Extending your visa may seem to be a good way to extend your legal stay in Poland, but it is only possible in exceptional circumstances. Individuals who wish to remain in Poland for an extended period of time normally apply for a residence permit. Figure out how to do it.

Obtaining a visa is normally the first step in legalising your stay in Poland, but extending it can be challenging (read about prolonging your visa). As a result, when a visa's expiration date approaches, foreigners who want to remain in the country for more than three months apply for a temporary residency permit. The document allows them to remain in Poland for a maximum of three years (depending on specific circumstances) and can be renewed if appropriate. It also allows you to travel to other Schengen countries for tourism purposes for up to 90 days in a half-year period.

Find a reason.

Any foreigner who wishes to become a temporary resident of Poland must provide justification for their stay. There are several explanations to choose from, and it is critical to apply on the basis of the right one. The following are the most common grounds for application:

Starting or continuing to work in Poland;

• Working as a highly qualified employee (Blue Card);
• Working as a delegate for a foreign company;
• establishing a company in Poland;
• Pursuing higher education studies in Poland (along with preparatory language courses);
• Polish academic research;
• A Polish national or a foreigner's family member visiting relatives;
• Being a survivor of human trafficking;
• Wishing to reunite with an EU national family member;
  Being a minor child of a person residing in Poland on the basis of a national visa or a residency card, if the child was born during the validity time of the document;
• Being a minor child of a foreigner married to a Pole and having a temporary residency permit given for a Polish citizen family member;
• Other valid and well-documented reasons.

Who will be denied a temporary residence permit?

A number of factors also preclude Polish authorities from issuing a temporary residence card. You will not be issued a temporary residency card if you fall into one of these groups. Among the possible explanations are:

• Being a long-term or permanent resident of the EU;
• Staying in Poland under the auspices of a humanitarian Schengen visa;
• Already in Poland on the basis of a temporary residency card given under exigent circumstances necessitating a brief stay;
• Obtaining a tolerated stay, a permission to stay for humanitarian purposes, asylum, subsidiary or temporary protection, or refugee status;
• Already in the process of requesting refugee status or asylum;
• Being held in a secured facility, being detained, or being barred from leaving Polish territory;
• Being arrested or held in pre-trial detention;
• Being compelled to return and the date of voluntary return has not yet expired (even though the period has been extended);
• Having to leave Poland within 30 days of the applicable decision;
• Residing outside of Poland (this does not extend to those seeking a card to reunite a family);
• Failure to submit fingerprints.

Fill the form

To receive a residence card, you must file the required forms in person at the relevant Voivodeship Office. Different documents must be filed depending on the reasons for your submission, but some remain the same:

• 4 copies  of the application form for a temporary residency permit (download here)
• 3 copies of a valid travel document
• 4 copies of current colour images
• Individuals exercising parental control over a minor applying for a permit must have written consent.

Please keep in mind that, in addition to your temporary residency card, you can obtain other essential permits. To be more precise, if you apply with the intention of beginning work in Poland, you will be able to obtain both a temporary residency card and a work permit at the same time.

Do you already have a temporary residency permit?
Learn how to apply for a permanent residency visa! See the article for more information.
 

How much longer do I have to wait?

It should be noted that, due to the increasing number of applications, the entire process could take several months. Individuals denied the document may file an appeal with the Head of the Office for Foreigners in Warsaw within two weeks of the decision.

When you begin the process of applying for temporary residency, you will receive a stamp in your travel document indicating that you are permitted to remain in Poland before the final decision is made.

Fees

Fees must be weighed in the process. If an individual only applies for a temporary residence permit, the fee is PLN 340, which is entirely refundable if a negative decision is issued. The fee for obtaining a work permit in addition to a residence card is PLN 440. Once a positive decision is made, a PLN 50 fee is required to cover the costs of issuing a card.