A temporary residence permit in Poland
A temporary residence permit in Poland (karta czasowego pobytu) — is a document confirming a foreigner’s lawful stay in Poland for a longer period. The decision is issued according to the purpose of stay, for up to three years, on grounds provided by law.
A residence permit in Poland gives the chance to live in the country, work or study (if that follows from the ground), use healthcare with valid insurance, rent and buy property, and travel visa-free in Schengen. When the decision expires you need to file again and obtain a new one. From 27 April 2026 a temporary residence application is filed via MOS only (mos.cudzoziemcy.gov.pl). We will help you obtain it for your ground and handle filing through MOS.
Consultation on a temporary residence permit in Poland
We will save you time and take the difficult parts on ourselves.
We will review the documents and propose the best option for your situation.
If we cannot deliver the service, we will refund you or file again at our own cost.
How to obtain a temporary residence permit in Poland
If you plan to stay in Poland for a long time, you will need to legalise your stay. If you have no grounds to file for permanent residence, an EU long-term resident card or Karta Polaka, your legalisation will start with a temporary residence permit.
We will help you through obtaining a temporary residence permit. It includes:
We will help you choose the ground: work, study, business, family or another case under the law.
We will gather and check the documents. We will connect MOS: scans, a digital photo, Profil Zaufany or an electronic signature. For work and study we will help so that the employer or the university signs the appendix in the system.
We will file the application with you in MOS. Booking a paper filing appointment is no longer possible. We will accompany you to the appointment: fingerprints, a signature specimen and the passport.
We handle the case at the review stage: the office’s requests, extra documents, the status in MOS.
If the decision is positive we will help you collect the residence card. If it is a refusal — we will go through the decision and say what to do next.
Obtaining a temporary residence permit in Poland
To obtain a temporary residence permit in Poland with full or partial support (filing through MOS) — send a "Request a consultation" enquiry. Full support is available in Warsaw, the Tri-City, Kraków and Łódź. Partial support — in all other regions of Poland.
Leave a request — a consultant will call back, answer questions and agree the next steps.
Temporary residence permit
for work
Main applicant:
Partial support - 1500 PLN / netto
Full support - 3000 PLN / netto
Each subsequent family member -50%
Children under 6 filing with the main applicant—FREE
Temporary residence permit
for business
Main applicant:
Partial support - 1500 PLN / netto
Full support - 3000 PLN / netto
Each subsequent family member -50%
Children under 6 filing with the main applicant—FREE
Temporary residence permit
for living with the family
Main applicant:
Partial support - 1500 PLN / netto
Full support - 3000 PLN / netto
Each subsequent family member -50%
Children under 6 filing with the main applicant—FREE
Temporary residence permit
for students
Main applicant:
Partial support - 1500 PLN / netto
Full support - 3000 PLN / netto
Each subsequent family member -50%
Children under 6 filing with the main applicant—FREE
Temporary residence permit
humanitarian
Main applicant:
Partial support - 1500 PLN / netto
Full support - 3000 PLN / netto
Each subsequent family member -50%
Children under 6 filing with the main applicant—FREE
Why legalise your stay with MIA CONSULT GROUP
Experience and expertise
A clear reading of your situation and expert help from specialists with 10+ years of practice.
Individual approach
We solve the case as a whole — for you and your family, in line with your plans.
Professional advice
Our specialists propose the most suitable legalisation path for your current situation and long-term plans.
Easy communication
Our offices are in Warsaw and Sopot. Most services are available online, from home or the office, with a short turnaround.
Full range of services
We help with legalisation as well as company setup, accounting, tax and HR in Poland.
Multilingual specialists
We work in Polish, English and Russian and act as your representative before the relevant authorities.
What is included in the temporary residence service in Poland
Partial support (across Poland, the service is provided online):
- a consultation and help choosing the ground for temporary residence;
- preparation for filing in MOS: a checklist, scans, filling in the application, connecting Profil Zaufany / an electronic signature;
- help with the appendices that in MOS are signed by the employer or the university;
- a check of the pack before sending and obtaining UPO (proof of filing);
- If needed — packs for family members.
Full support (the service is available in Warsaw, the Tri-City and Kraków):
The full list of partial-support services. In addition:
- accompaniment at the summons appointment at the office (fingerprints, passport, a signature specimen);
- we file and supplement documents on the office’s request (MOS, e-Doręczenia or another specified method);
- we act as your representative and handle communication with the department for foreigners;
- we receive correspondence and reply on time;
- we watch the status of the case and tell you about the decision;
- booking and accompaniment to collect a temporary residence card.
Result guarantee
If for any reason we cannot deliver the service — we will refund you or refile the application at our own cost.
Advantages of a temporary residence permit in Poland
In Poland there are several types of permits that allow foreigners to live, work, study and run a business. One of them is a temporary residence permit.
It can be obtained if there is a ground: study, work, business, family reunification and other cases under the law. A temporary residence permit is issued for up to three years.
From 27 April 2026 the application is filed via the MOS portal only (mos.cudzoziemcy.gov.pl). Paper filing at the voivodeship office is no longer accepted. Exceptions are certain family applications if the applicant is outside Poland; those are still filed on paper. After the application is sent, the office summons you in person for biometrics.
With a residence permit in Poland you can live in the country, work or study within your ground, use healthcare with insurance, rent and buy property. In Schengen, Norway, Iceland, Switzerland and Liechtenstein — without a visa for up to 90 days in six months, with no right to work there.
After five years of living in Poland on temporary residence if the conditions are met you can apply for EU long-term resident status and in time — for citizenship.
