Marriage to a Polish citizen — application step by step
This application has one big advantage few people know about. We show you the whole procedure in plain language.
340 zł
stamp duty
+100 zł
for the residence card
up to 3 years
the maximum length of the permit
60 days
the office's deadline for a decision
- 1Prepare
- 2Account
- 3Application
- 4Send
- 5Office
- 6Decision
Is this your application?
Choose it if you're married to a Polish citizen. You don't need an employer or a university here — no one else has to sign an attachment for you. That sets this application apart from most others.
This is your application if:
- your husband or wife holds Polish citizenship
- the marriage is recognised under Polish law
- the marriage is genuine, not entered into to obtain residence
- you're in Poland
Not every marriage is recognised under Polish law
For a marriage to be recognised in Poland, it must be between two people of different sexes who had the capacity to marry, registered lawfully, non-polygamous, and not purely religious in nature. If your relationship doesn't meet these conditions, the right basis is a different one — residence for family life.
Here's an exception in your favour
For this application you don't need to be staying in Poland legally at the moment you file it. This is an exception to the rule that applies to other permits. But if you have a valid residence title, file the application at the latest on the last day of your legal stay — then your stay remains legal until the case is closed and you'll get a certificate.
You can't file the application from abroad
You file the MOS application only while you're in Poland. If you're abroad, the application is filed on paper, under the previous rules.
Step 1. Prepare everything before you start
With this application you're not waiting on anyone — you can file it right away.
Trusted profile (profil zaufany)
Your signature online. You set it up for free through internet banking or in person at an office.
A valid passport
A scan of every page as a PDF, one file, maximum 10 MB.
A biometric photo
JPG, at least 684 × 883 pixels, maximum 2.5 MB. Taken within the last 6 months, face forward, plain light background.
Marriage certificate
A document confirming the marriage. If it was issued abroad, you'll need a sworn translation into Polish.
Your spouse's ID document
An ID card or passport confirming your spouse's Polish citizenship.
Evidence that the marriage is genuine
Joint photos, a shared address, joint bills, correspondence, travel tickets. The office checks whether the relationship wasn't entered into for show — the more natural traces of shared life, the better.
Two fees
340 zł stamp duty and 100 zł for issuing the residence card. Two separate transfers. You cannot pay the fees within MOS itself.
An address where you'll actually receive mail
The office will send the summons and the decision to this address.
Foreign-language documents need a sworn translator
A foreign marriage certificate and any other document in a foreign language must have a sworn translation into Polish. The list of translators is kept by the Ministry of Justice (Ministerstwo Sprawiedliwości). An ordinary translation is not enough.
Steps in the MOS system
Create an account
- 1Go to mos.cudzoziemcy.gov.pl
- 2Click "Zaloguj" (Log in)
- 3The site will redirect you to login.gov.pl — choose Profil zaufany (trusted profile)
- 4Fill in the registration form and click "Zatwierdź" (Confirm)
- 5Open your email and click the activation link
Fill in the application
- 1Click "Złóż wniosek online" (Submit application online) and choose the temporary residence permit
- 2As the purpose of stay, indicate residence with a family member — marriage to a Polish citizen
- 3Fill it in in Polish
- 4Copy your personal data letter by letter, exactly as in your passport
- 5Give the address where you actually live together
- 6Attach a JPG photo and a PDF scan of every page of your passport
You're not waiting for anyone's signature
Unlike the residence-and-work or study application, no third party fills in an attachment here. You send the application as soon as you've filled it in.
You can attach marriage documents right away
You don't have to, but it's worth it. The more you attach from the start, the fewer summonses you get and the faster the office decides.
Check, sign and send
- 1Read the entire application from top to bottom
- 2Check the passport number, date of birth and spelling of your surname
- 3Sign the application with your trusted profile through login.gov.pl
- 4Click "Wyślij" (Send)
- 5Download and save the UPO — the official confirmation of receipt
Without the UPO the application isn't filed
The official confirmation of receipt is the only proof the application reached the voivode. Download it and save it.
