How much a residence card costs in Poland

The cost of a residence card is made up of two parts: our support and the state fee. They are paid separately, to different accounts: you cannot pay the state fee in MOS; your voivodeship publishes the details.

For a typical card (work, business, studies, family, permanent residence, EU long-term resident, Karta Polaka) partial support costs 1500 PLN / netto, full support — 3000 PLN / netto. CUKR card is handled as a single package for 700 PLN / netto, with no partial-support option. Driving licence exchange — also a single package for 1500 PLN / netto. The 50% discount for the next family member and free support for children under 6 apply only to our services; they do not cancel the state fee.

From 27 April 2026 applications for temporary residence, permanent residence and the EU long-term resident card are accepted via MOS. Karta Polaka follows a separate procedure. At the consultation we will look at your case and advise which package fits.

The cost of legalisation services in Poland

The table shows the price of our support in PLN / netto, without the state fee. The voivodeship does not sell a guaranteed issue date, and we do not promise one either. We choose a partial or full package: we prepare the documents, file via MOS or on paper if the portal does not yet accept that application, and take the case through to the card.

CUKR and driving-licence exchange are a single package, so the partial-support column has a dash: CUKR — 700 PLN / netto, the licence — 1500 PLN / netto. Other cards — 1500 or 3000 PLN / netto, as in the relevant row.

Stay legalisation service	Partial support	Full support
Residence permit for work	1500 PLN	3000 PLN
Residence permit for business	1500 PLN	3000 PLN
Residence permit for students	1500 PLN	3000 PLN
Residence permit for family reunification	1500 PLN	3000 PLN
Humanitarian residence permit	1500 PLN	3000 PLN
CUKR card (switch from UKR)	—	700 PLN
Driving licence exchange	—	1500 PLN
Permanent residence by ancestry	1500 PLN	3000 PLN
Permanent residence with Karta Polaka	1500 PLN	3000 PLN
EU long-term residence permit	1500 PLN	3000 PLN
Karta Polaka	1500 PLN	3000 PLN
Renewing Karta Polaka	1500 PLN	3000 PLN
Additional family member	50% OFF	50% OFF
Child under 6	FREE	FREE

The card confirms lawful stay. It does not let you work anywhere if the decision names a specific employer, and it does not replace citizenship. The right to travel in Schengen lasts while the card is valid and its conditions are met.

The state fee depends on the type of permit: according to UDSC, for MOS it is from 340 to 640 PLN stamp duty plus 100 PLN for issuing the card, to two different accounts. For CUKR the current scheme is 340 + 100 PLN.

Free consultation on the cost of a residence permit

Temporary residence (Karta czasowego pobytu)

A temporary residence permit is issued for a specific purpose: work, business, studies, family, sometimes humanitarian grounds. The maximum term is usually up to three years; an extension is again via MOS and again with fees.

A separate line — CUKR: this is also a temporary card, but a switch from UKR in the window from 4 May 2026 to 4 March 2027, our package 700 PLN / netto. Support for work, business, studies and family costs 1500 or 3000 PLN / netto depending on the package.

Grounds for a temporary residence permit

WORK

Residence permit for work — a single permit: the decision almost always names the company, the role and the pay. The employer signs the annex in MOS.

Basis: umowa o pracę or umowa zlecenie, sometimes other contracts — we check whether the purpose of stay fits.

At the consultation: a contract, insurance, housing, the employer's annex. The voivodeship timeline is a guide of several months, with no guaranteed date.

BUSINESS

Residence permit for business are issued for a JDG or a spółka: turnover and activity must support the purpose of stay.

Basis: an operating company or sole tradership and income the voivodeship is willing to treat as sufficient.

At the consultation: CEIDG/KRS, taxes, rent, insurance. Company registration is often handled by the group's accounting; we handle the residence card.

Studies

Card for studies is tied to the university: if you are struck off, the purpose of stay may fall away. A side job does not turn a student card into a work card.

Basis: enrolment or studies in Poland.

At the consultation: a certificate from the university, housing, insurance, funds to live on. The university signs its annex in MOS when the system requires it.

Family reunification

Family reunification depends on who the anchor is, what status they hold and whether their income covers the applicant.

Basis: marriage, children, sometimes other family members — according to the documents.

