EU Long-Term Resident Status in Poland
EU long-term resident status (rezydent długoterminowy UE) is one of the most solid migration statuses: it grants the right to reside and work not only in Poland but in other EU countries as well. The main requirement is at least 5 years of continuous legal residence in Poland, stable income, and health insurance.
What you need to obtain the status
All documents in a foreign language must be submitted with a sworn translation into Polish. Data is current as of the official portals przybysz.duw.pl and gov.pl/web/udsc.
Conditions to obtain the status
- Continuous legal residence in Poland for at least 5 years
- Breaks in residence must not exceed 6 months per year and 10 months in total over the whole period
- Stable, regular income sufficient to support yourself and your family
- Valid health insurance
- Basic knowledge of Polish, confirming integration
Required documents
- International passport and a copy of the pages with your photo and visa/stamps
- Proof of continuous residence for the required period (residence cards for all years)
- Income certificate for the recent years and a certificate of no criminal record
- Proof of health insurance
- Completed application, filed in person no later than the last day of legal stay
- Stamp duty (opłata skarbowa) — 640 zł
- Residence card fee — 50–100 zł (depending on the filing date)
What EU long-term resident status gives you
- The right to reside and work in other EU countries under certain conditions
- Indefinite status in Poland (the residence card is renewed, the status remains)
- A simplified path to Polish citizenship later on
- Equal rights with EU citizens in most social and employment matters
After filing: fingerprints and collecting the card
- An in-person visit to the Wydział Spraw Obywatelskich i Cudzoziemców (pl. Powstańców Warszawy 1, Wrocław) to submit fingerprints
- If filed on time without formal deficiencies, your stay is considered legal until a decision is issued
- The finished residence card can only be collected in person, after an SMS/notification that it's ready
Since April 27, 2026, applications are filed only electronically via the new MOS portal (mos.cudzoziemcy.gov.pl). We verify the current requirements before every consultation, since procedures change periodically.
How long the review will roughly take
The timeline depends on the voivodeship, the type of status, and the office's workload. This is only an estimate — we'll confirm the exact timeline after reviewing your documents.
This estimate reflects average Urząd Wojewódzki timelines and is not a guarantee of the exact review period.
Acceleration and appeals
We also take on cases already filed — including those filed without us.
Process acceleration (Ponaglenie)
If the office exceeds the statutory review period, we file a complaint about inaction (ponaglenie) and push for a substantive response.
How it works →
- We review the case: filing date, system status, statutory review deadline.
- We prepare a ponaglenie — a complaint about the office's inaction — with legal grounds.
- We file the complaint and, if needed, duplicate it to the higher authority.
- We follow the case through to a substantive response or a new deadline.
Appealing a rejection
We analyze the reason for rejection and prepare an appeal to a higher authority or administrative court, respecting filing deadlines.
File an appeal →
- We study the decision and identify the reason for the rejection.
- We assess the case's chances and check the appeal filing deadline.
- We prepare an appeal to the higher authority or administrative court.
- We file the documents and follow the case through to a new decision.
Free consultation about your situation
Describe your purpose of stay — we'll select the right status, list the required documents, and quote a final turnkey price.