Who qualifies
- Employment contract for at least 6 months
- Higher-education diploma (at least 3 years of study) or, for IT specialists, at least 3 years of relevant experience in the last 7 years
- Gross salary of at least 150% of last year's average wage: 13,355.34 PLN per month for applications filed in 2026
Conditions the office checks
- Health insurance
- Legal stay on the filing date
- Employer conditions as for the single permit
Validity and work rights
Validity
Work period plus 3 months, max 3 years (art. 128)
Work rights
The decision is not tied to a named employer (art. 137). Job loss: notify within 15 working days; unemployment of 3 months (under 2 years of Blue Card) or 6 months (2 years or more) is tolerated.
Fees you pay to the state
| Stamp duty (to the city office, before filing) | 440 PLN |
|---|---|
| Residence card (to the voivodeship office, after the decision) | 100 PLN |
| Power of attorney, only if you appoint a proxy for correspondence | 17 PLN |
| Change of the permit for a new employer (art. 120), later | 220 PLN |
Stamp duty (340/440 PLN) goes to the city office competent for the voivodeship office; the card fee (100 PLN, 50 PLN for students and under-16s) goes to the voivodeship office after the decision. Since 5 March 2026 the stamp duty is not refunded on refusal or discontinuation. Sworn translations of your documents are paid separately to the translator.
Typical processing times in 2026
The statutory deadline is 60 days from formal completeness (art. 112a). The figures below are what applicants actually experience.
| Warsaw (Mazowieckie) | 9-14 months |
|---|---|
| Kraków (Małopolskie) | 5-10 months |
| Wrocław (Dolnośląskie) | 6-12 months |
| Poznań (Wielkopolskie) | 5-9 months |
| Gdańsk (Pomorskie) | 4-8 months |
| Other offices | 4-10 months |
Documents
23 documents can appear on this route, 18 of them required and 5 with a note specific to documents from your country (generic notes; pick your nationality in the free check for the dedicated ones). Conditional items depend on your housing, insurance and family; your case pack keeps only the ones that apply to you, adds what the office checks in each, and tracks them.
Formal means a missing item triggers a call to supplement; Evidence is weighed by the voivode on the merits.
- RequiredFormal
Application for a temporary residence permit completed in the MOS 2.0 system
Wniosek o udzielenie zezwolenia na pobyt czasowy wypelniony w systemie MOS 2.0
Country note: Enter names exactly as in the passport's machine-readable zone; the PESEL record must match before you create the MOS account.
- RequiredFormal
Digital biometric photo (JPG, at least 684x883 px, up to 2.5 MB)
Fotografia cyfrowa (JPG, min. 684x883 px, max 2,5 MB)
- RequiredFormal
Scans of every page of your valid passport (original shown at the summons)
Skany wszystkich stron waznego dokumentu podrozy (oryginal do okazania na wezwanie)
- RequiredFormal
Proof of stamp duty payment
Potwierdzenie uiszczenia oplaty skarbowej
- If relevantFormal
Proof of the residence-card fee (100 PLN; 50 PLN for students and under-16s)
Potwierdzenie oplaty za wydanie karty pobytu (100 zl; 50 zl studenci i osoby ponizej 16 lat)
- RequiredEvidence
Sworn translations of every foreign-language document (electronically signed by the translator)
Tlumaczenia przysiegle dokumentow obcojezycznych (podpisane elektronicznie przez tlumacza)
- RequiredEvidenceIf you are insured through ZUS
Proof of public health insurance (ZUS ZUA registration + latest ZUS RCA report)
Potwierdzenie zgloszenia do ubezpieczenia zdrowotnego (ZUS ZUA + ostatni ZUS RCA)
- RequiredEvidenceIf you use private insurance
Private health insurance policy with proof of premium payment
Polisa ubezpieczenia zdrowotnego z dowodem oplacenia skladki
Country note: Travel insurance bought for the visa usually covers 90 days; buy a Polish policy covering the whole period.
- RequiredEvidenceIf you rent
Rental agreement
Umowa najmu mieszkania
- RequiredEvidenceIf your employer houses you
Employer's statement on provided accommodation
Oswiadczenie pracodawcy o zapewnieniu zakwaterowania
- RequiredEvidenceIf you own your home
Notarial deed or land-register extract
Akt notarialny lub odpis z ksiegi wieczystej
- RequiredEvidenceIf you live with family or friends
Owner's statement on providing accommodation + the owner's title to the flat
Oswiadczenie wlasciciela o zapewnieniu miejsca zamieszkania + tytul prawny do lokalu
- RequiredEvidenceIf you have a spouseSworn translation
Marriage certificate with apostille and sworn translation
Akt malzenstwa z apostille i tlumaczeniem przysieglym
Country note: Apostille (Hague countries) or consular legalisation, then a sworn Polish translation.
- RequiredEvidenceIf you have childrenSworn translation
Children's birth certificates with apostille and sworn translation
Akty urodzenia dzieci z apostille i tlumaczeniem przysieglym
Country note: Apostille or consular legalisation, then a sworn Polish translation; add the child's passport scan.
- RequiredFormalRenewals only
Scan of your current residence card and the decision
Skan dotychczasowej karty pobytu i decyzji
- If relevantEvidenceRenewals only
Last year's tax return (PIT-37) and employer statement (PIT-11)
PIT-37 / PIT-11 za ostatni rok podatkowy
- RequiredFormal
Annex 1 to the application, completed and e-signed by the employer inside MOS
Zalacznik nr 1 do wniosku - wypelniony i podpisany elektronicznie przez pracodawce w MOS
- RequiredEvidence
Employment contract concluded for at least 6 months
Umowa o prace zawarta na co najmniej 6 miesiecy
- RequiredEvidence
Proof of stable and regular income (payslips, 3 months of bank statements)
Dowody stabilnego i regularnego dochodu (paski wyplat, wyciag z konta za 3 miesiace)
- If relevantEvidence
Employer's certificates of no ZUS and tax arrears (not older than 1 month), required by some offices
Zaswiadczenia pracodawcy o niezaleganiu w ZUS i US (nie starsze niz 1 miesiac) - wymagane w niektorych urzedach
- If relevantEvidence
Cover letter to the voivode
Pismo przewodnie
- RequiredEvidenceSworn translation
Higher-education diploma with apostille and sworn translation
Dyplom ukonczenia studiow wyzszych z apostille i tlumaczeniem przysieglym
Country note: Apostille or legalisation on the diploma and transcript, then a sworn translation.
- If relevantEvidence
Proof of professional experience (IT specialists without a degree)
Dokumenty potwierdzajace doswiadczenie zawodowe (specjalisci IT bez dyplomu)
Pitfalls we see most often
- Degree without apostille or legalisation
- Salary just below the yearly threshold after the annual update
- Contract shorter than 6 months
Refusal risks
- Qualification not matching the job
- Salary below the Blue Card floor
- Illegal stay at filing
Sources
Verified 4 September 2026. Rules change; every case pack states the date it was verified.