Temporary residence permit for high qualified workers (EU Blue Card)

You should apply for a temporary residence permit, the so-called EU Blue Card if you wish to stay in Poland for a period exceeding 3 months and your primary purpose of stay is work in a profession requiring high qualifications.

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 are staying in Poland on the basis of:

• a national visa, Schengen visa, or a visa issued by another Schengen state for the purpose of tourism or visiting family or friends;

• a tolerated stay permit or a humanitarian stay permit;

• asylum or temporary protection granted in the Republic of Poland;

and you submit an application for a temporary residence permit for employment in a highly qualified profession, your application will 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. Review the requirements for the specific permit and purpose of stay, and gather all documents necessary to complete the application in MOS.

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

6. The application must include a digital biometric photograph, scans/photos of all pages of your travel document, and proof of payment of the stamp duty.

7. Provide your employer’s e-mail address – Annex No. 1 will be sent there and, after completion, it must be electronically signed by persons authorised in the National Court Register (KRS).

8. Approve and submit the application by clicking “save application and send employer form”. You will receive a confirmation message that the employer has been invited to complete the annex, and the employer will receive a link enabling them to complete it.

9. The employer completes Annex No. 1 to the application in MOS, signs it via login.gov.pl, and submits it in MOS. The annex will be automatically attached to your application.

10. After Annex No. 1 has been signed by the employer, you will receive a notification by e-mail. 

11. Complete Annex No. 2 to the application.

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

12. After submitting the application, download the Official Confirmation of Receipt (UPO), which confirms submission of the temporary residence permit application. Keep it safe.

The next step will be personal appearance/fingerprint submission. During the visit, you will also complete other documents required to obtain a stamp in your passport.

Find out how to obtain data to track your case status 

Find out how to submit fingerprints 

• an application completed online in the Case Handling Module

• 1 digital photograph,

• scans/photos of all pages of a valid travel document (original for inspection). In particularly justified cases, if you do not have a valid travel document and cannot obtain one, you may scan another document confirming your identity,

• Annex No. 1 to the application fully completed online by the employer and electronically signed by a person authorised to represent the company.

• Annex No. 2 to the application, fully completed and signed online
• confirmation that you have paid the stamp duty. 

PAY ONLINE

Documents required to be granted the residence permit:

• Annex No. 1 to the application confirms that you have the purpose of stay in Poland for more than 3 months and health insurance (in the case of an employment contract and a contract of mandate)
• a contract of employment concluded for a period of at least 6 months, a contract of employment, a contract of superimposed employment, a civil-law contract on the basis of which you perform work, provide services or are in an official relationship;
• evidence of professional qualifications

Read our guide

This permit is granted for a period longer by 3 months than the period of work indicated in the application, but not longer than 3 years.

The permit entitles you to work only under the conditions specified therein.

From 1st January 2019, there are rules in force according to which a limit may be set on the number of temporary residences permits granted for the first time in a calendar year due to highly qualified employment. This limit may cover particular province, professions, types of agreements based on which you may be emloyed, or types of activity of an entity which employs you. In case the limit set out in the Regulation is reached, the permit may not be granted. Limits are announced in a given calendar year in the Official Journal of the Republic of Poland "Monitor Polski". There are currently no such limits implemented.

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