Residence permit in Poland – how to get a TRC in Poland?

Do you want to obtain a temporary residence permit in Poland? Get essential information about the entire procedure.

Learn about the types of permits, the necessary data for the application, and what you should know about the residence card. Our comprehensive article will answer these questions, dispel doubts, and guide you through the permit application process, which can be granted for a period of up to three years.

Whether you are planning to work, study, or simply want to be closer to your family, with us, you will understand the procedures and avoid mistakes.

What is a temporary residence permit in Poland, and for how long can it be issued?

A temporary residence permit in Poland is one of the residence titles that entitles a foreigner to stay in Poland.

Temporary residence permits are granted to foreigners if they meet the requirements specified for the declared purpose of their stay. The circumstances that form the basis for applying for a permit must justify their stay in the territory of Poland for a period longer than 3 months.

Temporary residence permits are granted for a period necessary to fulfill the foreigner’s purpose of staying in the territory of Poland. However, this period cannot exceed 3 years.

Types of temporary residence permits in Poland

Depending on the purpose of their stay in Poland, a foreigner may apply for the following types of temporary residence permits:

1. Unified permit for temporary residence and work in Poland
2. EU Blue Card – for professions requiring higher qualifications
3. Permit for delegation by a foreign employer
4. For the purpose of conducting business activities in Poland
5. For the purpose of studying at a university
6. For the purpose of conducting research – short-term and long-term mobility of researchers
7. For the purpose of undergoing an internship
8. For the purpose of volunteering
9. For family members of Polish citizens
10. For the purpose of family reunification
11. Due to circumstances requiring a short-term stay
12. For seasonal work
13. Due to other circumstances
14. For the purpose of carrying out work by a foreigner within the scope of intra-corporate transfer.

Who grants temporary residence permits in Poland?

Temporary residence permits are generally granted or denied by the relevant voivode based on the foreigner’s place of residence, through a decision.

A temporary residence permit can also be revoked by the voivode who granted it, through a decision.

The territorial jurisdiction of the voivode is flexible. What does this mean? In the event of a change in the place of residence during the proceedings, moving beyond the boundaries of one voivodeship, the jurisdiction of the voivode will also change.

Application for a temporary residence permit in Poland

A foreigner must personally submit an application for a temporary residence permit no later than on the last day of their legal stay in Poland.

When submitting the application, it is necessary to present a valid travel document. In exceptional cases, when a foreigner does not have a valid travel document and cannot obtain one, they may present another document confirming their identity.

The application for a temporary residence permit is submitted on the appropriate form, following these principles:

• The application must be completed legibly in the Polish language.
• The application must be filled out entirely in accordance with the factual situation.
• The application must indicate the actual place of residence where correspondence will be received.
• The section of the application concerning criminal record must include information about any convictions that have not been expunged.
• The application must be signed by hand and include the name and surname in the Latin alphabet.

The requirement of personal action

The essence of the action in the form of submitting an application for a temporary residence permit requires the personal involvement of the foreigner applying for it. This means that, as a rule, the application must be personally signed by them.

Exceptions to the requirement of personal action apply to:

• Minors
• Persons who have been declared completely incapacitated
• Unattended minors.

When applying for a temporary residence permit for a foreigner who is a minor and has reached the age of 6 by the date of the application, their presence is required.

Requirement of personal appearance

The requirement of personal action described above is also understood as the requirement of personal appearance. This means that the foreigner is obligated to appear in person at the office serving the voivode (local government office) under the penalty of leaving the application without consideration. An exception applies to individuals who are under 6 years of age.

The personal appearance is intended to:

1. Identify the foreigner,
2. Present a valid travel document,
3. Collect fingerprint impressions from the foreigner.

Temporary Residence Permit in Poland – Application Components

An application for a temporary residence permit by a foreigner is submitted on a form containing:

1. Information about the foreigner or the information specified in the regulations, to the extent necessary for issuing the permit.
2. Name, surname, date of birth, gender, citizenship, and place of residence of family members of the foreigner residing in the territory of the Republic of Poland, specifying the degree of relationship, as well as information about their application for a temporary residence permit and whether they are dependent on the foreigner.
3. Information about the foreigner’s previous stays and current stay in the territory of the Republic of Poland.
4. Information about the foreigner’s travels and stays abroad in the last 5 years.
5. Information about the financial means to cover the foreigner’s living expenses.
6. Information about the foreigner’s health insurance.
7. Information about the declared purpose of the foreigner’s stay in the territory of the Republic of Poland.
8. Information about the foreigner’s detention, placement in a guarded facility or detention center for foreigners, prohibition on leaving the country, serving a sentence of imprisonment, or temporary arrest.
9. Information about the foreigner’s obligations arising from court judgments, administrative decisions, including maintenance obligations, in the territory of the Republic of Poland or abroad.
10. Foreigner’s signature specimen.
11. A written statement, under penalty of criminal liability for making false statements, that the data contained in the application are true.

Fingerprinting

Fingerprints are collected from a foreigner applying for a temporary residence permit. If, for reasons dependent on the voivode, it is not possible to collect fingerprints from the foreigner on the day of their personal appearance, the voivode sets a deadline for their submission. This deadline cannot be shorter than 7 days. Failure to submit fingerprints will result in the refusal to initiate proceedings.

Attachments to the application

As mentioned above, when submitting an application for a temporary residence permit in Poland, a foreigner should present a valid travel document. Along with the application, the following should also be included:

1. Current photographs.
2. Documents necessary to confirm the data provided in the application and the circumstances justifying the application for a temporary residence permit.
3. Confirmation of payment of the administrative fee.

