Strictly speaking, Polish law does not "renew" a karta pobytu - you file a new wniosek (application) for a fresh karta czasowego pobytu, usually on the same or adjusted grounds. The deadline is no later than 45 days before your current card expires. If you submit within that window and receive a UPO (electronic acknowledgement from MOS v2.0) before the old card runs out, your stay automatically remains legal throughout the review - even after the old card has formally expired.
Below: who has to do this, when, and how, in 2026.
Why "renewal" is actually a new application
Many clients come in asking how to "renew" their card. There is no such procedure in the Ustawa o cudzoziemcach (Law on Foreigners). Under art. 105, the wojewoda (regional governor) treats every wniosek as a fresh case: re-checks the grounds, recalculates finances, demands current documents.
In practice this means:
- A new wniosek through MOS v2.0 - the old inPOL system has been off since December 2025
- Current documents - ZUS statements, PIT-11 for the latest tax year, an updated employment contract or business confirmation
- Full fee package - the same 340 PLN stamp duty plus 100 PLN for the physical card
- New biometrics - fingerprints have to be taken again, just like the first time
The only simplification compared to the first application: you do not need fresh apostilles on a birth certificate, diploma or similar documents if they were already submitted before. The wojewoda typically pulls your old case file and reuses personal documents. This does not exempt you from delivering an updated employment contract and current financial proof.
When to file: the 45-day rule
Art. 202 of the Ustawa o cudzoziemcach states that the wniosek for the next karta czasowego pobytu must be filed no later than the final day of your legal stay. That is the legal minimum. In practice, voivodeship offices treat as "on time" only those wnioski received at least 45 days before the current card expires.
What happens if you stay within 45 days:
- The wojewoda places your case in the "kontynuacja" (continuation) queue
- The UPO is issued within 5-14 days of submission
- For the entire review, your stay is legal under the UPO
- You can keep working (if grounds are employment-based) without a break
- You do not lose the 5-year residence credit toward karta stałego pobytu (permanent residence)
What happens if you file 30 days before expiry:
- The wojewoda will still accept the case, but not on the priority track
- The UPO may arrive later than the old card's expiry
- In the gap between the old card and UPO your stay is technically illegal
- Many border guards and HR officers treat that gap very strictly
- The accumulated residence credit may reset due to a przerwa w pobycie (break in residence)
If the wniosek arrives less than 15 days before expiry - the wojewoda may leave it bez rozpoznania (without examination) as filed outside legal stay. Article 202 formally allows submission until the very last day, but in Mazowieckie in 2026 such cases are more often returned.
Our working rhythm: we start preparing the package 60-75 days before the old card expires. At 45 days - submission in MOS v2.0. At 30 days - UPO in hand. That leaves a buffer for any uzupełnienia (document requests).
What changes about your grounds
By the time you file the next card, most clients' lives have moved on. The wojewoda must take the current situation into account - and this is the most common reason for refusals on continuation.
Typical changes:
New employer. If the new umowa was signed 6-12 months before filing - usually no problem, provided the zezwolenie na pracę (work permit) is correctly issued and taxes are paid. If you only changed last month, expect the inspektor to ask for świadectwo pracy (employment certificate) from the previous employer.
Change of grounds. Most commonly - moving from praca to własna działalność (self-employment), or from nauka (studies) to praca (work). Each new ground requires its own evidence. Do not file "on autopilot" for the old basis if it no longer matches reality - that produces an odmowa (refusal).
Salary below the 2026 minimum. The minimum wage from 1 January 2026 is 4,806 PLN gross. If your existing umowa at 4,666 PLN was never updated with an aneks (amendment) - the wojewoda will refuse. Before filing, ask your employer to sign an aneks reflecting the new amount.
Family changes. Marriage, a child being born, divorce - each matters. If your Polish spouse became a citizen during your current card's validity, it may be better to file under łączenie rodzin (family reunification) or 3-year-marriage grounds (a shortcut to karta stałego pobytu) rather than on employment.
Documents for continuation
Base package in 2026:
- Wniosek on the form dated 1 grudnia 2025 (MOS v2.0 only)
- Passport plus copies of all pages
- 4 biometric photos 35×45 mm
- Proof of accommodation - umowa najmu or meldunek (current address registration)
- Health insurance - ZUS or private with at least €30,000 coverage
- Proof of payment of the 340 PLN opłata skarbowa
For employment-based grounds, add:
- A live umowa o pracę or zlecenie paying at least 4,806 PLN gross
- Załącznik nr 1 from the employer, signed via Profil Zaufany
- PIT-11 for 2025 (if you worked the full year) or a ZUS RCA statement for the last 3 months
- Świadectwa pracy from previous employers, if you switched jobs in the past year
For Sp. z o.o. business grounds:
- KRS (Krajowy Rejestr Sądowy, the business register) entry
- CIT-8 or CIT-15J for 2025 - proof of profitability
- Or documentation of at least two full-time employees on the payroll
- Confirmation that company income reached 12× the national average wage
For JDG (jednoosobowa działalność gospodarcza, sole proprietorship):
- CEIDG entry
- PIT-36 or PIT-36L for 2025
- ZUS proof of paid contributions
- Bank statements
Filing through MOS v2.0
Since December 2025, the only filing channel is mos.cudzoziemcy.gov.pl. The logic is the same as for a first-time application, with one technical detail: in the wniosek you must tick the "kontynuacja zezwolenia" (continuation of permit) box and enter the number of your previous decyzja (decision).
