Residence permit for humanitarian reasons / visa D21

You should apply for a temporary residence permit  for humanitarian reasons if:

- you are citizen of Belarus and

- you stay in Poland based on valid visa D21.

Before you apply, read our tips on how to fill in an application form.

1. Visit the website mos.cudzoziemcy.gov.pl and create an account.
2. Review the information and the list of common mistakes.
3. Fill out the application for a temporary residence permit.
4. Include your email address in the application. Once your application is registered by the Office, you’ll receive an access code to track the status of your case.
5. Print the application form and sign it.
6. Send the printed form along with the required attachments via postal service to the Department for Foreigners in Poznań or one of our regional offices.

Submit the application no later than the last day of your legal stay in Poland. If you send the application via Poczta Polska, the date of submission will be the date it is posted at the post office.

The next step will be an in-person appointment to submit your fingerprints. During the visit, you will also complete other documents required to obtain a stamp in your passport.

Learn how to submit fingerprints.
Learn how to track the status of your case.

Documents required to obtain a stamp in your passport (i.e. formal requirements)

• Application form - fill in the on-line application or fill in the application in accordance with the instructions in 1 copy (application to be downloaded), with the indicated purpose of stay: other circumstances - with the additional note: residence for humanitarian reasons - visa D21
• 4 photographs, 

• A photocopy of a valid travel document (the original for inspection).

Documents needed to grant a permit:

• no additional documents required, apart from having a valid D21 visa directly before applying for the permit.

All documents are submitted in original / certified copy

No stamp duty for the application and no fee for the residence card.

Read our guide

A temporary residence permit for humanitarian reasons is granted once for a period of 3 years.

Permit holder:

• is exempt from the obligation of having a work permit and has full access to the labor market,
• from the 1st January  2023 has the opportunity to apply for a Polish travel document for a foreigner.

Attention! If you are currently applying for a different type of temporary residence permit, and you had a D21 visa directly before submitting the application - you can change the purpose of stay as part of this procedure - download here

If you reside in Poland on the basis of this permit, you can apply for further legalization of your stay on the usual terms, such as a temporary residence permit, permanent residence permit, long-term EU resident's residence permit.

Family members of a foreigner who has received such a permit:

A temporary residence permit for humanitarian reasons is not the same as receiving a humanitarian residence permit, which is issued by the Commander of the Border Guard. Only a humanitarian residence permit granted by the Border Guard entitles your family member to apply for a residence permit for family reunification. Granting of this kind of permit entitles your wife/husband to work without a work permit.

If you are granted a temporary residence permit for humanitarian reasons due to holding a D21 visa directly before applying for the permit, your wife/husband may apply for a permit based on other circumstances. Remember that the granting of such a permit does not entitle a family member to work without a work permit.

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