.
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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