Permanent Residence Card
Obtaining a long-term residence card (pobyt stały) is a reliable way to legalize your stay in Poland. This residence permit allows you to live and work permanently in Poland, cross borders without a visa, and enjoy all the rights of long-term residence.
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What is a long-term residence card
Pobyt stały and the EU long-term resident card are permits that allow a foreigner to reside indefinitely in Poland. They are granted for an indefinite period and provide numerous rights and opportunities for foreigners.
Types of long-term residence cards:
• Pobyt Stały – permanent residence permit;
• Pobyt rezydenta długoterminowego UE – EU long-term resident permit.
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Grounds for Obtaining
Pobyt Stały
Marriage to a Polish Citizen
The main requirement is to be married to a Polish citizen for at least 3 years. Continuous residence in Poland based on a temporary residence permit for at least 2 years, obtained on the basis of marriage to a Polish citizen.
Children of a Polish Citizen
The main requirements are that one of the child's parents must be a Polish citizen, and the child must be a minor.
Persons of Polish Descent
The applicant must prove their Polish descent. This can be confirmed by documents showing that at least one of the parents, grandparents, or in the case of great-grandparents, two family members had Polish citizenship or Polish origin.
Holders of the Pole's Card
The applicant must have a valid Pole's Card, which confirms their Polish descent.
Residence in Poland based on refugee status or another form of international protection for at least 5 years.
The applicant must have resided in Poland based on international protection status for at least 5 years. The residence must be continuous, although short-term absences are allowed, not exceeding 6 months within a year or 10 months within 5 years.
Pobyt rezydenta długoterminowego UE
Continuous legal residence in Poland for a minimum of 5 years.
The applicant must reside in Poland without long interruptions. This means that during the 5-year period, the person can leave for no more than 6 months at a time or a total of 10 months within 5 years. Exceptions can be made for justified cases, such as prolonged medical treatment or business trips, but these need to be documented.
Having a stable and regular income that provides for the applicant and their family.
The applicant must have a permanent source of income ensured by regular payments. This can include a salary, income from business activities, a pension, or other legal forms of income. The income must be sufficient to cover all the living needs of the applicant and their family, including housing, food, medical services, and other essential expenses.
Medical Insurance
The applicant must provide a document confirming the existence of medical insurance.
This can be:
- A health insurance policy (for private insurance).
- Documents from the employer confirming mandatory health insurance (for employees).
- Certificates from the NFZ (National Health Fund) or other insurance companies about active coverage.
Having a place of residence in Poland
The applicant must provide documents confirming the existence of a place of residence. These can be:
– Rental agreement: A contract confirming the rental of an apartment or other accommodation.
– Ownership: Documents confirming property ownership.
Proof of Polish language proficiency at a level no lower than B1.
The applicant must prove their knowledge of the Polish language at a level that meets the established standards for that level.
This can be demonstrated through:
- A certificate of Polish language proficiency at the B1 level.
- A diploma from a school in the Republic of Poland, in accordance with Article 2 of the Act of December 14, 2016, "On the Education System" (Dz. U. of 2023, item 900, 1672, 1718, and 2005) or
- A diploma from an educational institution as understood by the Act of July 20, 2018, "On Higher Education and Science" with instruction in Polish.
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Expert in residency legalization in Poland
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Our team consists of experienced lawyers with many years of work experience. We provide clients with professional service based on deep knowledge and understanding of legislation.
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★★★★★
Lily Pipko
Despite all the predictions from our friends and acquaintances (about the very long wait just for a decision in Wrocław), we decided to take a risk and trusted the experienced Migrant Expert team - spoiler alert - we didn't regret it even once!
Nazar Prokudin
I used the services of MigrantExpert to obtain a residence card. Lawyer Anna was extremely helpful and simplified the entire process incredibly. Thanks to her, everything went quickly and without unnecessary bureaucratic hassle. I will definitely use their services again and recommend them to friends!
Viktoriia Korostylova
We are very satisfied with our experience working with Migrant Expert. We received a positive decision on the resident card within 3 months of starting our cooperation (after a year of waiting with no results before that).
Yuliia Semenova
I want to share my feedback on working with Migrant Expert. I received the decision for B2B 10 months after applying. Thank you to Oksana and Inna, everything was precise, and Oksana was always available. I'm confident that without your professional service, I would have waited for my decision much longer.
Yevgeniy Romanenko
Huge thanks to Oksana and Elena. In a difficult situation, Elena provided prompt and free consultation, explaining the options for solving the problem. Our team was managed by lawyer Oksana, who calmly handled 15 cases simultaneously.
Aleksandra Pershay
Huge thanks especially to Tatiana and Lyudmila! I don't even know what I would have done without you in this relentless ocean of Polish bureaucracy. Tatiana was present during my personal submission at the office and helped with the Polish language; otherwise, I would have been lost.
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Questions and Answers
What are the benefits of a permanent residence permit
A permanent residence permit offers several benefits, including:
- Multiple border crossings into Poland without the need for a visa.
- The right to work in Poland without a work permit.
