Long-term EU resident's permit

Applying

The Act on Foreigners provides for the obligation for a foreigner to submit an application for a long-term EU resident's residence permit in person – under pain of leaving the application unexamined.

This obligation must be fulfilled within a specified period – at the latest on the last day of the foreigner's legal stay on the territory of Poland. Failure to comply with this deadline results in the refusal to grant authorisation (if such proceedings are initiated).

The application completed at the MOS, after its printing and signing, is submitted together with attachments to the voivode competent for the place of stay of the foreigner after prior appointment to the department competent for foreigners in the voivodeship office or its delegation. When submitting the application, the foreigner is obliged toprovide fingerprints (this obligation does not apply to a minor under 6 years of age), show a valid travel document and attach the necessary documents (more information in the tab: "Documents").

In the case of a foreigner who is:

• a minor - an application for a permanent residence permit is submitted by parents or guardians appointed by the court or one of the parents or one of the guardians appointed by the court;

• a person completely incapacitated - the application for a permanent residence permit is submitted by a guardian appointed by the court;

• an unaccompanied minor - an application for a permanent residence permit is submitted by a curator.

When submitting an application for a permit to a foreigner who is a minor who has reached the age of 6 by the date of submitting the application, their presence is required.

If the application was submitted during the legal stay and did not contain formal deficiencies or they were completed on time, the voivode shall include a stamp in the foreigner's travel document, which confirms the submission of the application. The foreigner's stay is considered legal from the date of submission of the application until the date on which the decision on granting a residence permit for a long-term EU resident becomes final.

Remember!

• Departments competent in matters of foreigners in voivodeship offices have adopted a system of electronic appointments in order to submit an application. Be sure tocheck the rules for booking a visit to a givenoffice. The waiting time for an appointment may be extended, so do not take medication and book the visit well in advance.

• In a situation where it is not possible to make a visit during a legal stay in Poland (i.e. before the expiry date of your visa, permissible stay in visa-free travel or the validity date of your residence permit), you can send the application in paper form by post (the date of sending the parcel at the Poczta Polska S.A. outlet counts) or submit (in person or with the help of another person) at the office of the office. However, you will then be summoned to appear in person within the time limit set by the voivode. If you do not comply with the summons, the application will be left unexamined. Unless there are special circumstances of an urgent and exceptional nature (e.g. hospital stay) explaining the lack of appearance, its restoration will not be possible under Art. 58 of the Code of Civil Procedure.

Remember also!

• The stamp on the travel document does not entitle you to travel within the territory of other Schengen States. You can go to your country of origin or permanent residence, but to return you must have a title entitling you to enter (such as: residence card, visa) or meet the entry conditions in visa-free travel.