Business activity

You should apply for a temporary residence permit if you wish to stay in Poland for a period exceeding 3 months and your primary purpose of stay is business activity.

Conducting business activity means:

• performing the function of a board member in a limited liability company or joint-stock partnership, which you have created, or in which the stock/shares you have acquired or taken over,
• running the affairs of a limited partnership or limited joint-stock partnership by a general partner,
• acting as a proxy.

If you submit your application on time and it does not contain any formal deficiencies — or if you correct any deficiencies within the deadline indicated by us — your stay in Poland will remain legal from the date of effective submission via MOS until the decision in your case becomes final.

The procedure for granting a temporary residence permit in order to conduct a business activity requires the analysis of many financial documents of the company, as well as examining the impact of the business activity on the Polish economy, which is why the proceedings are more complicated and take longer. Remember that completing as many documents as possible about your business while submitting the application significantly speeds up the procedure.

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

1. Go to mos.cudzoziemcy.gov.pl via login.gov.pl and create an account.
2. Read the requirements for the specific permit and purpose of stay, and collect all the documents needed to complete the application in MOS.

3. Complete the application for a temporary residence permit following the instructions displayed on the screen.
4. Provide an e-mail address in the application where, after your application is registered by the Office, you will receive an access code to check your case status.

5. You must attach a digital biometric photograph, scans/photos of all pages of your travel document, and proof of payment of the stamp duty (PLN 440).

6. Log back into MOS to open your application and check for any errors. Sign the application using your Trusted Profile and submit it through the MOS system.

7. After submitting the application, download the Official Confirmation of Receipt (UPO), which confirms that your temporary residence application has been submitted. Keep it for your records.

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 track the status of your case.

Learn how to submit fingerprints.

• Online application completed in the Case Handling Module,

• Appendix No. 1 to the application in MOS, completed and signed via login.gov.pl,

• 1 digital photograph,

• Scans/photos of all pages of a valid travel document (original available for inspection). In particularly justified cases, if you do not possess a valid travel document and are unable to obtain one, you may scan another document confirming your identity,

  MOS completed and signed via login.gov.pl by an employer or a person authorised for representation of a company,

• Confirmation of the stamp duty payment.

PAY ONLINE

Please remember to submit all of the documents in original or in certified copy.

Documents needed to grant the permit:

If you are a sole trader and you are registered in CEiDG (Central Register and Information on Economic Activity), you have to enclose the following documents together with your temporary residence permit application form: 

• stable and regular source of income,
• proof of having a health insurance,
• residence provided/accommodation provided in Poland,
• documents concerning your company:

If your company has reached in the year preceding the submission of your application the income not lower than twelve times the average monthly salary gross in national’s economy in the region in which your company is registered office or place of residence, (the amount is announced by the President of the Central Statistical Office), you must enclose:

• PIT-36 (Personal Income Tax) or PIT-28 for the tax year preceding the submission of  the application together with the Tax Office (the Revenue) confirmation of posting or Certificate from the Tax Office for earned income,
• Certificate from ZUS (Social Insurance Institution) confirming that you have no arrears in payments of contributions and Certificate from the Tax Office ( the Revenue) that your company’s taxes are not in arrears.

If your company has not reached in the year preceding the submission of your application the income not lower than twelve times the average monthly salary gross in national’s economy in the region in which your company is registered office or place of residence, (the amount is announced by the President of the Central Statistical Office), you must enclose: 

• documents confirming that your company employs at least 2 Polish citizens or foreigners who are entitled to work in Poland. They have to work for a minimum period of time 1 year before your submission of the application. Documents you can enclose are : employment contracts for your employees, confirmation from ZUS that you pay contributions regularly for your employees for the whole period of employment;
• documents indicating the possibility of fulfillment these conditions in the future:
  • latest PIT-36 or PIT-28 together with the Tax Office confirmation of posting,
  • current revenue and expense ledger,
  • company’s bank account statement that confirms you have enough financial resources for keeping your current business activity,
  • agreements/ contracts,
  • confirmation of your investments e.g. VAT invoices, receipts,
  • rental agreement for your business,
  • employment contracts/contracts for your employees,
  • information about your warehouse availability,
  • certificate from ZUS confirming that you have no arrears in payments of contributions and Certificate from the Tax Office that your company’s taxes are not in arrears.

If you are a board member or a proxy in a company and you have the company’s shares, you should apply for a temporary residence and work permit due to conducting a business activity. You have to enclose, together with the application form, the following valid documents confirming: 

• a stable and regular source of income.

One of the documents you can enclose is a resolution of partners (shareholders) granting you a fee for performing the duties of board member or employment contract for performing the function of board member. If you have got an income from another sources, you can also attach an employment contract from another company. Remember also to attach a valid work permit (link) for that company for a relevant position. 

• proof of having a health insurance,
• residence provided/accommodation provided in Poland,
• documents concerning your company:

If your company has reached in the year preceding the submission of your application the income not lower than twelve times the average monthly salary gross in national’s economy in region where your company is registered office or place of residence, (the amount is announced by the President of the Central Statistical Office), you must enclose:

• CIT-8 (Corporate Income Tax) PIT for the tax year preceding the submission of the application together with the Tax Office (the Revenue) confirmation of posting or Certificate from the Tax Office for earned income,
• Certificate from ZUS (Social Insurance Institution) confirming that you have no arrears in payments of contributions and Certificate from the Tax Office (the Revenue) that your company’s taxes are not in arrears.

If your company has not reached in the year preceding the submission of your application the income not lower than twelve times the average monthly salary gross in national’s economy in region where your company is registered office or place of residence, ( the amount is announced by the President of the Central Statistical Office), you must enclose: 

documents confirming that your company employs at least 2 Polish citizens or foreigners who are entitled to work in Poland. They have to work for a minimum period of time 1 year before your submission of the application. Documents you can enclose are: employment contracts for your employees, confirmation from ZUS that you pay contributions regularly for your employees for the whole period of employment:

• documents indicating the possibility of fulfillment these conditions in the future,
• CIT-8 for the previous year together with the Tax Office confirmation of posting or Certificate from the Tax Office for earned income,
  • profit and loss account,
  • company balance sheet,
  • business plan,
  • company’s bank account statement that confirms you have enough financial resources for current business activity,
  • agreements/ contracts,
  • confirmation of your investments e.g. VAT invoices, receipts,
  • rental agreement for your business,
  • employment contracts/contracts of mandate for your employees,
  • information about your warehouse availability,
  • certificate from ZUS confirming that you have no arrears in payments of  contributions and Certificate from the Tax Office that your company’s taxes are not in arrears.

If you perform the function of a board member in a company and you do not have any shares in that company, apply for a temporary residence and work permit. In addition to fulfillment the conditions to get a temporary residence and work permit, you will have to declare that the company where you perform the function meets the income conditions. Then submit the documents related to business activity as in cases mentioned above. 

Read our guide

You have to inform the local Governor where your permit has been issued about termination of your business activity within 15 days. If you want to set up another business or acquire shares of another company, you have to submit new application form for a temporary residence and work permit. If you do not submit a new application, we will start the procedure of withdrawing your permit, because the purpose of stay which you declared when submitting the application for temporary stay has ceased to exist. If you do not do this, we may refuse to grant you another temporary residence permit.

The residence card is issued after you have received your decision with your permit.

Read more: How to receive residence card?