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.

You may apply in person at the Department for Foreigners in Poznań or one of the office's delegations: Book your visit

If you cannot apply in person before your current legal status expires, please send your application by post to meet the deadline.

What counts is the date of postage at the post office.

If you apply by post, your next step is to visit the office in person to give your fingerprints.

During your visit, you may also file other documents that are required to get a stamp in your passport.

Learn how to give your fingerprints

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