Documents for filing for a temporary residence permit in Poland
We will tell you the exact list for your ground. Documents are divided into basic (for any application) and extra — depending on the purpose of stay (work, business, study, family).
For MOS the basic set is usually as follows:
- The application is filled in on the MOS portal, not downloaded from the voivodeship website.
- Passport: digital copies (a scan or photo) of all pages of a valid travel document. The original is shown in person at the office summons.
- Payment: the fee for reviewing the case and 100 zł for the residence card — an electronic proof of payment is attached to the application.
- Photograph: a current picture in digital format (not a set of paper photos 3.5 × 4.5 cm).
- Signing the application: Profil Zaufany, a qualified electronic signature or podpis osobisty.
Documents in a foreign language are translated into Polish by a sworn translator. Originals may be needed at the appointment.
The exact list depends on the ground and the voivodeship. Current filing rules are on gov.pl (UDSC / MOS) and in the portal itself MOS.
RESIDENCE PERMIT FOR WORK
1. An employment contract stating the amount of pay.
2. Appendix 1: the employer fills it in and signs electronically in MOS (a paper original is no longer filed together with the application).
3. Confirmation of the need to employ a foreigner (as a rule in the same employer appendix).
4. Medical insurance.
5. A certificate of no tax arrears — if the office requests it.
RESIDENCE PERMIT FOR BUSINESS
1. An extract from CEIDG or from KRS.
2. A profit-and-loss statement. Income for the last reporting year must exceed 12 average salaries in Poland. Or a certificate of employment of two Polish citizens or foreigners who do not need a work permit.
3. Documents confirming a permanent source of income (for founders or board members).
4. A certificate from the tax office of no arrears.
5. A certificate from ZUS of no contribution arrears (if there are employees).
6. A copy of the articles of association (for companies).
7. A business plan or signed contracts (for a new business, instead of a profit-and-loss statement).
RESIDENCE PERMIT FOR STUDENTS
1. Confirmation of enrolment: the university fills in and signs the appendix electronically in MOS.
2. A bank statement showing funds for living.
3. A certificate of the cost of study for the year (for paid study).
4. A receipt for payment of tuition (in full or in part).
5. Medical insurance.
6. Proof of living costs (rent, utilities).
FAMILY REUNIFICATION IN POLAND
1. A marriage certificate.
2. The child’s birth certificate.
3. A certificate from ZUS of no contribution arrears.
4. The child’s school ID.
5. The spouse’s employment contract.
RESIDENCE PERMIT ON HUMANITARIAN GROUNDS
For foreigners, citizens of the Republic of Belarus, staying on a humanitarian visa.
In addition to the basic pack you need proof of persecution (an offence) in Belarus (if applicable).
A temporary residence permit in Poland — document processing times
Processing times for a residence-permit application are set by the Code of Administrative Procedure and the Act on Foreigners.
Because of the load on offices, times are often longer than the statutory ones. In one voivodeship this may be months, in another more than a year. Watch the status in MOS and in the voivodeship account.
If the visa expires and there is still no decision, lawful stay is confirmed by an application filed in MOS (UPO and then a certificate from the system, which replaces the former stamp in the passport). This does not give the right to travel freely in Schengen: having left Poland, you can usually return only on a new visa.
We will say how to watch the case and help you reply quickly to an office request. Extra documents need to be sent quickly — otherwise the case will drag on or end in a refusal.
Need help getting a residence permit in Poland?
Leave a request — we will call you back within 10 minutes.
Opening hours: Mon–Fri 08:00–16:00
Refusal of a temporary residence card
A temporary stay permit may be refused. Most often because of errors in MOS, an incomplete pack, problems with the employer or university appendix, or because extra documents were not sent on time.
A refusal is not uncommon, and it does not always mean that "all is lost". We will help you file an appeal or a new application through MOS on time.
What you can do if you received a refusal
- Leave Poland within the set time: usually 30 days from receiving the negative decision. Being late may lead to an obligation to leave and a ban on entering the EU.
- File an appeal: as a rule within 14 days. The time and procedure are stated in the decision itself.
- File the application again through MOS: the fee is paid again, the pack is prepared again. While an appeal or a new application is pending, stay usually remains lawful until a new decision.
Help obtaining a residence permit in Poland
MIA CONSULT GROUP is not a new name on the Polish market. Entrusting your case to a proven partner, you can be sure of the quality of the services and a favourable outcome of the process.
Our specialists have substantial practical experience in obtaining residence permits in Poland on every legal basis. That lets us look at your situation from several angles and propose a better strategy for obtaining a residence card, avoiding common mistakes.
The process is as transparent as it can be — provide the documents for obtaining a residence permit and follow the history and all stages of your case in your client portal in our system, in real time.
We work with individuals, sole traders and companies, and provide legalisation, company formation and accounting services in Poland.
Frequently asked questions
When do you need to file for a temporary residence permit?
The application must be sent in MOS before lawful stay in Poland expires. For filing you need a MOS account and an electronic signature (Profil Zaufany or a qualified one). For minors the application is filed by parents or guardians. Do not leave filing to the last day: the employer or the university must have time to sign the appendix.
What confirms that a residence-permit application has been filed?
The confirmation is UPO from MOS, and after the office checks the application — a certificate from the system, which replaced the stamp in the passport. It confirms that the case has been accepted for review, but does not give the right to travel freely in Schengen.
Can you leave Poland while a temporary residence application is being reviewed?
You can leave. To return you need to follow the general entry rules — as a rule, obtain a visa. A certificate / UPO for a filed application does not replace a visa for re-entry.
Need help getting a residence permit in Poland?
Leave a request — we will call you back within 10 minutes.
Opening hours: Mon–Fri 08:00–16:00
