FAQ
The questions applicants ask.
Short answers verified on 4 September 2026 against the Act on Foreigners and the MOS 2.0 rules. For your own case, the free check applies them to your answers.
Frequently asked
The procedure, in plain answers.
Can an agency file my application for me?
No. Since 27 April 2026 residence applications are filed only in MOS 2.0 and signed personally with your own Profil Zaufany. Anyone can help you prepare; nobody can file from their own account.
Do my documents need an apostille?
Documents issued abroad need an apostille if your country is a Hague Convention party, otherwise consular legalisation, and in both cases a sworn Polish translation.
How long does the card take?
Officially 60 days from formal completeness; in 2026 practice from 4 to 14 months depending on the office, with Warsaw the slowest.
Can I work while the application is pending?
Only if you were entitled to work immediately before filing. The MOS certificate continues that right; it does not create a new one.
Will I get the stamp duty back if refused?
No. For applications filed since 5 March 2026 the stamp duty is not refunded.
Do I still get a stamp in my passport?
No. The office issues a free electronic certificate with a QR code in MOS after verifying the application. It proves legal stay but does not allow re-entry.
Country-specific
Your documents, your passport, your family.
The parts of the procedure that depend on your nationality: entry route, legalisation, translation, names, the embassy, travel and family. These are the Poland-wide rules; pick your country below for the dedicated notes.
Do I need a visa to come to Poland, and which one?
Most non-EU citizens need a national visa (type D) from a Polish consulate to come and work; citizens of visa-free countries may enter without one, but since 22 August 2026 some of them (Georgia, Colombia, Venezuela) may not work during a visa-free stay. Check the Polish consulate responsible for your country; work visas require the employer's work permit issued on praca.gov.pl.
Do my foreign documents need an apostille or legalisation?
If your country is a party to the Hague Apostille Convention, public documents (birth, marriage, degrees, police certificates) need an apostille from your national authority. If it is not, they need consular legalisation: authentication by your foreign ministry, then legalisation at the Polish consulate.
Who may translate my documents?
Every document that is not in Polish must be translated by a Polish sworn translator (tlumacz przysiegly) listed by the Ministry of Justice, ideally delivered as an electronically signed PDF for MOS. Expect 50-80 PLN per page; rare languages cost more and take longer.
Is a police clearance certificate required?
A police clearance certificate is not a standard requirement for temporary residence, but consulates often ask for it with the visa and it is required for permanent residence.
Is my foreign degree accepted for the Blue Card?
For the EU Blue Card, apostille or legalise your diploma and have it sworn-translated; regulated professions may need formal recognition.
How do I enter my name so that every document matches?
Enter names exactly as printed in your passport's machine-readable zone, using the Latin spelling there. Explain any variant across documents in the cover letter.
Can I travel to your country while my case is pending?
The MOS certificate does not allow re-entry to Poland. Travel only with a valid visa or card.
How do my spouse and children join me?
Spouses and minor children join under family reunification once your permit qualifies (immediately for Blue Card holders). Certificates need apostille or legalisation plus sworn translation.
What does my embassy in Warsaw handle?
Your embassy in Warsaw handles passports and attestations; check whether it also issues police certificates.
Which health insurance is accepted?
Employer ZUS registration is the simplest proof. Private policies must cover treatment costs in Poland for the whole period; short travel policies are not enough.
Jobs and studying
The free job finder, and what studying allows.
Short answers about finding work, AI Job Scout and student work rights.
Is the job finder really free?
Yes. Searching, saving and applying to job offers is free for everyone, always. AI Job Scout is a separate, optional subscription for a deeper, AI-assisted search.
Can students work while studying in Poland?
Within limits set by your visa or residence permit. The study guide lists the current work rights and their sources; always check the condition printed on your own document.
Do you find me a job?
No. We help you search and apply safely: real offers, matched to your profile, with the red flags to avoid. You contact the employer and decide; we never place you and never take a fee from an employer.
Where do the job offers come from?
Poland's public employment services board (praca.gov.pl) and, where configured, Adzuna. We never invent listings, and every offer links back to its original source.
Common mistakes
What goes wrong most often.
Each of these appears in our risk review with the fix for your case.
