Reading time: 7 minutes

temporary residence permit in poland

By Residence Angels

Relocation Company in Poland

Residence Card in Poland: Your Gateway to Ease and Opportunity

Unlocking Your Identity and Travel Freedom

The residence card in Poland is more than just an identity document. It's a key to unlocking a world of opportunities and convenience for foreigners living in Poland. Here's what it offers:
  • Identity Confirmation: Your residence card is an official acknowledgment of your identity during your stay in Poland.
  • Visa-Free Travel: Travel across Polish borders without a visa, as long as you carry a valid passport.
  • Access to the Schengen Area: Enjoy the liberty of staying in other Schengen countries for up to 90 days within a 180-day period.

Empowering Sole Proprietors and Small Business Owners

If you're a sole proprietor or running a small business, the residence card in Poland opens up a plethora of benefits tailored to your needs:
  • Ease of Business Operations: With a stable legal status in Poland, managing your business becomes smoother and more straightforward.
  • Microloan Eligibility: Enhance your chances to qualify for microloans, giving your business the financial boost it needs.
  • Free Movement within the EU: Conduct business or travel leisurely across the European Union without the hassle of constant visa applications.
  • Simplified Administrative Tasks: From renewing visas to registering your car, administrative processes are now more streamlined.
  • Easier Job Search: Your legal status in Poland could open doors to new employment opportunities.
  • Convenient International Visa Applications: Need to travel outside the EU? Apply for visas to other countries easily while residing in Poland.
  • Solid Legal Status: Gain a stable legal standing for interactions with the government and other official entities.

Your Stable Legal Status

The residence card not only simplifies your professional and personal life but also provides a sense of security with its solid legal framework. It's more than just a document; it's a testament to your established life in Poland.

Embrace the Ease of Living and Working in Poland

With a Polish residence card, experience the blend of legal security, ease of travel, and administrative convenience. It's your essential companion for a fulfilling and hassle-free stay in Poland. Welcome to a world where your identity, business, and travel aspirations align seamlessly.

Basic Info about TRC in Poland

Here's a general overview of obtaining a temporary residence permit in Poland:

  1. Eligibility for Application: Foreigners who intend to stay in Poland for more than three months can apply for a temporary residence permit.
  2. Duration of the Permit: This permit is typically issued for a maximum of three years. The validity period can be shorter if the reasons for staying in Poland indicate that a shorter duration is appropriate.
  3. Non-extendable Permit: It's important to note that a temporary residence permit cannot be extended. If a foreigner wishes to continue staying in Poland beyond the permit's expiration, they need to apply for a new permit.
  4. Obligation to Leave Upon Expiry: Unless they have secured another valid document permitting their stay (like another temporary residence permit, a permanent residence permit, or a long-term EU resident's residence permit), foreigners must leave Poland before their temporary residence permit expires.
  5. Application Submission Location: Applications for a temporary residence permit are to be submitted to the voivodeship office relevant to the foreigner’s place of stay. For example, if staying in Warsaw, the application goes to the Mazowieckie Voivodship Office.
  6. Biometric Data Collection: As part of the application process, fingerprints are collected from the applicant for inclusion in the residence card.
Now let us check what is required for temporary residence permit in Poland based on purpose of stay.

Types of Residence Permit in Poland

Application Submission Location

  • You need to submit your application at a voivodeship office, specifically the department responsible for foreign matters.
  • The application must be submitted to the office in the region where you're staying. For instance, if you're in Warsaw, you'll apply at the Mazowieckie Voivodship Office.
  • During the application process, your fingerprints will be taken for inclusion in the residence card.

Poland residence permit processing time

The voivode has a deadline of 60 days to decide on your application. This period starts from the last of the following events:


  • When you submit the application in person, or when you appear at the voivodeship office in person after being summoned.
  • When you submit an application without any formal defects or after you've corrected any errors.
  • When you've provided all the necessary documents to confirm the details in your application and the reasons for applying, or when the deadline for providing these documents (as set by the voivode) has passed without them being submitted.

Remember that every Immigration office takes its time to consider the application. Such region as Mazowieckie is one of the most efficient nowadays and average time of case consideration in 2023 was 6 month. However other immigration offices in Katowice, Gdańsk or Bydgoszcz may take up to 24 months to verify your TRC application. If you do not wait for such a long time we recommend you to contact our support.

Got refusal in Residence Permit Process?

If you're not happy with the decision, here’s how you can appeal:

  • Who to Appeal To: If you disagree with the decision, you can appeal to the Head of the Office for Foreigners in Warsaw.
  • How to Appeal: Send your appeal through the voivode (regional governor) who gave you the original decision.
  • Time Limit: Make sure you appeal within 14 days of getting the decision on your hands.
During first appeal your stay is legal in Poland till the time of issuing of final decision.

Second Appeal:
  • If you're still not satisfied with decisionafter the first appeal, you can take your case to the administrative court.
  • You have 30 days from receiving the first appeal decision to do this.
It doesn't grant you with legal stay in Poland. Make sure you are secured.