Eligibility quiz
Is at least one of your parents a Polish citizen?
Benefits
Benefits for your childBenefits for your child
Live in Poland for life
You can live in Poland indefinitely.
Your residence card confirms your identity and your right to live in Poland.
Study in Poland
You can access education in Poland.
Work in Poland
You can work for any employer without a separate work permit.
You can run a business on the same terms as Polish citizens.
Travel without visas
With your residence card and a valid passport or other travel document, you can 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, a reason for your trip and means of support, and must not have an alert against your entry or a public-order restriction.
Use public healthcare
You can use public healthcare in Poland if you meet the usual conditions for care.
Get social support
You can receive social assistance, including money or other help, if you meet its conditions.
You can also access family benefits and other public services if you meet their conditions.
How to apply
Applying at a local officeApplying at a local office
Find your local office
Find the regional office responsible for your child's place of stay in Poland. This is the office that will decide your child's permanent residence application.
Searches DuckDuckGo for “Which regional office handles permanent residence applications in your city, Poland?”
Open the application form
Open the permanent residence application for your child in the MOS portal.
Open the applicationGather your documents
Prepare the required documents for your child's application.
See required documentsFill in the application
As the child's parent or court-appointed guardian, create your account and fill in the application online. Attach your child's digital photograph and copies of the required documents, and give an email address for case updates.
Fill in the applicationPay the application fee
Pay your child's application fee before submitting, using the local office's payment instructions, unless your child is exempt. Attach the payment confirmation to the application in MOS.
Searches DuckDuckGo for “How do I pay the Poland permanent residence application fee to the regional office in your city?”
Submit the application
As the child's parent or court-appointed guardian, sign and send the application through MOS no later than the last day of your child's legal stay in Poland. Sign through login.gov.pl with an accepted electronic signature.
Submit the applicationDownload your receipt
Download and keep the official electronic receipt for your child's application. Without it, the application has not been successfully submitted.
Download the receiptWait for your appointment
Wait for the regional office to tell you when to attend your child's appointment. Do not book this first visit yourself in MOS.
See appointment instructionsSearches DuckDuckGo for “How will I get an appointment for my child's Poland permanent residence application?”
Go to your appointment
As the child's parent or guardian, attend at the regional office with the original documents; your child must attend if they are six or older. The office checks the documents, takes fingerprints where required and addresses any missing parts of the application.
Searches DuckDuckGo for “What should I bring to my child's Poland permanent residence appointment at the regional office in your city?”
Wait for the decision
Wait for the regional office to decide your child's application and send any further documents or explanations it asks for. You can use the access code sent to your email to check the case status.
Searches DuckDuckGo for “How do I check my child's Poland permanent residence application status at the regional office in your city?”
Get the residence card
Once your child's application is approved, follow the office's instructions to pay the separate card fee and get their residence card, attending if required. Your child can then use the card as evidence of their permanent residence in Poland.
Searches DuckDuckGo for “How do I get my child's Poland permanent residence card from the regional office in your city?”
Documents needed
Family certificates and recordsFamily certificates and records
Birth certificates
Provide your birth certificate showing your relationship to your Polish parent. Upload a clear electronic copy with your application.
Parent's citizenship records
Provide a copy of your Polish parent's identity card to show their Polish citizenship. Bring the original if the office asks to see it.
Considerations
Things to think aboutThings to think about
Residence card upkeep
You must replace your residence card when it expires, normally every 10 years.
You must also report its loss or damage, and changes affecting the identity or document details on it.
Residence can be lost
Your residence right may be withdrawn if you lose asylum, leave Poland for more than 6 years, or are finally convicted of a serious crime.
It may also be withdrawn for security, defence or public-order reasons, or fraud or false information or documents used to obtain it.
It ends if you become a Polish citizen.
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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