Office visit
- 1The voivode will summon you for a specific date — no earlier than 7 days after the summons is delivered
- 2Bring your original passport — without it the proceedings will be discontinued
- 3Bring proof of the stamp duty payment, if you didn't attach it to the application
- 4You'll leave fingerprints and a signature specimen
Don't show up and the case is over
If you don't appear for the summons or don't complete the required steps, the voivode will discontinue the proceedings.
Documents and examination of the relationship
- 1The voivode will summon you to submit documents confirming the circumstances in the application
- 2You'll get no less than 14 days to provide them
- 3Submit documents as originals or notarised copies
- 4The office may carry out an interview or ask for explanations about your shared life
The office checks the marriage isn't a sham
This is a normal part of the procedure and isn't an accusation against you. Be ready for questions about everyday life, and keep evidence of living together and shared affairs at hand.
Decision and residence card
- 1The office has 60 days for a decision from the moment the application is complete
- 2You'll receive the decision at the address for service you gave — yours or your authorised representative's
- 3After a positive decision, you collect the residence card at the office
- 4The permit is granted for the period needed for the purpose of stay, up to a maximum of 3 years
You can appeal a refusal
You have 14 days from delivery of the decision. File the appeal in writing to the Head of the Office for Foreigners through the voivode — not through MOS. The appeal should be examined within 90 days.
What if the marriage ends
Widowhood, divorce or legal separation don't have to mean the end of your stay in Poland.
- in the event of widowhood, you can apply for another permit on this basis
- in the event of divorce or legal separation, this is possible if you have a valid interest in it
- such a permit is granted once, for up to 3 years
- condition: at the time of filing, you must be staying in Poland legally under a valid permit for a family member of a Polish citizen
Don't delay this application
If your current permit expires, you'll lose the basis for applying for another one on this path.
How much you'll pay
| What you're paying for | How much |
|---|---|
| Stamp duty — temporary residence for a spouse of a Polish citizen | 340 zł |
| Issuing the residence card | 100 zł |
| Residence card — child under 16, pupil, student | 50 zł |
| Power of attorney | 17 zł |
Don't pay — the application will be returned
You pay the stamp duty in advance. If you don't, the voivode will call on you to pay within 7 to 14 days, and if you still don't pay, it will return the application. You get the account number from the website of the voivodeship office handling your case.
Frequently asked questions
No. This is an exception — legal stay at the time of filing isn't a condition for this permit. But if you have a valid residence title, file before it ends, because only then will you get a certificate and your stay will remain legal until the case is closed.
No. In MOS you can only file while you're in Poland. From abroad the application is filed on paper.
No. Permanent residence requires at least 3 years of marriage and 2 years of uninterrupted residence in Poland under a temporary permit granted because of this marriage.
For the period needed for the purpose of your stay, up to a maximum of 3 years.
No. This application has no attachment signed by an employer or university.
It may ask for documents and explanations about your shared life, and carry out an interview. This is a standard part of the procedure.
You don't need to document knowledge of Polish for this application. But you fill in the application itself in Polish.
No. You sign and send the application personally.
When it's better not to do it yourself
This application is simpler than others because you don't depend on an employer or a university. But some situations are difficult:
- You met recently or live apart — the office will examine the relationship especially closely
- The marriage certificate is from abroad and raises doubts about recognition in Poland
- You've already had a refusal or the proceedings were discontinued
- You're in the middle of a divorce or legal separation
- Your stay is already illegal
What an authorised representative gives you
The office must deliver letters to the authorised representative, so a summons won't be missed. The representative is also responsible for the formal correctness of the application, helps prepare evidence of shared life, and acts when the office misses its own deadlines. Check who you're entrusting your case to: ask for the company's details, a written contract, and who exactly will handle your proceedings.
Want to prepare a strong application?
Write and tell us when you got married and where you live. We'll tell you which evidence is worth gathering.
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