Residence permit for a long-term resident of the EU

Your application for a permit for residence of a long-term EU resident shall be submitted in person no later than on the last day of your legal stay in Poland.
You can apply for the permit after at least 5 years of residence in Poland.

If your application is submitted on time and includes no formal deficiencies, or you supplement any formal deficiencies within the specified time limit, your stay shall be legal from the date of submission of the application until the date on which the final decision in your case is issued.

1.    Go to mos.cudzoziemcy.gov.pl and create an account.
2.    Read the information and the list of the most common mistakes while filling in an application.
3.    Fill in the application for a temporary residence permit.
4.    Provide your current phone number and email address in the application. 
5.    Print out the application form and sign it.
6.    Send the printed form along with the required attachments via postal service to the Office of the Opolskie Province, Department of Citizenship and Foreigners (pl. Opolski Urząd Wojewódzki Wydział Spraw Obywatelskich i Cudzoziemców),
7.    or submit it to the
Correspondence Registry Office of the Opole Provincial Office  (pl. Biuro Podawcze Opolskiego Urzędu Wojewódzkiego), located in the main hall of the Office, 
open Monday to Friday during the Office's working hours,
i.e. from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Submit your application no later than the last day of your legal stay in Poland. If you send the application via Poczta Polska (Polish Postal Service), the date of posting the correspondence is taken into account.

The next step is to appear in person/provide your fingerprints. During your visit, you also have to complete other documents that are required to obtain a stamp in your passport.
 

Please submit original documents (for inspection) or their certified copies. If you send documents via postal service, send the originals with a request for their return after our official use – the originals will be sent back to you after the proceedings are completed.
When submitting or sending documents to an ongoing case, use the covering letter that includes your name, date of birth, and the case number.
This will ensure that the documents are added to your case file more quickly

Documents required to obtain a stamp in the passport (i.e., formal requirements):
•    one copy of the application, completed in accordance with the instructions (download the application form here).
•    4 photographs,
•    a photocopy of a valid travel document (original copy for inspection). In a particularly justified case, if you do not have a valid travel document and are unable to obtain one, you may present another document confirming your identity,
•    documents confirming that you hold a legal title to the premises
To initiate the proceedings, proof of payment of the stamp duty is also required.

Documents required to be granted the permit:

1. a written statement on the number of persons comprising the household in Poland in the period of 3 years preceding the submission of the application – if you are married, the date of conclusion of the marriage must be indicated; in the case of divorce/widowhood, the date of divorce/death of the spouse must be indicated, together with documents confirming the marriage/dissolution of the marriage, along with their translation into Polish from the original documents made by a Polish sworn translator.
2. a written statement on ALL stays outside the territory of Poland within 5 years preceding the submission of the application (also in European Union countries, in the country of origin, etc.). 
3. documents confirming the possession of a stable and regular source of income for the period of 3 years immediately preceding the submission of the application and at present:

• a certificate from ZUS (Social Insurance Institution) on the social security contributions paid during the 3 years preceding the submission of the application, containing information on the payer of the contributions, the monthly basis for contributions, and whether pension, sickness, accident and health insurance contributions are paid, on periods of unpaid leave or sick leave together with information on the monthly amount of sickness benefit received, or ZUS RMUA (monthly reports for the insured person) for the 3 years preceding the submission of the application from all employers for whom you have worked/are working;
• PIT-11 declarations for the period of 3 years preceding the submission of the application from all employers for whom you have worked/are working;
• PIT-37 tax returns for the three-year period prior to the submission of the application together with confirmation of submission of the documents to the Tax Office or a certificate from the Tax Office confirming the settlement of income indicating the amount of: revenue, income, social and health insurance contributions, and tax due – tax returns submitted in person should bear the stamp of the competent Tax Office, while those submitted electronically should contain in field no. 3 the document number and should be accompanied by an official confirmation of receipt (pl. UPO);
• employment contracts/contracts of mandate on the basis of which you have worked/are working in the territory of the Republic of Poland from the 3 years preceding the submission of the application up to the present, together with annexes to these contracts, employment certificates/statements on the termination of work, and documents legalizing employment, i.e. statements on entrusting work to a foreigner, work permits or temporary residence and work permits/a document confirming exemption from the obligation to obtain a work permit – employment contracts should be signed both by the employer and by the foreigner;
• a current certificate from the employer containing information on whether you are still employed and what the current conditions of employment are, including the position held, the amount of remuneration, the type of contract, and the working time;

If you run a business activity or a company:

• if your income in the three-year period preceding the submission of the application comes from a business activity entered into CEIDG (Central Registration and Information on Business Activities) – a tax book of revenues and expenditures confirmed by an accounting office/accountant (the document must bear the stamp of the accounting office and the accountant);
• in cases where the company did not show income in each month within the indicated period – a written explanation of the reasons, in order to confirm the possession of a regular source of income, i.e., recurring at strictly defined or identical intervals;
• If your income in this period comes from serving as a member of the management board in a limited liability company (Sp. z o.o.) – a resolution of the company indicating the appointment to the position of member of the management board together with the amount of remuneration for holding this position (e.g., a resolution of the shareholders’ meeting on remuneration for performing statutory functions, a management contract drawn up in accordance with Article 210 of the Commercial Companies Code), or an employment contract/contract of mandate if you work in another position in the company together with a resolution on the appointment of a proxy to conclude a contract between the company and a member of the management board (drawn up in accordance with Article 210 of the Commercial Companies Code), or an employment contract in another company together with a work permit (if required),
• You may also submit other documents confirming the income obtained, which will be verified individually.

Attach analogous documents if, in assessing the stable and regular source of income, the income of a family member residing in Poland who is obliged to support the applicant is to be taken into account.

2. health insurance,

3. documents confirming the knowledge of the Polish language.

All documents must be submitted in an original or certified copy form.

Read our guide

Check if and how your stay in Poland will be included in the 5-year period required for a long-term resident

The residence card is issued after obtaining a positive decision on granting the permit. Read how to get a residence card