Who qualifies
- You run a business registered in Poland, sit on a company board, or contract through your own company
Conditions the office checks
- In the previous tax year the business earned at least 12 x the average monthly gross wage in the voivodeship, OR employed at least 2 Polish/EU workers full-time and indefinitely for at least a year, OR has the funds/activities to achieve this in future (there is no 300,000 PLN threshold)
- Personal income at the social-assistance threshold
- Health insurance
- Accommodation
Validity and work rights
Validity
Up to 3 years
Work rights
Running the business named in the decision; employment for someone else needs a separate permit.
Fees you pay to the state
| Stamp duty (to the city office, before filing) | 340 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 |
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) | 6-12 months |
| Wrocław (Dolnośląskie) | 6-12 months |
| Poznań (Wielkopolskie) | 5-9 months |
| Gdańsk (Pomorskie) | 5-10 months |
| Other offices | 5-10 months |
Documents
21 documents can appear on this route, 19 of them required and 4 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
- RequiredEvidence
Company register extract (KRS) or sole-trader printout (CEIDG)
Odpis z KRS / wydruk CEIDG
- RequiredEvidence
Last year's tax return and financial statement
Zeznanie podatkowe (PIT/CIT) i sprawozdanie finansowe za ostatni rok
- RequiredEvidence
Client contracts and invoices
Umowy z kontrahentami i faktury
- RequiredEvidence
Proof of personal income and insurance (ZUS DRA, bank statements)
Dowody dochodu osobistego i ubezpieczenia (ZUS DRA, wyciagi)
- RequiredEvidence
Cover letter describing the business and how it benefits the Polish economy
Pismo przewodnie z opisem dzialalnosci
Pitfalls we see most often
- Filing as 'work' with a B2B contract
- No financial history for a young company
- ZUS DRA contributions unpaid
Refusal risks
- Economic test not met
- Business considered a sham to obtain residence
Sources
Verified 4 September 2026. Rules change; every case pack states the date it was verified.