- Assuming an agency can file the application: since 27 April 2026 only you can sign it in MOS
- Arriving on the last weeks of the visa without a PESEL and Profil Zaufany
- Documents without apostille or legalisation, or without sworn Polish translation
- Employer leaves salary or working-time fields empty in Annex 1
- Paying the stamp duty to the voivodeship office instead of the city office
Other nationalities
Eleven country profiles, one procedure.
The free check picks the profile from your nationality. Here is what each one covers at a glance.
India
Visa required · work permit · apostille · English and Hindi documents
Ukraine
Visa-free entry · employer declaration · apostille · Ukrainian documents
Special route available
Belarus
Visa required · employer declaration · apostille · Belarusian and Russian documents
Special route available
Colombia
Visa-free entry · work permit · apostille · Spanish documents
The Philippines
Visa required · work permit · apostille · English (and Filipino) documents
Nepal
Visa required · work permit · consular legalisation · Nepali and English documents
Uzbekistan
Visa required · work permit · apostille · Uzbek and Russian documents
Georgia
Visa-free entry · work permit · apostille · Georgian documents
Vietnam
Visa required · work permit · apostille · Vietnamese documents
Turkey
Visa required · work permit · apostille · Turkish documents
Bangladesh
Visa required · work permit · apostille · Bengali and English documents
Glossary
Every Polish term you will meet in MOS and in letters.
The office writes in Polish. These are the words that matter, with what they mean for you.
- zezwolenie na pobyt czasowytemporary residence permit
- The decision granting you the right to stay; the card is its physical proof.
- karta pobyturesidence card
- The plastic card issued after a positive decision.
- MOS (Modul Obslugi Spraw)case-handling module
- The Office for Foreigners' portal where residence applications are filed since 27 April 2026.
- Profil Zaufanytrusted profile
- Free government e-identity used at login.gov.pl to sign the MOS application; needs a PESEL.
- UPOofficial receipt of filing
- The confirmation MOS issues when the signed application is accepted; the filing date.
- zaswiadczenie o zlozeniu wnioskucertificate of filing
- Electronic certificate with a QR code that replaced the passport stamp; proves legal stay while the case is pending.
- e-Doreczeniaelectronic registered mail
- Official mailbox through which offices serve letters and summons.
- urzad wojewodzkivoivodeship office
- The regional authority that decides residence cases.
- wojewodavoivode
- Regional governor who formally issues the decision.
- oplata skarbowastamp duty
- The application fee paid to the city office.
- zalacznik nr 1Annex 1
- The employer's part of the work-based application, e-signed in MOS via an e-mailed link.
- wezwanie do uzupelnienia brakowcall to supplement deficiencies
- Letter setting a deadline (at least 7 days) to add missing documents.
- ponaglenieurgency complaint
- Complaint about the office exceeding the 60-day statutory deadline.
- odwolanieappeal
- Challenge to a refusal, 14 days, free.
- umorzeniediscontinuation
- The case is closed without a decision, e.g. after missing the fingerprint summons.
- tlumacz przysieglysworn translator
- State-certified translator whose translations offices accept.
- zameldowanieaddress registration
- Registering your address at the city office; gives you a PESEL.
- PESELnational identification number
- Needed for the Profil Zaufany, tax, health care and most services.
- ZUSSocial Insurance Institution
- Runs public health and pension insurance.
- umowa o praceemployment contract
- Standard labour-code contract.
- umowa zleceniacontract of mandate
- Civil-law service contract; allowed but scrutinised.
- Niebieska Karta UEEU Blue Card
- Permit for highly qualified workers; not tied to one employer.
- oswiadczenie o powierzeniu wykonywania pracyemployer's declaration
- Simplified route for citizens of Armenia, Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine; everyone else needs a work permit.
- zezwolenie na prace typ Awork permit type A
- Employer-side permit filed on praca.gov.pl; the basis of the D work visa.
- zmiana zezwoleniachange of the permit
- Decision amending the employer/terms of a single permit; 220 PLN.
Something missing? Tell us and we will add it.
Start free
Answers for your case, not the average case.
The free check applies these rules to your situation: route, deadline, fees and four hints.