Centrum Legalizacji Pobytu i Pracy Cudzoziemców – English

• adult foreigner;
• parent of a minor foreigner – for that minor foreigner;
• guardian of a foreigner – for that foreigner;
• guardian of an unaccompanied minor foreigner – for this unaccompanied minor foreigner.

These people must have a trusted profile.

• go to mos.cudzoziemcy.gov.pl and read the information about the portal;
• go to the regulations to learn about the rules of using the portal and other important information;
• click “Log in”;
• the website will redirect you to login.gov.pl;
• confirm your identity using your chosen authentication method;
• after confirming your identity, you will be redirected to MOS to complete the registration form for a new account;
• complete the registration form;
• click “Confirm”;
• an email with a link to activate your account will be sent to the email address provided in the registration form;
• follow the instructions in the email and click on the link; it will redirect you to confirm your account registration with MOS;
• After creating an account, log in to MOS each time via login.gov.pl by clicking “Log in”.

Never give anyone your login.gov.pl login information. This may affect the security of your data!

The representative may, however, participate in the process of filling out the application in such a way that the application is filled out by the foreigner in his presence.

Never give anyone your login.gov.pl login information. This may affect the security of your data!

If you do not want the office to continue considering your application, you can submit a request to discontinue the proceedings.

The application must be completed, signed and submitted to the office.

You can do this:

• post,
• in person at the registration point of the Department of Foreigners’ Affairs,
• electronically via e-Delivery, if such a form is available.

After submitting such an application, the office may terminate the proceedings without issuing a substantive decision on the stay.

The decision to grant a temporary residence permit legalizes the foreigner’s stay on the territory of Poland, but the decision itself is not a document authorizing the crossing of the border.

This means that based on the decision itself, you can legally stay in Poland, but you cannot travel freely within the Schengen area or cross borders as you would with a residence card.

With this decision, you can leave Poland directly for your country of permanent residence. However, transit, for example, from Poland through Germany to your country of permanent residence, is not possible.

Only a residence card together with a valid passport authorizes you to cross borders.

If you have received a negative decision and you do not agree with its content, you can file an appeal.

You have 14 days from the date the decision is delivered to file an appeal . This deadline is crucial—if the appeal is filed after the deadline, the case may not be reviewed.

The appeal must be signed by you or your appointed representative.

You can appeal:

• send via Poczta Polska – then the date of posting the letter at the post office is taken into account,
• submit in person at the registration point of the Department of Foreigners’ Affairs,
• send electronically via ePUAP or e-Doręczenia, if this form is available in your case.

Along with the appeal, you can send any missing documents or documents that may be important for a positive decision on your case.

If all deficiencies are corrected, the appeal is justified, filed on time, and contains no formal defects, the office may issue a new decision. However, if the matter requires further clarification or the documents are incomplete, the appeal will be forwarded to the second instance authority – the Head of the Office for Foreigners in Warsaw.

If you do not file an appeal within the deadline, the decision will become final.

In such a situation, if you do not have another document entitling you to legal stay in Poland and you are not covered by special protection under the regulations, you may be obliged to leave the territory of Poland.

As a rule, the deadline for leaving Poland is 30 days from the date on which the decision becomes final .

Not all residence cards are the same. Which residence card is right for you depends primarily on the basis of your stay in Poland.

A different procedure is required for residence based on work, residence with family, studies, running a business, Polish origin or long-term residence in Poland.

Therefore, before submitting an application, it is important to carefully analyze the foreigner’s situation and choose the appropriate basis for residence. The correct choice will impact the type of documents required, the procedure, and the likelihood of obtaining a positive decision.

Most often, such an application is submitted as a temporary residence permit due to other circumstances . This applies to situations where a foreigner wishes to stay in Poland for longer than three months and is in an informal relationship with a Polish citizen or with a foreigner who has legal residence in Poland. However, the relationship must be well documented and the reason for your stay in Poland must be demonstrated. This is not automatic—the office assesses the entire situation and the evidence.

If your residence card is linked to a specific employer, when changing jobs you should check the conditions indicated in the decision granting the residence permit.