How to become resident in Poland

Requirements and exceptions

Whether or not you need a visa to visit Poland depends on several different things: including your nationality, why you are going there, how long you will be staying, as well as other things like family relations and your employment status.

Poland joined the European Union in 2004, so many rules and regulations are changing as the country’s laws are harmonised with European Union norms. Make sure to get the latest information from your local Polish embassy before planning your trip to Poland.

Visas for EU/EEA citizens

Citizens from EU or EEA countries do not require a visa to enter Poland. These include: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom.

Visas for non EU/EEA citizens

Citizens from the following countries do not need a visa to enter when staying in Poland for less than 90 days: Andorra, Argentina, Australia, Bolivia, Brazil, Brunei, Canada, Costa Rica, Chile, Croatia, Guatemala, Honduras, Hong Kong, Israel, Japan, South Korea, Macau, Malaysia, Mexico, Monaco, Nicaragua, New Zealand, Panama, Paraguay, Salvador, San Marino, Singapore, Switzerland, United States of America, Uruguay, Vatican and Venezuela.

This list does not mean you can enter Poland without a visa for the purposes of becoming resident, to work or engage in other paid activity. A visa is required for a stay of longer than three months or for the purpose of taking up employment in Poland. For further information concerning entry requirements and residence in Poland please contact the local Polish embassy or consulate in your country.

Citizens of Non-EU/EEA countries (those who are required to get a visa) can apply for various types of visas. The visa type you should apply for depends on the purpose and the duration of your stay.

You can apply for short- or long-term visas. The application process usually takes between 10 to 60 days. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs offers a detailed description in several languages.

Family members

Family members can get the same type of visa for the same period as the head of the family. The application process is the same as for the head of the family and all visa applications should be made at the same time. All applicants will need to prove:

• adequate prospective accommodation in Poland
• financial means to live in Poland
• health cover/insurance for health care treatment
• proof of family relationships in the form of birth and/or marriage certificates

In addition, applicants might have to fulfil additional requirements specified by the consulate handling the application.

Working legally in Poland

Since Poland has joined the European Union, its rules and regulations regarding labour mobility are changing as they come into line with EU directives.

Citizens of EU member states and their family members do not need a work permit for Poland. Most non-EU citizens need a work visa and work permit in order work in Poland.

Applying for a work permit

Non-EU citizens are obliged to follow general regulations of working in Poland. In most cases the procedure for employing a foreigner consists of three stages:

1. Non-EU citizens intending to work in Poland have first to find a Polish employer who will agree to apply for a work permit for them.
2. The application has to be presented to a Voivod’s Office in the district where the company or institution is located. The Voivod´s Office only issues work permits for foreigners if there are no suitable Polish candidates for the position.
3. When the promise is issued to an employer, the Voivod’s Office will define the conditions for a foreigner to obtain a work permit. Only after these conditions have been met can a foreigner can obtain the appropriate work permit.

There is also a large group of non EU-citizens who can legally work in Poland without the necessity of having an official permit. These include foreigners who:

• work on assignments for the foreign mass media as accredited press, radio and TV correspondents, photographers and film makers
• are artists
• work less than 30 days during a calendar year as actors, singers, dancers, orchestra conductors, instrumentalists, and mime artists
• are students of Polish universities working during holidays (not longer than three months a year)
• are people giving presentations of a particular scientific or artistic value or occasional speeches
• hold the function of board members living permanently abroad (less than 30 days a calendar year)
• are clergy
• are employees sent to Poland for - at most - three months a calendar year to do training, assembly of fair expositions, reception or maintenance of machines and equipment ordered by their companies
• are soldiers and civil personnel of NATO structures in Poland

As a legal employee working in Poland, your employment is governed by the Polish labour code. You can also obtain income on the basis of civil agreements as defined by the civil code (e.g. assignments, one-off job agreements, or one-off agreements with the transfer of copyrights). But in such a situation you do not have the same rights as an employee, such as leave, holiday or an eight-hour working day. In the case of assignments, like any employee on a permanent work contract, you have the same rights to pensions and health security.

If you work illegally in Poland (for instance you do not have the correct required work permit), you may face severe consequences if caught. Sanctions can include immediate expulsion from Poland at your own (or that of the person who invited you) cost. A decision on an immediate expulsion from the country will automatically make previously issued visas or temporary residence permits void.

How to get a study visa

Students who are planning to come and study in Poland for longer than 90 days need a study visa in some cases. It is recommended you find out about requirements and start the application process well in advance of the start of your period of planned study in Poland.

If you will be undertaking a recognised course of study at a Polish education institution, getting a student visa for Poland is normally a straightforward process. You will need to present the required documentation and application forms after correctly completing the information required.

Students from EU/EEA countries

In order to enter Poland to start a course of study, it is not necessary for an EU/EEA student to get a visa prior to arrival. However, when you have arrived in Poland, you do need to apply for a temporary study visa at the local Voivod’s office.