- Legal residence for up to 10 years.
- Entry and stay in Schengen Agreement countries.
- Purchase of real estate in Poland without additional permits.
- Purchase of land in Poland without additional permits.
- Obtaining loans in Polish banks, including mortgages.
- The ability to apply for visas to non-Schengen countries in Poland.
- The ability to conduct business as a sole proprietor (działalność gospodarcza).
- Free education in Polish educational institutions.
- The possibility of obtaining Polish citizenship.
If the application for a permanent residence permit (karta stałego pobytu) was submitted during the foreigner's legal stay and did not contain formal defects, or the formal defects were corrected in time, the voivode places a stamp in the foreigner's travel document confirming the submission of the application. The foreigner's stay is considered legal from the moment the application is submitted until the decision on the issuance of the permanent residence permit becomes final.
NOTE: The stamp in the travel document does not give the foreigner the right to travel to other Schengen countries, although the foreigner may travel to their country of origin. However, to return to Poland, they must obtain a visa if they come from a country that requires one.
- Multiple border crossings into Poland without the need for a visa.
- The right to work in Poland without a work permit.
- Legal residence for up to 10 years.
- Entry and stay in Schengen Agreement countries.
- Purchase of real estate in Poland without additional permits.
- Purchase of land in Poland without additional permits.
- Obtaining loans in Polish banks, including mortgages.
- The ability to apply for visas to non-Schengen countries in Poland.
- The ability to conduct business as a sole proprietor (działalność gospodarcza).
- Free education in Polish educational institutions.
- The possibility of obtaining Polish citizenship.
If the application for a permanent residence permit (karta stałego pobytu) was submitted during the foreigner's legal stay and did not contain formal defects, or the formal defects were corrected in time, the voivode places a stamp in the foreigner's travel document confirming the submission of the application. The foreigner's stay is considered legal from the moment the application is submitted until the decision on the issuance of the permanent residence permit becomes final.
NOTE: The stamp in the travel document does not give the foreigner the right to travel to other Schengen countries, although the foreigner may travel to their country of origin. However, to return to Poland, they must obtain a visa if they come from a country that requires one.
How to Obtain a Permanent Residence Permit
The procedure for obtaining a permanent residence permit (karta stałego pobytu) takes place at the Voivodeship Office in the foreigner's place of residence.
The application must be submitted by a foreigner legally residing in Poland, i.e., no later than the last day of legal stay (for example, the last day of the validity of their temporary residence card or visa).
The application must be submitted by a foreigner legally residing in Poland, i.e., no later than the last day of legal stay (for example, the last day of the validity of their temporary residence card or visa).
Grounds for Obtaining a Permanent Residence Permit
A foreigner can obtain a permanent residence permit if they:
- Have a valid Pole's Card and intend to settle in Poland permanently.
- Are of Polish descent and intend to reside permanently in Poland.
- Have been granted asylum in Poland.
- Are a victim of human trafficking and meet the conditions set out in the Foreigners Act.
- Have continuously resided in Poland for at least 5 years immediately before applying for a permanent residence permit based on refugee status, subsidiary protection, or a residence permit for humanitarian reasons.
- Are a child of a Polish citizen who remains under the care of their parents.
- Are a child of a foreigner who has been granted a residence permit or long-term EU resident status based on parental rights.
- Have been married to a Polish citizen for at least 3 years before the date of application for a permanent residence card and have continuously resided in Poland for at least 2 years immediately before applying, based on a residence permit (karta pobytu) temporarily granted due to marriage to a Polish citizen or due to obtaining refugee status, subsidiary protection, or consent for stay for humanitarian reasons.
- Have a valid Pole's Card and intend to settle in Poland permanently.
- Are of Polish descent and intend to reside permanently in Poland.
- Have been granted asylum in Poland.
- Are a victim of human trafficking and meet the conditions set out in the Foreigners Act.
- Have continuously resided in Poland for at least 5 years immediately before applying for a permanent residence permit based on refugee status, subsidiary protection, or a residence permit for humanitarian reasons.
- Are a child of a Polish citizen who remains under the care of their parents.
- Are a child of a foreigner who has been granted a residence permit or long-term EU resident status based on parental rights.
- Have been married to a Polish citizen for at least 3 years before the date of application for a permanent residence card and have continuously resided in Poland for at least 2 years immediately before applying, based on a residence permit (karta pobytu) temporarily granted due to marriage to a Polish citizen or due to obtaining refugee status, subsidiary protection, or consent for stay for humanitarian reasons.
How to Obtain a Residence Card
The procedure for legalizing temporary residence takes place at the Voivodeship Office in the Department for Foreigners. The application for a temporary residence permit should be submitted to the Voivodeship Office corresponding to the foreigner's place of residence. For example, if the foreigner resides in Warsaw, the application should be submitted to the Mazovian Voivodeship Office.
A foreigner applying for a temporary residence permit will have their fingerprints taken to be placed on the residence card.
A foreigner applying for a temporary residence permit will have their fingerprints taken to be placed on the residence card.
