Karta Pobytu Documents in Poland 2026: Full Checklist

Disclaimer: This guide is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Immigration rules change frequently - always confirm current requirements with your voivodeship office or a qualified immigration lawyer before acting.

This is the full document checklist for a Polish residence permit in 2026. If you are not sure your set is complete, our guide to residence documents walks through the requirements ground by ground.

What you always need

• Application (wniosek) - from your voivodeship website. Warsaw: mazowieckie.uw.gov.pl. Lower Silesia: duw.pl. Filled in Polish. Section-by-section walkthrough: how to fill out the wniosek.

• 4 photos - 35x45 mm, white background, no glasses, under 6 months old.

• Passport - original plus copies of all stamped pages.

• Proof of accommodation - rental agreement or owner's statement (oswiadczenie wlasciciela).

• Fee - 340 PLN for temporary residence. Attach proof of payment.

• Insurance - health policy for the full period, or proof your employer pays ZUS.

You will also need a PESEL number for the MOS portal - see how to get a PESEL number.

Documents by ground

Based on work

• Employment or B2B contract - signed, in Polish or with a sworn translation.

• Income confirmation from your employer or incubator.

• If via an incubator - the contract plus invoices and payments from the last 3 months. How that model works: business incubator in Poland for foreigners.

• ZUS no-arrears certificate - via e-ZUS.

Not tied to work (family, students)

• Marriage or birth certificate with apostille and translation.

• For students: enrollment letter, proof of tuition payment.

• Bank statement for 3 months. Minimum 701 PLN per month for yourself plus 528 PLN per dependent.

Permanent residence (karta stalego pobytu)

• All previous residence cards plus visa history.

• PIT tax returns for the last 3 years.

• Polish language certificate level B1 - required since 2022.

Translations and apostille

Apostille - for Hague Convention countries (Ukraine, Belarus, CIS). Issued in the document's country of origin. Consular legalization - for non-convention countries. After apostille, a sworn translator (tlumacz przysiegly) in Poland charges 50-100 PLN per page.

Processing times in 2026

Times differ by voivodeship, and so do the office rules. Each city page below has the local office address, the booking portal and the documents that office asks for on top of the base package.

Warsaw (Mazowieckie): 4-8 months

Wroclaw: 3-5 months

Gdansk: 2-4 months

Poznan: 2-3 months

Krakow: 3-5 months

While your application is processed, you stay in Poland legally - provided you filed before your current permit expired. You can follow the case online: how to check your karta pobytu status.

Three common reasons a set gets returned

Wrong application: PESEL, address (must match your rental agreement), entry date (must match the stamp).

Outdated certificates: no older than 3 months on the date of filing.

Translation mismatch: name and surname letter for letter as in your passport.

Where FBA fits in

FBA is a business incubator: we handle invoicing, accounting and tax support for freelancers and contractors in Poland. If your income documents come from working through us, we make sure the paperwork on our side is in order and explain what the office typically asks for. The application itself you file yourself through the MOS portal.