Documents attached to the application should be originals or copies certified as true copies of the originals. If these documents are in a language other than the official language of the country, they should be accompanied by a translation into the official language.

Fees and costs

To obtain a temporary residence permit in Poland, a foreigner must be prepared to incur certain costs:

Confirmation of application submission

If the deadline for submitting an application for granting a foreigner a temporary residence permit in Poland has been met, and the application does not contain formal deficiencies or the formal deficiencies have been rectified within the deadline:

• The voivode places a stamp impression in the foreigner’s travel document confirming the submission of the application for a temporary residence permit.
• The foreigner’s stay in Poland is considered legal from the day of submitting the application until the day when the decision regarding the granting of the temporary residence permit becomes final.

The information about the foreigner

Before issuing a decision to grant a temporary residence permit in Poland to a foreigner, the voivode may request information from:

• commander of the Border Guard unit,
• the provincial police commander,
• the Head of the Internal Security Agency,
• and if necessary, from the consul responsible for the foreigner’s last place of residence abroad or other authorities before issuing a decision to grant a temporary residence permit to a foreigner

for information on whether the entry of a foreigner into the territory of Poland and their stay on this territory may pose a threat to:

• national defense or
• state security or
• protection of public safety and order.

The commanders, the Head of the Internal Security Agency, or the consul shall provide the information within 30 days from the date of receiving the request. In particularly justified cases, the 30-day deadline may be extended to 60 days, with the authority obligated to provide the information notifying the voivode of the extension.

The exchange of information between the voivode and the authorities may take place using electronic communication means.

The decision regarding the granting of a temporary residence permit in Poland to a foreigner

According to the regulations, a decision regarding the granting of a temporary residence permit in Poland to a foreigner is to be issued within a 60-day period. In practice, this deadline is often not met, and the procedure can take several months, sometimes even up to a year or more.

This 60-day period starts running from the day of the last of the following events:

1. The foreigner has submitted an application for a temporary residence permit in Poland either in person or has appeared in person at the voivode’s office after submitting the application, unless the requirement for personal appearance does not apply to the foreigner.
2. The foreigner has submitted an application for a temporary residence permit in Poland that does not contain formal deficiencies, or such deficiencies have been rectified.
3. The foreigner has submitted the required documents or the deadline set by the voivode for their submission has expired without success.

The appeal procedure regarding the granting of a temporary residence permit in Poland to a foreigner is completed within a period of 90 days. If the appeal does not meet the requirements stipulated by the law, the specified period starts running from the date of rectifying the deficiencies.

According to the provisions of the law, a decision regarding the granting of a temporary residence permit in Poland to a foreigner should be issued within a 60-day period. However, in practice, it is exceptionally rare for the authorities to meet this deadline.

Refusal to initiate proceedings regarding the granting of a temporary residence permit in Poland

A temporary residence permit in Poland is refused to a foreigner, among other reasons, when:

• They do not meet the requirements for granting the permit due to the declared purpose of stay or circumstances that form the basis for applying for the permit, which do not justify their stay in Poland for a period longer than 3 months.
• They are subject to entry in the register of undesirable foreigners whose presence on the territory of Poland is unwanted.
• Their data is listed in the Schengen Information System for the purposes of entry and stay refusal.
• It is required for reasons of national defense or state security or for the protection of public safety and order or obligations arising from ratified international agreements binding on Poland.
• They have outstanding tax payments.
• They have not reimbursed the costs associated with issuing and enforcing a decision obliging the foreigner to return, which were covered from the state budget.
• They have submitted the application during an illegal stay in Poland or are currently residing in the country illegally.

The cessation of the reasons for granting a permit

A foreigner to whom a temporary residence permit has been granted shall notify the voivode who issued the permit within 15 business days of the cessation of the reason for granting the permit.

The revocation of a temporary residence permit in Poland

A temporary residence permit in Poland is revoked from a foreigner when:

1. The purpose of stay, which was the reason for granting the temporary residence permit, has ceased.
2. The foreigner no longer meets the requirements for the temporary residence permit due to the declared purpose of stay.
3. At least one of the circumstances that constitute the basis for refusing to initiate proceedings regarding the granting of a temporary residence permit has occurred.

The expiration of a temporary residence permit in Poland

A temporary residence permit in Poland expires by operation of law on the day the foreigner obtains:

1. Another temporary residence permit,
2. Permanent residence permit,
3. Long-term resident permit of the European Union,
4. Polish citizenship.

Residence Card (TRC)

The document that confirms the identity of a foreigner during their stay in Poland is a residence card.

The residence card is a residence document issued by the voivode (competent authority based on the foreigner’s place of residence) to foreigners who have been granted various permits in Poland, including:

• Temporary residence permits in Poland,
• Permanent residence permits in Poland,
• Long-term resident permits of the European Union.

During its validity period, the residence card confirms the foreigner’s identity and entitles them, along with their travel document, to multiple border crossings without the need for a visa.

The first residence card is issued ex officio.

The validity period of the card may vary depending on the type of permit granted to the foreigner, and it needs to be renewed or extended accordingly.

The residence card (TRC in Poland) is subject to exchange in situations such as:

• Change of data recorded in the existing residence card.
• Change in the facial appearance of the cardholder to an extent that hinders or prevents their identification.
• Loss of the card.
• Damage to the card.

Temporary Residence Permit FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Temporary Residence Permit in Poland