Poland residence permit – legal way to reside in Europe

There are many reasons why people from different states are willing to live in Europe. And Poland becomes one of the most preferred destinations. The country is opened to everybody and offers several ways to reside in the country. A national of another state may get a visa, one of the types of Poland residence permits or even a Polish passport.

Reasons to ask for a permission for a long-term stay

Polish legislation is very precise about circumstances to be given a residence permit card in Poland. Here is a brief list of those (your grounds can be different):

You have a legal job. This means you have an official contract from a local company or you may be sent to Poland by an employer from another state.
You have plans to start a business or open a company in Poland. The business environment in the country is very comfortable and the national government offers many incentives for foreign investors.
You entered a Polish college or university or going to conduct an academic research in the country.
Your family member resides in Poland and holds an EU citizenship.
You have a Pole’s card and have an intention to settle here permanently.

Note that each type of permit has its own peculiarities, including the interim for being valid. Thus, a temporary residence permit (TRP) is provided for up to 3 years; permanent residence permit (PRP) is given for an undetermined period with an obligation to change the card every 10 years; a long-term EU resident permit is granted for an undetermined period but the card should be changed every 5 years.

A good idea is to hire a legal consultant who specializes in migration issues and can help you to collect the necessary documents for each type of permits.

There are reasons for Polish authorities to reject your petition for Poland residence even if you have solid grounds to get the permission to settle:

you are residing in one of the EU member states;
you are granted an asylum in the country or you are a refugee;
you are the state’s resident already but got your permission for other purposes;
you don’t reside in the country;
you fail to leave fingertips.

What are the steps for applying?

The whole application procedure for residence in Poland takes place in a Voivodeship Office. A foreigner should file an application form together with supporting documents, including passport, photos, and papers which demonstrate the grounds to request a permission to settle. All information should be provided in Polish.

The whole revision procedure lasts for one month or more depending on the type of permit or if a Voivode needs to investigate your case. Note, if you don’t get a resolution on time, you should get a notification specifying the grounds for a postponement as well as the new deadline. In case of a negative answer, you have two weeks to file an appeal.

For the time when you are waiting for the resolution, you will get a stamp in your travel document which permits you to be in Poland until you know the answer.

Fees for applying
340 zlotys for TRP and 640 zlotys for PRP or long-term EU resident permit (in case of a denial you may ask to return you the money)
440 zlotys if you apply for TRP and work permit at the same time;
50 zlotys the residence card itself.

Can the permission be withdrawn?

Yes, it can. You will lose your permit if the data you provided in your application appears to be false or if you violate the country’s laws. You will be also subject to other sanctions according to the national legislation.