Temporary Residence Card Poland 2026: Step-by-Step

Here is the short version: from 27 April 2026, applications for a karta czasowego pobytu must be submitted online through MOS v2.0, all correspondence with the voivode is handled via eDoręczenia, the passport stamp has been abolished, and the minimum salary requirement for the "employment" basis is 4,806 PLN gross. The state fee is 440 PLN for the employment basis and the Blue Card or 340 PLN for most other grounds, with an additional 100 PLN for the physical card. The average processing time at the Mazowieckie Voivodeship Office in 2026 is approximately 8-14 months. At LegalWin, our standard timeline is 42 days from the initial consultation to złożenia wniosku (filing the application).

Below - no filler, just steps.

What Changed in 2026

Three major changes define how applications work this year.

1. MOS v2.0 - the only electronic filing route. The old inPOL system has been shut down. A new application form has been in effect since 27 April 2026. Submitting the old form will result in a return marked "formalnie niekompletny" - and you will lose your place in the queue. Login to MOS requires a Profil Zaufany, login.gov.pl, e-dowód, or mDowód. Without one of these digital identifiers, access to the system is not possible.

2. End of the passport stamp. The red stamp across an entire passport page - which previously confirmed lawful stay while a case was under review - has been abolished. In its place: an Urzędowe Poświadczenie Odbioru (UPO) and an electronic certificate in the MOS user account. When crossing a border or presenting proof of status to an employer, it is advisable to carry a printed UPO along with a screenshot of the MOS status.

3. eDoręczenia - mandatory correspondence channel. The voivode will no longer send paper letters requesting supplementary documents. Notifications arrive in your eDoręczenia account. If you do not respond within the specified deadline (typically 7 days), the case may be left without consideration - requiring a completely new application.

The minimum wage from 1 January 2026 is 4,806 PLN gross (approximately 3,606 PLN net). This is the threshold for the "employment with a Polish employer" basis under an umowa o pracę or zlecenie contract. Contracts signed in 2025 at 4,666 PLN or below must be updated with an Aneks from the employer - otherwise the application will be refused due to failure to meet the conditions.

Which Card Is Right for You

There are four main types of residence permits in Poland for nationals of CIS countries. They are not interchangeable - each has its own qualifying basis and duration.

The majority of CIS clients begin with karty czasowego pobytu. If you are Ukrainian with an active UKR status, it is almost always more advantageous to apply directly for CUKR - it is granted for 3 years automatically and does not involve salary comparisons with the minimum wage threshold.

Eight Grounds for Application

The grounds on which a karta czasowego pobytu may be requested are set out in the Ustawa o cudzoziemcach. The eight primary ones:

1. Employment with a Polish employer - umowa o pracę or zlecenie, salary at or above the minimum. A zezwolenie na pracę must be filed simultaneously if one is not already in place.
2. EU Blue Card - for highly qualified professionals. Contract of at least one year, salary from 1.5× the national average (approximately 11,200 PLN gross in 2026).
3. Self-employment - JDG or sp. z o.o. with annual income from 12× the national average, or with at least 2 resident employees.
4. Study at an accredited university - officially enrolled full-time students. Minimum income of 721 PLN per month for accommodation and living expenses.
5. Family reunification - for spouses, children, and parents of a person already holding a karty czasowego, stałego, or CUKR.
6. Polish descent - documented lineage up to 4 generations back.
7. Humanitarian grounds - a rare basis requiring individual legal assessment.
8. Other grounds - for non-standard cases, including seafarers, artists, athletes, and scientific trainees.

Step 1. Preparing the Documents

The core package can be assembled in 5-14 days, provided everything is in order. If anything needs to be resolved first - an Aneks to the contract, a sworn translation of third-party documents, an apostille on a birth certificate - allow an additional 2-3 weeks.

Always required:

• Passport (photo page + page with the current basis of stay)
• Completed application form in the version effective from 1 December 2025 (older forms are not accepted)
• A colour digital photo taken within the last 6 months: a 684×883 px file up to 2.5 MB, in 35 × 45 mm proportions
• Proof of accommodation (tenancy agreement + meldunek, or a loan-of-use agreement from a family member, or confirmation from the employer)
• Medical insurance policy with coverage of at least 30,000 € (for those not covered by ZUS/NFZ through employment)
• Proof of payment: opłata skarbowa of 440 PLN (employment, Blue Card) or 340 PLN (other grounds) plus 100 PLN for the card, with the applicant's name in the transfer reference. Both receipts are attached to the wniosek in MOS (MUW attachment list)

For the "employment" basis, additionally required:

• Umowa o pracę or zlecenie with a salary of at least 4,806 PLN gross
• Załącznik nr 1 - a separate questionnaire completed by the employer
• PIT-11 for the previous year, or ZUS RCA report for the past 3 months
• Zezwolenie na pracę (unless your country is covered by the oświadczenie procedure)

Step 2. Filing Through MOS v2.0

1. Create an account at mos.cudzoziemcy.gov.pl. Verify it through Profil Zaufany.
2. Complete the application form.
3. Upload document scans (PDF files, up to 10 MB each).
4. Send the employer a request to electronically sign Załącznik nr 1.
5. Sign the application with your Profil Zaufany. You will receive a UPO with your case number.

