Specifics of obtaining a residence permit in Poland

There are a lot of reasons forcing the population of post-Soviet countries to immigrate to the European Union. But this process has many nuances, and they are different for each state. The easiest way to get to the countries of Eastern Europe, in particular, to Poland. Obtaining a residence permit in it opens the borders of the Schengen Zone, and also gives hope for a possible acquisition of citizenship in the future. However, this is in the future, and at the initial stage, you should thoroughly prepare in order to obtain a residence permit or permanent residence.

What is the difference between these two statuses?

A residence permit is a temporary residence permit, and permanent residence is a permanent one. The difference between them lies in the length of stay of a foreign citizen in Poland. Upon receipt of a temporary residence permit, the period during which a person can stay in the country and officially work here is no more than 3 years. The minimum stay with this document is 3 months.

A permanent residence permit in Poland is valid for 10 years. Having such a document and living in the country for the last 5 years, a foreigner can expect to receive the so-called blue card. This is another type of temporary permit, issued for 5 years, subject to the person's proven source of income over the past 3 years.

What gives obtaining a residence permit

Unlike many other EU countries, Poland is more loyal to immigrants. Therefore, it is quite simple to obtain a document confirming the status of a temporary residence permit here. Outwardly, it is a plastic biometric card and is required to verify the identity of a foreign citizen. In addition, it indicates the possible duration of a person's stay in the country. Having a residence permit, a foreigner can:

• acquire real estate in Poland;
• move freely within the Schengen Area;
• stay no more than 90 days per six months in any of the EU countries.

If you have the status of a residence permit, then you are more likely to be able to open a visa to visit the US or the UK. Applicants in Poland receive a significantly lower percentage of refusals than citizens of the CIS countries.

Who can get a temporary residence permit

In principle, there are no restrictions for you to be granted the status of a residence permit if you have:

• verified income;
• housing (own or rented);
• visa to stay in the country for more than 3 months.

Also, the basis for obtaining a temporary residence permit in Poland are:

• study at the full-time department of the university or at language courses (annual);
• having your own business or participating in entrepreneurial activities;
• long-term labor contract;
• marital relations with a citizen of the country.

Obtaining the status is possible for foreigners who decide to reunite with a family living in Poland, if its members have a permanent residence permit. In this case, you can be given the status of a residence permit for up to 3 years.

Victims of human trafficking cooperating with law enforcement agencies and priests serving at churches can also receive a temporary residence permit.

List of documents required for obtaining a residence permit in the Republic of Poland

Obtaining temporary residence status in different Voivodeships may have its own characteristics. However, the following documents are common to the whole country:

• a questionnaire to be filled out in two copies;
• 4 recent photos 3.5 x 4.5 cm in size (at the time of submission of documents, 6 months must not have passed since they were made);
• international passport;
• copies of all its pages in duplicate;
• a check for payment of PLN 440 (this is how much the fee for consideration of your case costs);
• medical insurance (if it is issued in one of the CIS countries, it must have a notarized copy translated into Polish);
• bank account statement (the amount on it must be sufficient for living in the country and is 800 PLN per family member).

In addition to these documents, the list may include:

• rental agreement or confirmation from the administrator of the hostel for students;
• registration (this address is subsequently indicated on the residence permit card.

It is mandatory to provide justification for obtaining a residence permit. This aspect is different for each case: from confirmation of enrollment to study to a copy of the Residence Card and marriage certificate.

How to get a residence permit in Poland on the basis of employment

This is the most difficult way to get status. By choosing it, in addition to the documents listed above, you will have to confirm the following points:

1. Official employment in the country. Moreover, the amount of wages must be indicated in the contract. An invitation from an employer or any version of an employment contract can become a document confirming employment.
2. If you were looking for a job through a recruitment agency, you must provide a contract for cooperation with it.

For foreigners who are graduates of Polish universities, employed on the basis of an invitation from the Voivodeship and have worked in one place for more than 3 months, it is not required to provide a labor market analysis.

All other citizens of other states are forced to provide this document or confirmation that there are no unemployed Poles willing for the position where you are going to find a job. Given that unemployment in the country is quite high, then obtaining such a paper will be very difficult. In addition, most employers do not want to draw up this document.

But even the papers listed above may not be enough to obtain a residence permit based on employment. Since in some Voivodeships a foreigner may additionally be required to:

• a certificate that you previously worked, which is issued by a former employer;
• a statement from the owner of the company in which you work that he agrees to extend the employment contract with you after the expiration of the visa for the period necessary to obtain a residence permit;
• a certificate confirming that you are registered with the tax authorities (ZUS) and that your employer is ready to pay all necessary taxes for you.

It is quite difficult to collect such a number of papers, therefore it is better to obtain the status of a residence permit by resorting to simpler methods.

How is a temporary residence permit issued?

Having collected all the documents necessary for obtaining the status, a person must submit them to the Department for Work with Foreigners, which is located in the Voivodeship Office. There is also a fee for processing your case.

The employee working with you, having studied all the documents provided, accepts them if they are filled out correctly and issues a certificate stating that they have entered work. This process usually takes no more than 2 months. Therefore, look when your visa expires and if there is little time left before its expiration, then perhaps it can be extended by putting a special stamp in your passport.

After submitting the documents, a letter will be sent to your registration address confirming the acceptance of your documents for work, indicating the contact details of the specialist dealing with this issue. If any papers are missing in the delivered package or they are filled out incorrectly, then you will be informed what and when you need to collect and bring to the department.

After considering your case, an invitation is sent to visit the Office and sign documents in case of a positive decision or leave the country within 30 days if the visa is expired.

The amount of the fee in case of refusal is returned to the applicant. But for this you need to write an application and submit it to the appropriate authorities. You can do this within the next 5 years.

If the decision is positive, the foreign citizen must again visit the department where the documents were submitted and perform the following actions:

• pay 50 PLN for the production of a plastic card;
• take fingerprints for biometrics;
• sign the decision.

These are the last steps that will separate you from receiving the Residence Card. After completing them within a month, you will be given a card in your hands, which will be the first step towards the possible acquisition of citizenship.