Poland permanent residence and EU long-term resident status

The permanent residence permit does not always require a long prior stay, but it is limited to set groups: children of Polish citizens or of foreigners settled in Poland; people of Polish origin or Karta Polaka holders who intend to settle; spouses of Polish citizens married for at least 3 years who have lived in Poland continuously for 2 years on a spouse permit; refugees and subsidiary-protection holders after 5 years; tolerated-stay holders after 10 years; victims of trafficking; and some UK citizens.

You must have lived in Poland legally and continuously for at least 5 years immediately before the application, or 5 years in the EU with the last 2 in Poland on a Blue Card. Not all stays count: time as a student, on a study visa or vocational training counts only by half; ICT, posted work, seasonal-type short stays, temporary protection and refused asylum procedures are not counted.

Residence stays continuous if no single absence exceeded 6 months and all absences together did not exceed 10 months in the period; work abroad for a Polish employer and Erasmus-type study trips do not break continuity.

You need stable, regular income for the 3 years before applying (2 years under the Blue Card route): above PLN 1,010 a month for a single person or PLN 823 per family member for income since 1 January 2025. Health insurance is required, as is a current legal title to your home.

Applicants aged 16 or over must prove Polish at level B1 or higher with one of the documents listed in the law, such as an official certificate of proficiency; speaking Polish well is not enough without the document.

Both permits are applied for in MOS during a legal stay in Poland. Stamp duty is PLN 640 plus PLN 100 for the card. The EU long-term resident application should be decided within 6 months of a complete file. Applicants staying in Poland for study, vocational training, humanitarian or tolerated stay, asylum or temporary protection, or on an ICT permit cannot obtain EU long-term resident status on that basis.

Both permits give full access to the labour market without a work permit. EU long-term residents can later obtain residence for work or study in another EU state on simplified terms. Permanent residence cards are issued for 10 years and EU long-term resident cards for 5 years, renewed on request.

Refusals by the voivode can be appealed in writing to the Head of the Office for Foreigners within 14 days of delivery, through the voivode that decided. The appeal is not lodged in MOS, but the portal offers a form to help draft it. It should be decided within 90 days.