When can I apply for EU residency?
In 3 questions, find out when you can apply for EU long-term residency and which conditions you need to meet.
5 years of uninterrupted residence
You need 5 years of legal, uninterrupted residence. Allowed breaks: a single one up to 6 months, up to 10 months in total.
Stable, regular income
You need a source of stable income covering living costs for you and your family. The office compares it against the income criterion (~776 zł/mo per person).
Health insurance
You must hold valid health insurance — via employment, business or voluntary NFZ coverage.
Legal title to housing
A tenancy agreement, ownership or another document proving you have somewhere to live.
Polish at B1 level
You must prove Polish at B1 with a recognised certificate — e.g. the telc B1 exam.
Fees
Stamp duty for the application; a residence-card issuance fee applies on top.
Apply for EU residency
The EU long-term resident permit is indefinite. The card itself is valid for 5 years and you renew it.
Send it to someone planning to stay
Send this page to loved ones planning to stay in Poland — in 3 questions they’ll see when they can apply for EU residency.
Embed it on your site
Copy the code. It includes a visible backlink to Dopomo.
Questions and answers
Who is an EU long-term resident in Poland?
Someone who has been granted an EU long-term residence permit in Poland. The permit itself is open-ended, while the residence card issued with it is valid for 5 years and then renewed. To get it you need five years of legal, uninterrupted residence plus four more conditions.
What are the conditions for EU long-term residency in 2026?
There are five conditions and all must be met together: five years of legal uninterrupted residence; a stable and regular source of income; valid health insurance; a legal title to your accommodation; and Polish at B1 level confirmed by a recognised certificate — the telc B1 exam, for example. Permitted breaks in residence: one of up to 6 months, up to 10 months in total.
How do I get EU long-term residency?
First work out your date — the calculator above does it in 3 questions. Once all five conditions are met, what remains is the stamp duty on the application, the fee for issuing the residence card, and filing at the voivodeship office. The office makes the final decision, so the calculator result is indicative.
How does permanent residence differ from EU long-term residency?
They are two different open-ended permits resting on different grounds. Permanent residence rests mainly on a tie to Poland — Polish origin, the Karta Polaka, marriage to a Polish citizen. EU long-term residency rests on five years of residence plus income, insurance, housing and Polish at B1. This page calculates the date for EU long-term residency specifically.
Does time on the UKR status count toward the five years?
No. Years spent under temporary protection with the "UKR" status do not count toward the five — according to the MOS position, the clock starts only from an ordinary residence card such as CUKR. Whether time on the CUKR card itself will count is not finally settled — check with your own voivodeship office.