Eligibility quiz
Are you married to a Polish citizen?
Benefits
Benefits for youBenefits for you
Live in Poland for life
You can live and settle in Poland indefinitely.
Your residence card proves your right to stay and, with a valid passport, lets you re-enter Poland.
The residence permission does not expire, but the card normally needs replacing every 10 years.
Study and train
You can study or undertake training in Poland.
Your permanent residence is not limited to a particular purpose.
Work in Poland
You can work in Poland without a work permit tied to an employer or job.
You can change employers or work sectors, or become self-employed.
Travel in Schengen
With a valid passport and Polish residence card, you can visit other Schengen countries, normally for up to 90 days in any 180-day period.
You must also meet the country’s entry rules.
For a longer stay, that country’s immigration rules apply.
Seek Polish citizenship
You may be able to apply for Polish citizenship after living continuously in Poland for at least two years with permanent residence if you have been married to a Polish citizen for at least three years.
Other conditions apply, and citizenship is not automatic.
Another route requires at least three continuous years in Poland with permanent residence, a stable and regular income, a legal right to a home and officially certified Polish at B1 level.
An application can be refused on security or public-order grounds.
Use public healthcare
You can use publicly funded healthcare in Poland if you have health cover or another entitlement.
Cover can come through employment, a business or voluntary insurance.
The residence card alone does not automatically provide healthcare cover.
Access social support
You can seek social assistance and other public services available to permanent residents in Poland.
Eligibility depends on the service or benefit and may include income, residence and other tests.
Permanent residence does not automatically provide a payment or housing grant.
How to apply
Applying onlineApplying online
Find your local office
Find the voivodeship office responsible for the place where you live in Poland.
Searches DuckDuckGo for “Which voivodeship office handles permanent residence permit applications for your city, Poland?”
Choose the application form
Create a new account in the MOS portal and sign in through login.gov.pl. Choose the application for a permanent residence permit.
Choose the formGather your documents
Prepare the required documents for your permanent residence application.
See required documentsFill in the application
Fill in your application in MOS, enter your email address and upload the required documents. You will sign it electronically before submitting it.
Fill in the formPay the application fee
Pay the application fee using the payment instructions from your office or MOS. Upload the payment confirmation to your application.
Searches DuckDuckGo for “How do I pay the permanent residence permit application fee to the voivodeship office in your city, Poland?”
Submit your application
Sign your application electronically and send it through MOS. Download and keep the application copy and official confirmation of receipt.
Submit your applicationGet your submission certificate
Wait for the office to verify your electronic submission, then download and print the MOS certificate confirming it. The certificate replaces the former stamp in your passport for your pending application.
Get your certificateAttend your appointment
When your office calls you in, bring your original passport or travel document and the originals of your supporting documents. Give your fingerprints and a specimen signature in person.
Searches DuckDuckGo for “What happens at a voivodeship office appointment for a permanent residence permit in your city, Poland?”
Wait for the decision
Wait for your office to decide your application. Answer its questions and provide any missing records or corrections it asks for.
Searches DuckDuckGo for “How do I follow my permanent residence permit application with the voivodeship office in your city, Poland?”
Pay the card fee
After approval, pay the residence card fee if you have not already paid it. Follow your office's payment instructions.
Searches DuckDuckGo for “How do I pay the residence card fee to the voivodeship office in your city, Poland?”
Collect your residence card
Follow your office's instructions to collect your residence card. You can then use it to show that you have permanent residence in Poland; the permit is indefinite, but the card must be replaced when it expires.
Searches DuckDuckGo for “How do I collect my permanent residence card from the voivodeship office in your city, Poland?”
Documents needed
Family certificates and recordsFamily certificates and records
Marriage certificate
Provide an original or certified copy of your marriage certificate from the Polish civil-status register, issued no more than three months before you apply. If you married abroad, register the marriage in Poland first if required.
Spouse's citizenship records
Provide a copy of your Polish spouse's identity card or another document proving their Polish citizenship. Have the original available for inspection.
Considerations
Things to think aboutThings to think about
Residence documents
Your residence card normally needs replacing every 10 years.
Keep a valid passport and card: travelling without them can make it difficult to re-enter Poland.
An expired or lost card does not itself end your permanent residence.
Residence can be lost
Your permanent residence can be withdrawn if you obtained it using false information or concealed facts.
It can also be withdrawn on security, defence or public-order grounds, or for certain criminal convictions.
Divorce or annulment soon after the permission is granted can matter, including whether the marriage was used to obtain residence.
A genuine marriage ending later does not automatically end your residence.
A prolonged absence from Poland can also put your residence at risk.
Your permanent residence ends if you become a Polish citizen.
Discuss
Online communitiesOnline communities
EU Freedom of Movement Support Initiative
English Facebook group for people living in Poland interested in Polish visas
Request to joinAmecan -USA Canada Australia Europe Japan-Visitor & Student Visa Specialist
English Facebook group for people living in Poland interested in Polish visas
Join on FacebookTRC Poland – Complex & Non-Standard Residence Permit Cases
English Facebook group for people living in Poland interested in Polish visas
Join on FacebookConsultation
Talk to a professionalTalk to a professional
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