What it is
A temporary residence permit (zezwolenie na pobyt czasowy) lets you stay in Poland for a defined period tied to your purpose of stay — work, studies, family, business. The maximum length is 3 years (art. 98 of the Act on foreigners). The most common variant is the single permit for residence and work.
The deadline that decides your case
File no later than the last day of your legal stay (art. 105). If you file in time and the application has no formal defects, your stay remains legal until the decision becomes final (art. 108(1)) — you receive a stamp in your travel document confirming this.
Filing one day late is not a formality that can be repaired later. It means you are staying without a basis, and the application will normally not save you.
Fees
| What | Amount |
|---|---|
| Stamp duty — temporary residence permit (standard) | 340 PLN |
| Stamp duty — residence and work (single permit) | 440 PLN |
| Stamp duty — short-term stay requiring personal appearance before a Polish authority | 85 PLN |
| Issuing the residence card | 100 PLN |
The two payments go to different accounts. The stamp duty is paid to the municipality competent for the seat of the voivode handling your case; the account number is published by that voivodeship office.
Where applications are filed
Since the amendment of the Act on foreigners, applications for temporary residence are filed only electronically through the MOS system (art. 225a(1)). Paper applications received after the cut-off date are left without examination — what counts is the date the office receives it, not the date you posted it.
If the office goes silent
Delays at voivodeship offices are common. The formal route is a ponaglenie (a demand for action under art. 37 k.p.a.), and after that a complaint about inactivity to the administrative court. Note that a special provision introduced for the Ukrainian assistance act (art. 100d) affects the running of time limits in residence proceedings, and case law on its scope is divided — whether a complaint has a realistic chance depends on the current line of the court with jurisdiction over your case.
Refusal and appeal
An appeal against a refusal goes to the Head of the Office for Foreigners (Szef Urzędu do Spraw Cudzoziemców) within 14 days of service, submitted through the voivode. A complaint against a second-instance decision goes to the voivodeship administrative court within 30 days. Before that court, only an adwokat or radca prawny may act as your representative — we prepare the pleading, which you sign and file yourself.
Legal basis and sources: Act of 12 December 2013 on foreigners (Dz.U. 2013 poz. 1650, as amended); Act of 20 March 2025 on the conditions for entrusting work to foreigners (Dz.U. 2025 poz. 621); Code of Administrative Procedure (k.p.a.). Fees verified against the Office for Foreigners (Urząd do Spraw Cudzoziemców) and the MOS system. Legal status: 31 August 2026.
This page describes Polish procedure in general terms and is not individual legal advice. Dariusz Włodarczyk is a legal adviser running a Polish law office (kancelaria); he is not an adwokat or radca prawny — these are separately regulated Polish professions. Representation before administrative authorities (the voivode, the Head of the Office for Foreigners) is open to any authorised person under art. 33 § 1 k.p.a.
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