Students from non EU countries

Before travelling to Poland, students from outside of the EU should apply for a student visa at the Polish consulate in their current country of residence. Students who have a valid visa and want to reapply for its extension have to do so at least 45 days before the current visa expires.

How to become resident in Poland

You can get a temporary residence (karta pobytu) in Poland if you can demonstrate that you will be staying in Poland for more than 3 months in order to work, study or for family reasons (e.g. marriage to a Polish citizen).

Permission for temporary residence is normally granted for a maximum of 2 years. A residency permit can then be renewed every subsequent two years.

An application for temporary residence should be submitted to the appropriate consulate of the Republic of Poland, normally that in your current country of residence. Foreign citizens already in Poland may apply directly to the appropriate regional office of a provincial governor.

A residence permit acts as your documentation for legal residence during your stay in Poland and allows you to travel to and from Poland. If you are relocating to Poland with your family, you and your partner, plus any children who will be relocating with you, will all need to apply for residence permits. You will need to provide proof of accommodation, employment and the ability to cover you and your family’s costs during your stay in Poland.

How to register in Poland

Registration (zameldowanie) is very important in Poland. You need to register for a temporary stay (before you can apply for a permanent stay), and then for a residence permit (karta pobytu), for the authorities, banks and for the fiscal authorities.

Everybody who comes to Poland needs to register within three days of entry. You have to apply at the appropriate registration office (Urzad Meldunkowy). If you spend your time in Poland at a hotel, hostel etc. the registration will be done for you. If you stay with friends, you will have to go to the registration office with the owner or tenant of the flat at which you are staying. Nevertheless registration is fairly easy.

For permanent residence in Poland the registration process is more complicated. You will need your passport or ID-card and a rental agreement. In addition (although this doesn’t appear to be a consistent requirement), you may need to be accompanied by the owner, who has to show a proof of ownership (e.g. certificate of title) and his identity card.

This might seem a bit exaggerated, but with the zameldowanie come several privileges (at least for Polish people), and that´s why the process is so complicated. After you have obtained temporary registration (zameldowanie tymczasowe), you can apply for a residence permit (karta pobytu) at your local wojewod office.

How to become a Polish national

Foreigners legally resident in Poland for a certain amount of time (depending on their status) can apply to become a Polish citizen. Different factors are taken into account for eligibility for nationalization in Poland.

An application for Polish citizenship has to be submitted in person to the Voivod’s office. If you’re living outside of Poland you should submit your application to the Polish Consulate in your country of residence.

Who can apply for Polish citizenship?

A citizenship can be obtained exclusively by foreigners who meet one of the following requirements:

• a child (still a minor) born in the territory of the Republic of Poland to foreign parents who hold a legal residency permit
• marriage to a Polish citizen for a minimum of 3 years AND living in Poland without interruption on the basis of residence permit issued for at least 2 years prior to the application
• residing in Poland for at least 10 years on the basis of a permit for a tolerated residence, or for 5 years in connection with a refugee status,
• children of a Polish citizen under parental authority.

Residence in Poland is deemed uninterrupted if it was not broken for longer than 6 months and all the breaks together did not exceed 10 months, unless the break was caused by:

• fulfilment of professional duties and work outside of Poland, on the basis of an agreement made with an employer whose place of business is situated in Poland;
• accompanying a spouse who was fulfilling his/her professional duties as defined above;
• the need to obtain new travel documentation; and/or
• medical treatment.

Application requirements for Polish citizenship

A foreign citizen who intends to apply for a Polish citizenship should submit:

• four completed application forms
• five passport size photographs ( 4.5 cm -3.5 cm )
• a valid passport
• documents certifying the required periods of uninterrupted stay in Poland
• certification of no tax arrears towards the State Treasury
• current certificate of temporary residence
• legal title to a rented or owned apartment/house and documents certifying this fact

What licence do you need to drive legally?

If you have an EU driving licence, you can use it to drive in Poland. If you are from outside of the EU you will have to obtain an International Driving Licence to drive in Poland.

Driver's licences issued by other EU member states are recognized in Poland and remain valid until the expiry date indicated on the document. Driver’s licences from outside the EU must be accompanied by an International Driving Permit (IDP). This must be obtained before the departure from an issuing agency in your home country.

Driving lessons in Poland

If you do not hold a driving licence, you will have to apply to one of the many schools that provide driving lessons. However, a residence permit is needed. Furthermore the permit must have already been valid for at least 185 days when you apply for driving lessons.

Usually a course will take two to three months, including the final theoretical and practical test. You can also take a crash course which only takes one month but these courses cost a lot more.

Getting a Polish license

You will have to finish a course and pass a midterm exam in order to receive your driving licence. After that you will have to take a theory and practical test. If you pass both, you will be the happy owner of a new Polish driving licence, which is valid in the entire EU.

General traffic rules

Seat belts are mandatory in both the front and back seats. Children under 12 years are not allowed to sit in the front seat. Headlights must be switched on at all times from October to March, but are recommended all year round. The use of mobile phones while driving is prohibited, unless used with a hands-free kit.