Volunteering

If you are planning to stay in Poland for longer than 3 months and your primary purpose of staying in Poland is to take part in European Voluntary Service, you should apply for the temporary residence permit for a volunteer. The voluntary organisation, in which you are to provide voluntary service, must be authorised by the minister competent for internal affairs. Look at the valid list of the authorised voluntary organisations that announced in the official journal of the minister relevant for internal affairs. Remember that voluntary service does not include remuneration, but only means for covering costs of living and board and the minimal amount of pocket money.

You should apply for a residence permit in person before your current legal status expires (i.e. before your visa or residence card expires). If you apply to extend your stay in Poland before the expiry date of your legal status, you can legally remain in Poland while your application is pending. Make sure you have submitted an error-free application. Your passport must be valid at this time.

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).
• 4 photographs, 
• A photocopy of a valid travel document (the original for inspection), in a particularly justified case, when you do not have any valid travel document and you are not able to obtain one, you may present another document confirming your identity.
• If you apply for the temporary residence permit for an intern or a volunteer, you should submit the “Annex No 3” (download it here) together with the application form,

Confirmation of the payment of stamp duty will be requires to start your proceedings.

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• Written voluntary agreement concluded between you and voluntary organization. Check out what information should be stipulated in the voluntary agreement.
• health insurance,
• confirmation of having sufficient funds to cover the costs of your stay in Poland and return ticket to the country of origin for the period of the volunteering (after deducting the housing costs),
• a document that confirms that you have guaranteed residence in Poland (residence provided).
• house costing declaration.

Read our guide

The permit can be granted for the period necessary to perform the contract, based on which volunteering will take place, not shorter than 3 months and not longer than 1 year.

Temporary residence permit for an intern or a volunteer does not give you any right to perform work without obtaining an additional work permit.

Please remember that you are obliged to inform the appropriate province Governor that granted your temporary residence permit if the reasons for giving it no longer apply. You must do so within 15 business days. 
If your residence permit was granted by the Head of the Office for Foreigners (the second instance authority), this information should be sent to the province Governor, the first instance authority examining your application.
If you do not fulfill this obligation, you might be refused a subsequent residence permit, if your application for the subsequent temporary residence permit was made before the end of a year before the expiration date of the previous residence permit or by the day in which the decision to withdraw the temporary residence permit has become final

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