What people often forget:
- Your current karta pobytu number. Printed on the card itself, in the "No. karty" field. Not the same as the wniosek number.
- The decyzja number issued by the wojewoda for your current card. Sits in eDoręczenia from 2-3 years ago.
- Załącznik nr 1 from your employer. Without it, the system will not let you submit a praca-based application.
After completing the form, sign the wniosek with your Profil Zaufany. The UPO with the case number is generated immediately. Save it as a PDF - it is what proves your legal stay to border guards and ZUS inspectors.
Biometrics again
Many applicants are surprised, but every new authorisation means new fingerprints. Under art. 99 of the Ustawa o cudzoziemcach, fingerprints and a photo are integral to każdy wniosek.
The summons arrives in eDoręczenia 4-12 weeks after the UPO. In Mazowieckie, most appointments take place in the Wydział Spraw Cudzoziemców at al. Solidarności 81. The date can be rescheduled once without penalty.
The biometric session itself covers only formal questions - address, current employer, family changes. No language tests. Bring your passport, the UPO and the old karta pobytu (even if it has already expired).
Processing times in 2026
The honest picture: voivodeships work at very different speeds. Based on our 2026 client data and public UdSC (Office for Foreigners) statistics:
| Voivodeship | Average continuation time |
|---|---|
| Mazowieckie (Warsaw) | 6-10 months |
| Dolnośląskie (Wrocław) | 3-5 months |
| Małopolskie (Kraków) | 5-8 months |
| Wielkopolskie (Poznań) | 4-7 months |
| Pomorskie (Gdańsk) | 5-8 months |
| Śląskie (Katowice) | 12-24 months |
| Łódzkie | 8-12 months |
Continuation usually moves 2-3 weeks faster than the first card because the inspektor sees your history in the system. In Mazowieckie the gap is not dramatic: 6-10 months versus 8-14 months for first-time applications.
If you wait more than 12 months - you can file a ponaglenie (complaint about inaction) to Szefa Urzędu do Spraw Cudzoziemców. Full mechanics in our article on accelerating karta pobytu via ponaglenie and WSA.
If you missed the 45-day window
If 30 days remain - file anyway. Chances are still real, but add to the package:
- A pismo wyjaśniające (cover letter) explaining the delay
- All evidence of your past legal stay
- A calculation of your residence credit toward karta stałego pobytu - so the wojewoda sees that a break would harm your record
If 15 days or fewer remain - the situation is harder. Options:
- File anyway and request rozpoznanie wniosku przez referendarza (review by a referendary) - in Mazowieckie this works in 60-70% of cases.
- Leave for the Schengen area for 90 days and refile after returning - but this resets your residence credit.
- Apply for pobyt humanitarny - rare and case-specific.
If your card has already expired and the UPO has not yet arrived - you are formally in irregular stay. In that situation, do not leave Poland before filing, and file as fast as possible. See our article on what to do when karta pobytu has expired.
What changes about your rights after continuation
From a rights perspective - almost nothing. The same karta czasowego pobytu, the same employer-link constraints (if grounds are employment), the same NFZ and mObywatel access. Three nuances worth noting:
1. The card term is new. If your first card was 2 years and the next is 3 years, the 5-year credit toward karta stałego pobytu continues to accumulate uninterrupted. The key is no break in stay between cards.
2. PESEL stays the same. PESEL is assigned once and does not change. Your mDowód in mObywatel updates automatically once you collect the new card.
3. mObywatel will show the new card. Within 7-14 days of physical card collection, the app refreshes its status. If it does not - you can refresh manually in your account on pacjent.gov.pl.
What the whole process costs
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Opłata skarbowa for the wniosek | 340 PLN |
| Blank for the new card | 100 PLN |
| Sworn translations (if new documents) | 0-300 PLN |
| Aneks to the old contract (if needed) | 0-100 PLN |
| LegalWin handling (turnkey) | from 2,200 PLN |
| Minimum total | 2,940 PLN |
Continuation handling costs slightly less than the first card - we already know your file from the system, do not duplicate translations and help you sidestep typical MOS v2.0 errors.
When to bring in a lawyer
A self-filed continuation makes sense when nothing material has changed in the past 2-3 years: same employer, same salary, same address, straightforward employment grounds. In that case, your odds of clearing MOS v2.0 without uzupełnienia (additional document requests) are around 70%.
Bring in a lawyer when:
- Your grounds are changing (employment to business, studies to employment, etc.)
- You changed two or more employers in the past year
- You were refused karta pobytu in the past
- You are filing on family grounds (marriage, children, łączenie rodzin)
- The wojewoda already issued a wezwanie do uzupełnienia or ponaglenie
- You missed the deadline and fewer than 30 days remain
At LegalWin we have handled karta czasowego pobytu continuations since 2019. Average time from consultation to a properly filed wniosek is 28 days (14 days less than first-time filings). Free 30-minute diagnostic - we map your grounds and risks against the current realities of your voivodeship.
Book a continuation consultation →
This article is informational. Specific timelines and outcomes depend on your case. For individual situations, consult a qualified lawyer.
Related material:
- Karta pobytu 2026: step-by-step guide
- Karta pobytu has expired - what to do
- Speeding up karta pobytu via ponaglenie and WSA
- Service: karta czasowego pobytu - end-to-end handling
- Service: appeals and courts - after an odmowa