Our fees: the next adult family member — −50% of the main applicant's support fee; children under 6 with the main applicant — free of charge. The state fee for a child is not cancelled by the government on its own: at the consultation we will say what to pay.

CUKR card: a separate line in the price list

CUKR — is a switch from UKR protection, not permanent residence. The application is filed via MOS in the window from 4 May 2026 to 4 March 2027. Our package is 700 PLN / netto with no partial support; fees 340 + 100 PLN to two accounts. You need all four PESEL UKR conditions, otherwise the application will most likely not be accepted.

If a work-based card is already being reviewed in MOS, a CUKR application as a rule discontinues.

Permanent residence (Karta stałego pobytu)

Permanent residence — the permit is indefinite ; the card is usually issued for 10 years. This is not citizenship and not a Polish passport, but it gives access to the open labour market.

EU long-term resident is also indefinite, but it is a different a card (often for 5 years) and a different qualifying period: as a rule five years of lawful stay, income and insurance. CUKR usually counts towards EU-resident time, not towards Polish permanent residence. At the consultation we will separate the two procedures so you file the right application.

Grounds for permanent residence

With Karta Polaka

The most common route into permanent residence is a valid Karta Polaka and an application for permanent residence via MOS. MOS itself does not issue Karta Polaka: you obtain it at a consulate or voivodeship office under a different procedure.

Basis: a valid Karta Polaka.

At the consultation: Karta Polaka, a passport, housing, a digital photo. Processing time — a guide of six months or more, depending on the voivodeship.

By ancestry

Permanent residence by ancestry is based on Polish origin of direct ancestors, proven by documents.

Basis: civil-status records that prove origin. Often one line is enough if the papers are in order.

At the consultation: the archive, apostilles, a sworn translation. The permanent-residence application is filed via MOS.

EU long-term resident

EU resident — is not permanent residence and not citizenship. You need a qualifying period of stay, income and insurance; some years on UKR or a visa may not count.

Basis: usually five years of lawful stay in Poland on a qualifying status.

At the consultation: we count the years and which cards counted towards the period. CUKR by itself does not make you an EU long-term resident.

Differences between temporary and permanent residence

To choose the right option, it is important to understand how temporary residence differs from permanent residence and the EU long-term resident card: that affects the term, the grounds and access to the labour market.

Term. Temporary residence is usually given for up to three years. Permanent residence is indefinite; the card is about 10 years. The EU long-term resident status is indefinite; the card is about 5 years. CUKR is a temporary card for its own term — it is not permanent residence.

Grounds. Temporary residence — work, business, studies, family, humanitarian reasons, CUKR. Permanent residence is more often obtained with Karta Polaka or ancestry; there are other narrow entries too. The EU long-term resident card rests on the qualifying period, not on origin.

Labour market. Permanent residence, the EU long-term resident card, often CUKR and Karta Polaka with lawful stay give broader access than a single work-based card where the decision names a specific company.

Our services. A typical card — 1500 or 3000 PLN / netto. CUKR — 700 PLN / netto. The state fee is paid separately and depends on the type of permit.

People often obtain a temporary card first and then permanent residence or the EU long-term resident card, if the qualifying period and documents allow it. Switching from an already filed work case to CUKR just because of the price is not worth it: a CUKR application as a rule discontinues. At the consultation we count both calendars so you do not lose an application already filed.

Extra costs of legalisation

Besides our invoice, budget for payments that are not in the table:

The fee for the permit and for the card. According to UDSC, for MOS this is from 340 to 640 PLN stamp duty depending on the type of permit and 100 PLN for the card, to two different accounts. These amounts cannot be paid through MOS. For CUKR: 340 + 100 PLN.
Sworn translation — a guide from ~40 PLN per page; the volume depends on your pack.
Insurance. If you do not have NFZ, you will need a policy.
Housing — a contract or other proof the voivodeship will accept.

The total «how much a residence card costs» is our fee of 700 / 1500 / 3000 PLN / netto, plus stamp duty and translations. At the consultation we will put together an estimate for your voivodeship.

What to watch for if you file on your own

Filing via MOS yourself is free. The difficulties are usually not the send button, but the pack: the purpose of stay, the fee, the employer's annex and PESEL for CUKR.

