Who qualifies
- Admitted to or continuing full-time studies (also doctoral school, preparatory course)
- Tuition paid
- Means of subsistence and return travel
Conditions the office checks
- Health insurance
- 1,010 PLN per month of means plus return-ticket costs
- Legal stay on the filing date
Validity and work rights
Validity
15 months for the first permit (2 years under an EU mobility programme, 2.5 years for doctoral schools); then study period + 3 months, max 3 years (art. 145)
Work rights
Holders of the study permit have free access to the labour market (no work permit needed).
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) | 50 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) | 6-12 months |
|---|---|
| Kraków (Małopolskie) | 4-9 months |
| Wrocław (Dolnośląskie) | 4-9 months |
| Poznań (Wielkopolskie) | 3-7 months |
| Gdańsk (Pomorskie) | 3-7 months |
| Other offices | 3-8 months |
Documents
20 documents can appear on this route, 17 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
University certificate of admission or continued studies (annex e-signed by the university in MOS)
Zaswiadczenie uczelni o przyjeciu na studia / kontynuacji studiow (zalacznik podpisywany przez uczelnie w MOS)
- RequiredEvidence
Proof of tuition payment
Dowod oplacenia czesnego
- RequiredEvidenceSworn translation
Proof of funds for living costs and the return journey
Dokumenty potwierdzajace srodki na utrzymanie i podroz powrotna
Country note: A sponsor's statement from home with bank statements is commonly accepted if sworn-translated.
- If relevantEvidence
Cover letter to the voivode
Pismo przewodnie
Pitfalls we see most often
- Part-time (extramural) programmes do not qualify
- University annex not signed within the 30-day link validity
- Funds parked in a parent's account without a sponsorship statement
Refusal risks
- Unpaid tuition
- Insufficient means
- Studies not actually attended (the office may ask the university)
Sources
Verified 4 September 2026. Rules change; every case pack states the date it was verified.