From the moment the UPO is issued, your stay in Poland is lawful - even if your visa or stamp expires the next day.

The most common mistake: the employer fails to sign Załącznik nr 1 in time. The solution is to ask the employer in advance to activate a Profil Zaufany.

Step 3. Biometrics

After the application is accepted (5-14 days after receiving the UPO), you will be summoned to submit fingerprints at the Wydział Spraw Cudzoziemców (al. Solidarności 81 or ul. Kruczej 5/11). The appointment date will arrive via eDoręczenia. The biometrics appointment takes 15 minutes.

Step 4. Waiting

By law - 60 days. In practice at Mazowieckie in 2026 - 8-14 months. In Śląskie - up to 3 years. In Dolnośląskie - 4-6 months.

Check eDoręczenia once a week. Missing a request for supplementary documents will stall your case.

Step 5. Collecting the Card

After the decision the office sends the date and place of collection by email or via eDoręczenia. The 100 PLN card fee is already paid by then, because its receipt goes into the wniosek in MOS. The card must be collected in person.

What to Do if Your Application Is Refused

You have 14 days to file an odwołanie (appeal) with the Szef UDSC, followed by 30 days to file a skarga (complaint) with the WSA. Do not handle this alone - 70% of successful appeals require a fact-by-fact analysis of the case.

Costs

When to Seek Legal Assistance

It is advisable to consult a lawyer if: you are applying on family or business grounds, you have previously received a refusal, your employer has no prior experience employing foreigners, or there are complicating factors (expired visa, change of employer).

Get your residence permit application handled by a lawyer →

The Whole Karta Pobytu Process, Piece by Piece

Above is the outline. Below is each step in detail: exactly what to bring, how long it takes, and what to do when it goes wrong.

Choosing your grounds

The grounds decide your document set and your processing time. Eight common ones, covered separately:

• Employer-Tied Karta Pobytu in Poland 2026
• Zezwolenie typu A vs Oświadczenie 2026: New Polish Rules
• Work permits in Poland 2026: praca.gov.pl and the end of the labour market test
• Karta Pobytu via Marriage to a Polish Citizen 2026: The Rules
• Karta Pobytu via Business in 2026: JDG vs Sp. z o.o.
• Polish residence permit for remote work: what actually works in 2026
• Karta Pobytu for Children 2026: Documents and School
• Student Visa to Karta Pobytu 2026: New Rules
• PESEL UKR to Work Karta Pobytu 2026: Strategy
• EU Blue Card vs Karta Pobytu 2026: Which to Pick

Filing through MOS

Since 27 April 2026 paper applications are no longer accepted - electronic filing only:

• MOS 2.0 in Poland 2026: How to Submit Online
• MOS 2.0 Won't Let You File: 7 Dead Ends and the Way Out of Each
• Sworn translation for a residence permit 2026: what to translate and how to upload it to MOS
• Karta Pobytu Appointment in Warsaw 2026: Termin and MOS v2.0
• Karta Pobytu: 60 Days to Collect It in 2026

Waiting for the decision

The statutory 60 days and the real timeline in Mazowieckie are two different things:

• Karta Pobytu Status Check in Warsaw 2026
• Passport Stamp While Awaiting Karta Pobytu 2026
• Speeding Up Karta Pobytu 2026: Ponaglenie and WSA

When it goes wrong

Refusal, expiry, loss, and changed circumstances:

• Karta Pobytu Refusal in Poland 2026: What to Do
• Karta Pobytu Expired - What to Do in 2026
• Lost or Stolen Karta Pobytu 2026: Getting a Wtórnik
• Name, passport and address changes: when to replace a Polish residence card
• Changing Your Residence Purpose Without Leaving 2026

Renewal, costs, hiring a lawyer

• Renewing Your Polish Residence Card in 2026: When and How
• How Much a Karta Pobytu Costs in Warsaw in 2026: Full Breakdown
• Karta Pobytu Warsaw: When You Need a Lawyer 2026

After you get the card

The card is not the finish line: next come PESEL, permanent residence and EU long-term resident status:

• PESEL, Profil Zaufany, mDowód After Residence Card
• Who can get permanent residence in 2026, and how
• Karta Stałego Pobytu vs EU Long-Term Resident 2026
• EU Long-Term Resident Status in Poland 2026: How to Get It
• Permanent Residence Refusal: Odwołanie in 2026

Our services on this topic:

• Residence permit (karta pobytu) applications in Warsaw - we run the case from grounds to biometrics
• Permanent residence card application - the next step after five years on a temporary card
• Appeal against a karta pobytu refusal - if the decision came back negative