Permanent residence — who qualifies and how to apply
A permit granted for an indefinite period and a residence card for 10 years. Check whether you belong to one of the qualifying groups.
640 zł
stamp duty
+100 zł
for the residence card
10 years
how long the residence card is issued for
indefinite
how long the permit itself lasts
- 1Check conditions
- 2Prepare
- 3Account
- 4Application
- 5Office
- 6Decision
Can you get permanent residence?
You don't get permanent residence just for a long stay in Poland. You have to belong to one of the groups set out in the act. Here are the most common ones.
You have a Karta Polaka
This is the simplest path. You don't need to show any earlier stay in Poland. There are two conditions: a valid Karta Polaka and the intention to settle in Poland permanently.
You have Polish descent
A person of Polish descent is someone who declares Polish nationality and has at least one parent or grandparent, or two great-grandparents, of Polish nationality. You also need the intention to settle in Poland permanently.
You're married to a Polish citizen
The wedding alone isn't enough. Two conditions must be met at once: at least 3 years of marriage before the application is filed, and directly before filing, at least 2 years of uninterrupted residence in Poland under a temporary permit granted because of this marriage — or in connection with refugee status, subsidiary protection or permission to stay on humanitarian grounds.
You have refugee status
You need at least 5 years of uninterrupted residence in Poland in connection with this circumstance. This period includes time spent in international protection proceedings, including time spent in a guarded centre or a detention centre for foreigners.
You're a child
The permit is available to a child of a Polish citizen who is under that citizen's parental authority, as well as to a child of a foreigner with permanent residence or EU long-term resident status — if the child was born after that permit was granted, or during the validity of the parent's temporary permit.
Being born in Poland alone doesn't give permanent residence
This is a common misunderstanding. A child born in Poland doesn't automatically acquire the right to permanent residence — it must meet one of the conditions described above.
Step 1. Check whether your stay was uninterrupted
This condition applies to the paths where the length of stay counts.
The rule on breaks
A stay is treated as uninterrupted if no single break exceeded 6 months, and all breaks together didn't exceed 10 months.
Permitted breaks
The law allows longer trips abroad in connection with, among other things, work duties or employment abroad under a contract with an employer based in Poland, and trips resulting from a special personal situation, such as medical treatment.
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.
Documents confirming your basis
A Karta Polaka, documents confirming Polish descent, a marriage certificate, a decision granting refugee status, or a child's birth certificate — depending on which path you're relying on.
Two fees
640 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
Foreign civil status certificates and other foreign-language documents must have a sworn translation into Polish. The list of translators is kept by the Ministry of Justice (Ministerstwo Sprawiedliwości).
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 permanent residence permit
- 2Indicate the basis you're relying on — Karta Polaka, Polish descent, marriage, refugee status or family relationship
- 3Fill it in in Polish
- 4Copy your personal data letter by letter, exactly as in your passport
- 5Attach a JPG photo and a PDF scan of every page of your passport
- 6Attach documents confirming your basis — you don't have to at this stage, but it's worth it
The more you attach now, the faster it goes
You can send documents later on request, but every request extends the case by several weeks.
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 arrived. 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.
Supporting documents
- 1The voivode will summon you to submit originals or certified copies of documents
- 2You'll get no less than 14 days to provide them
- 3Copies can be certified by a notary or an authorised office employee, if you show them the original
- 4Documents must be current on the day the decision is issued
Missing the document deadline can cost you the case
The deadline in the summons is binding. If you need more time, write to the office before it runs out, not after.
Decision and residence card
- 1You'll receive the decision at the address for service you gave — yours or your authorised representative's
- 2After a positive decision, you collect the residence card at the office
- 3The residence card is issued for 10 years
- 4The permit itself is for an indefinite period — you only replace the card when its validity ends
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.
Permanent residence vs EU long-term resident
These are two different permits granted for an indefinite period, and it's worth knowing the difference before you choose.
- permanent residence is based on a tie to Poland — a Karta Polaka, descent, family, refugee status
- EU long-term resident status is based on the length of legal stay and stable income
- for permanent residence you don't need to document knowledge of Polish; for EU long-term resident status you need level B1
- with permanent residence you can later apply for EU long-term resident status — the other way round is not possible
Knowledge of Polish isn't required here
The act doesn't require you to document knowledge of the Polish language for a permanent residence application. But you fill in the application itself in Polish.
How much you'll pay
| What you're paying for | How much |
|---|---|
| Stamp duty — permanent residence permit | 640 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
None. A Karta Polaka holder doesn't need to show earlier stays. A valid Karta Polaka and the intention to settle permanently are enough.
No. You need at least 3 years of marriage and, directly before filing, 2 years of uninterrupted residence in Poland under a temporary permit granted because of this marriage.
No. The child must meet one of the statutory conditions — being a child of a Polish citizen under that citizen's parental authority, or a child of a foreigner with permanent residence or EU long-term resident status.
No. For permanent residence you don't need to document knowledge of Polish. The B1 level requirement applies to EU long-term resident status.
A stay is uninterrupted if no single break exceeded 6 months, and all breaks together didn't exceed 10 months. Some business trips and personal situations are allowed despite a longer absence.
After at least 5 years of uninterrupted residence in Poland in connection with this circumstance. Time spent in international protection proceedings counts.
For 10 years. The permit itself is indefinite — after 10 years you only replace the card.
No. You sign and send the application personally.
When it's better not to do it yourself
The stakes are high with permanent residence, and the conditions are strict. Be careful if:
- You're not sure whether your stay counts as uninterrupted
- You're documenting Polish descent based on old certificates from abroad
- Your marriage has lasted around 3 years and you're counting days
- You've already had a refusal or the proceedings were discontinued
- You're torn between permanent residence and EU long-term resident status
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 put together evidence for the basis you're relying on, 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.
Not sure if you meet the conditions?
Write and tell us which basis you want to apply on. We'll check it before you pay the 640 zł.
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