Permanent residence

Immigration law

Permanent Resident Card

A permanent residence permit for a foreign national is granted for an indefinite period and entitles the holder to work legally in Poland without having to obtain a work permit, as well as the right to be self-employed and to register a sole proprietorship. A permanent residence card also entitles the holder to stay in other Schengen countries for a total of 90 days within a six-month period, calculated from the date of first entry.

A permanent residence permit allows you to obtain Polish citizenship in a short period of time.

How long is a permanent residence card valid?

A permanent residence card is valid for 10 years, and after this period expires, a foreign national has the right to replace it with a new one. A residence card in Poland is a document confirming a foreign national’s identity and is crucial in verifying the legality of their stay in Poland. Together with a valid passport, a Polish residence card entitles a foreign national to reside in Poland and allows them to freely cross the Polish border, as well as travel to other Schengen Area countries, including Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Spain.

If a foreign national’s residence card is damaged, lost, or the information on it changes, the foreign national is required to submit an application for a new residence card within 14 days of the occurrence.

Costs of Issuing a Permanent Resident Card

In July 2022, the administrative fees associated with issuing residence cards were increased. The fee for issuing or replacing a residence card is 100 zlotys. If a foreign national is at fault for the loss or destruction of the card, the fee is higher, at 200 zlotys. A subsequent loss or destruction due to the foreign national’s fault incurs a fee of 300 zlotys.

It is important to note that a permanent residence permit may be revoked if the conditions specified by law are met. In such a case, the foreign national’s stay in Poland is no longer legal, and he or she faces deportation.

A foreign national may be granted a permanent residence permit if one of the conditions set forth in the Act on Foreigners applies to that person.

When can a foreign national apply for a permanent residence permit?

Under the provisions of this Act, a foreign national may apply for a permanent residence permit if:

  1. is the child of a foreign national who has been granted a permanent residence permit or an EU long-term resident permit and is under that person’s parental authority,
  2. is the child of a Polish citizen who is under that citizen’s parental authority,
  3. is a person of Polish descent (or holds a valid Polish Card) and intends to settle permanently in the Republic of Poland, 
  4. is in a marriage recognized under the laws of the Republic of Poland with a Polish citizen and has been in that marriage for at least 3 years prior to the date on which he or she filed an application for a permanent residence permit, and, immediately prior to submitting that application, resided continuously in the territory of the Republic of Poland for a period of not less than 2 years on the basis of a temporary residence permit granted in connection with being married to that Polish citizen or in connection with being grantedrefugee status, subsidiary protection, or permission to stay on humanitarian grounds,
  5. is a victim of human trafficking within the meaning of Article 115, § 22 of the Criminal Code and resided in the territory of the Republic of Poland for a period of not less than one year immediately prior to filing the application, based on a temporary residence permit for victims of human trafficking, has cooperated with law enforcement authorities in criminal proceedings and has well-founded fears of returning to their country of origin;
  6. immediately prior to submitting his application for a permanent residence permit, he resided continuously in the territory of the Republic of Poland for a period of not less than 5 years in connection with being granted refugee status, the granting of subsidiary protection or on the basis of a residence permit granted on humanitarian grounds, or 10 years on the basis of a permit for tolerated stay, or 4 years on the basis of a temporary residence permit and employment in a profession in demand by the Polish economy, provided that he has a stable and regular source of income sufficient to cover the living expenses of himself and his dependent family members,
  7. He was granted asylum in the Republic of Poland.

A foreign national’s stay in the territory of the Republic of Poland, which serves as the basis for granting him or her a permanent residence permit, is considered uninterrupted, provided that no single interruption lasted longer than 6 months and the total duration of all interruptions did not exceed 10 months during the periods serving as the basis for granting the foreign national a permanent residence permit, unless the interruption was caused by:

  1. a foreign national performing professional duties or working outside the territory of the Republic of Poland under a contract concluded with an employer whose registered office is located within the territory of the Republic of Poland, or
  2. the foreign national referred to in point 1 is accompanied by his or her spouse or minor child, or
  3. a specific personal circumstance requiring the foreign national’s presence outside the territory of the Republic of Poland, which lasted no longer than 6 months, or
  4. traveling outside the territory of the Republic of Poland for the purpose of completing an internship or participating in classes required as part of a degree program at a Polish university.

A foreign national’s permanent residence permit is revoked if:

  1. are required for reasons of national defense or national security, or to protect public safety and order,
  2. it is in the interest of the Republic of Poland, 
  3. in the proceedings concerning the granting of that permit, he submitted an application containing false information or documents, gave false testimony or concealed the truth, or forged or altered a document,
  4.  has been convicted by a final judgment in Poland of a crime punishable by at least 3 years of imprisonment,
  5. left the territory of the Republic of Poland for a period exceeding 6 years,
  6. A permanent residence permit may be revoked if a foreign national has divorced within 2 years of the date on which the permanent residence permit was granted, and the marriage was the basis for obtaining that permit.