Karta Pobytu — the Complete Guide to Residence Permits in Poland

A residence permit is your right to stay in Poland, and the karta pobytu (residence card) is the plastic card that proves it. This guide is a shortcut to the essentials: which category applies to you, how to apply step by step, what documents to prepare, exactly how much you will pay, and where applications most often go wrong.

Information current as of 23 July 2026.

Which case applies to you?

The three residence permit categories

Applying for a permit — step by step

The flow is the same for every category; only the documents and fees differ.

1. Choose the permit type — match your situation (work, studies, family, long stay) to a category from the table.
2. Fill in the application in the MOS portal — you can save the form and finish it later.
3. Gather your documents — list below; each category adds its own attachments.
4. Pay for the application — two separate payments into two accounts: the stamp duty for the permit and the fee for issuing the card (table below).
5. Appear for biometrics — in person at the voivodeship office (fingerprints, signature), even though you filed through MOS. Bring the originals of all attachments.
6. Wait for the decision — the time depends on the category and how busy the office is. If you filed before your previous residence title expired, your stay is legal for the entire waiting period.

Documents — the base list

• Biometric photo — 35×45 mm, no older than 6 months, light background, face uncovered, neutral expression
• Valid passport + a copy of every used page
• Proof of accommodation — rental contract, ownership deed, or a certified statement from the property owner
• Proof of stable income — employment contract and payslips, business income statements, or scholarship confirmation
• Health insurance — NFZ or a private policy for the whole planned stay

On top of that: work — the contract and employer details; studies — the admission decision and proof of tuition payment; family reunification — a marriage or birth certificate with a sworn translation.

Fees — what you will actually pay

The rates are set by law and identical across Poland. The voivodeship only decides the account number and how the process is organized — not the amounts.

• These are two separate payments into two separate accounts — the stamp duty for the permit, and the second payment for issuing the card.
• 50% discount on the card fee: minors under 16, secondary-school students, university students, and people in a documented difficult financial situation — applies to both issuing and replacing the card.
• Full exemption: among others, the first card for a person with humanitarian-grounds residence, and the closest family of a repatriate.
• Replacing a card lost or destroyed through your own fault: 200 zł the first time, 300 zł for a repeat.

The most common formal deficiencies

Most applications are not rejected on the merits — they have formal deficiencies. The office then sends a written notice asking you to fix them by a deadline. What is most often missing:

• the biometric photo, or it doesn't meet the requirements
• the signature on the application
• complete passport data (missing pages, expired passport)
• proof of income, or the income is below the threshold
• a current, signed rental contract

Fix them in time and your case continues. Miss the deadline and the application is left unprocessed — and the fees you paid are lost.

Replacing the card — a separate case

When your permit is still valid but the physical card needs replacing (damage, data change, loss, theft, a significant change in facial appearance), you file a separate card-replacement application — in person at the voivodeship office, not through MOS. You have 14 days from the event to do it (missing this duty is an offence). For the next card under an indefinite permit (permanent residence, EU long-term resident), apply at least 30 days before your current card expires. Details in the renewal and replacement guide.

After the permit is granted

After a positive decision you will get a summons to collect the card in person at the voivodeship office; you sign for it on the spot. The card's validity depends on the category — from 3 months to 3 years for temporary residence (as long as the permit was granted for), 10 years for permanent residence, 5 years for long-term EU resident.

Don't delay collecting it. A card not collected within 60 days of the summons is voided, and the fees — both the stamp duty and the card fee — are not refunded. You start the procedure from scratch. With a valid card you can bring your family to Poland under family reunification, move from temporary to permanent residence or long-term EU resident once you meet the thresholds, and travel in the Schengen area for up to 90 days in any 180-day period.

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