Two payments to one account. MOS may accept the application, and the voivodeship later ask you to bring proof of payment.
No employer or university signature in MOS. The application sits until the other party signs the annex.
Booking an office appointment to file in person is no longer possible. From 27 April 2026 paper filing at the counter is not accepted for temporary residence, permanent residence and the EU long-term resident card, except family cases where the applicant is abroad.
CUKR while a work case is still live. The work application will as a rule be discontinued.
A missed deadline creates a risk of losing status.

We run the pack so that these points do not lead to a second fee and a second filing.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a residence card cost in Poland?

Our support for a typical card costs 1500 PLN / netto on the partial package and 3000 PLN / netto on the full package. CUKR — 700 PLN / netto, a single package with no partial support. Driving licence exchange — 1500 PLN / netto, also a single package. The state fee is paid on top. A consultation to see which procedure fits you is free.

Do I have to pay the state fee separately?

Yes. For MOS the stamp duty is from 340 to 640 PLN depending on the type of permit plus 100 PLN for the card, to two separate accounts — one for the voivodeship, one for the city. For CUKR: 340 + 100 PLN. Account numbers are published by your office, not by the MOS portal. From 27 April 2026 the office cash desk no longer takes these amounts for most cards on filing.

What does partial support include?

Partial support includes reviewing the basis, the document pack, completing the application (via MOS if the portal accepts it, or on paper if not) and a checklist of fees. An office appointment is not part of this package. The full package additionally includes correspondence with the voivodeship and support through to the card.

What does the full package include?

The full package includes everything in the partial package plus support while the voivodeship reviews the case: extra documents, fingerprints when summoned, collecting the card. We do not promise a review timeline — we make sure the pack is not sent back because of a document error.

What documents are needed for permanent residence?

Most often you need a valid Karta Polaka or origin, a passport, housing and a photo for MOS. For the EU long-term resident card the set is different: qualifying period, income and insurance. Permanent-residence documents are not slotted into an EU-resident application.

What replaces the passport stamp after filing via MOS?

After the application is accepted the voivodeship issues confirmation from MOS. It replaces the former stamp in the passport and confirms lawful stay while the case is pending. Whether you may leave Poland while the case is reviewed we check against your basis: old guide rules do not transfer to MOS automatically.

Can a residence card be sped up?

There is no official «faster for a surcharge» service. A case moves faster when the pack is complete and the fee is paid correctly. We do not offer someone else's appointment slot or a way around the MOS queue.

Can I go straight to permanent residence, without a temporary card?

Yes, if you have a basis. Typical entries are Karta Polaka or ancestry. The application is filed via MOS. Long residence alone, without a basis, is not enough.

How does temporary residence differ from permanent residence and the EU long-term resident card?

Temporary residence is tied to a purpose and a term, often up to three years. Permanent residence is indefinite, the card about 10 years, more often with Karta Polaka or ancestry. The EU long-term resident status is indefinite, the card about 5 years, the qualifying period about 5 years. CUKR is a temporary card after UKR and does not accumulate towards permanent residence.

What typical mistakes occur in MOS?

Frequent mistakes: both payments to one account, no employer's electronic signature, years for EU-resident status counted wrongly, CUKR without the required PESEL UKR, a change of employer before the permit is amended. The application does not correct pack errors on its own.

How much does legalisation for the whole family cost?

The main applicant pays 1500 or 3000 PLN / netto for a typical card. The next adult family member — 50% of our fee. Children under 6 with the main applicant are supported free of charge. CUKR costs 700 PLN, driving-licence exchange 1500 PLN, with no family column for partial support. State fees are charged per person as the voivodeship specifies.

What if you are refused?

An appeal to the head of UDSC is filed within the deadline outside MOS — on paper or via e-Doręczenia. If the basis still applies, you can file a new application. We look at the decision and propose the next step.

Conclusion

Our price list. A typical card — 1500 PLN / netto for partial support or 3000 PLN / netto for full support. CUKR — 700 PLN / netto with no partial package. Driving-licence exchange — 1500 PLN / netto with no partial package. The next adult family member gets a 50% discount; children under 6 with the main applicant are supported free of charge. State fees and translations are paid separately, at your voivodeship's rates.

We establish the basis, assemble the application in MOS or on paper if the portal does not accept it, and take the case through to the card. We do not offer an office appointment to file when the counter is already gone.

Temporary residence, permanent residence, the EU long-term resident card, Karta Polaka, CUKR and a change of employer — are different procedures. Leave a request — we will cost your case.