Temporary residence and work permit

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 work.

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.

If you entered Poland on a Schengen visa or a national visa issued for the purpose of:

• tourism;
• visiting family or friends;
• participating in sports events;
• engaging in cultural activities;
• attending conferences;
• pursuing first-cycle (Bachelor's), second-cycle (Master's), or long-cycle Master’s studies, or studying at a doctoral school;
• vocational training;
• other forms of education or training;
• transit;
• airport transit;
• receiving medical treatment;
• participating in a cultural or educational exchange program;
• humanitarian aid program;
• holiday work program;

and you apply for a single temporary residence and work permit, your application will not be accepted, and the proceedings will not be initiated.

Additionally, if you are staying in Poland based on:

• a long-term visa issued by another Schengen state,
• a residence permit issued by another Schengen state (unless you are benefiting from mobility within Poland), or
• an entry permit issued by the Commander of a Border Guard post (as specified in Article 32(1) of the Act on Foreigners),

and you apply for a single temporary residence and work permit, your application will also not be accepted, and the proceedings will not be initiated.

Before you apply, read our tips on how to fill in 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 type of permit and purpose of stay, and gather all documents needed to complete the application in MOS.

3. Complete the application for a temporary residence permit by following the instructions displayed on the screen.
4. In the application, provide an email address where you will receive an access code to check the status of your case once your application has been registered by the Office.
5. You must attach a digital biometric photograph, scans/photos of all pages of your travel document, and confirmation of payment of the stamp duty fee.

6. Provide the employer’s email address – an Appendix No. 1 will be sent to this address. After completion, it must be electronically signed by persons authorized in the National Court Register (KRS).

7. Confirm and submit the application by clicking “save application and send form to employer”. You will receive a message confirming that the employer has been invited to complete the appendix, and the employer will receive a link enabling them to fill it in.

8. The employer completes Appendix No. 1 to the application in MOS, signs it via login.gov.pl, and submits it in MOS. The appendix will be automatically added to your application.

9. After the employer signs Appendix No. 1, you will receive an email notification. Your application is now complete and ready to be submitted.

10. Log in again to MOS to open the application and check whether it contains any errors. Sign the application using a Trusted Profile and submit it in the MOS system.

11. After submitting the application, download the Official Acknowledgement of Receipt (UPO), which confirms that your application has been submitted. Keep this document safe.

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

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

• 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

Documents required to be granted a temporary residence and work permit:

 Temporary residence and work permit

Read our guide

During the proceedings, make sure to inform us about any change related to your job, current place of living or mailing address.

The permit is granted for not longer than 3 years. This period depends primarily on the time for which your employer intends to hire you.

Your permit entitles you to work in Poland only on the conditions specified therein. You cannot work for another employer on its basis. 
There are some exemptions from this rule, e.g. if you have received a temporary residence and work permit as a graduate of a Polish upper secondary school, full-time university studies or full-time doctoral studies at a Polish university.

It is your responsibility to inform the Governor, who issued your permit about the termination of your work contract. You need to do it within 15 days from termination of work.  If you do not do this, we may refuse to grant you another temporary residence permit.
If you want to work for another employer, you must re-apply for a new permit. If you fail to do it, we may start the procedure of revocation of your last permit, because the purpose of your stay which you declared previously has ceased.

The residence card is issued after you have received your decision with your permit. Read How to receive residence card?