It came to my attention, that in some Voivodeship Offices (Urząd Wojewódzki) you may get some wrong and/or outdated information about requirements needed to be granted
Polish law regarding foreigners (codified be Act of 12 December 2013 on Foreigners) changes constantly and unfortunately for you, clerks from Voivodeship Offices oftentimes don’t possess up-to-date knowledge about current provisions. That results in many misconceptions and if your case isn’t taken care of by a professional lawyer, you may not be aware that you meet requirements for a permanent stay!
One of such misconceptions are matters of language certificate and required residence period in Poland to be granted a permanent residence:
1. Polish language certificate
Let me get that clear: you don’t need a language certificate to qualify for
So why are there misinformations that you need this certificate? Well, you may need it if you want to be granted Polish citizenship or long-term EU residence.
2. Residence period
Before 12.02.2018 one of the possible options of getting a permanent residence was a 10 years tolerated residence period.
After 12.02.2018, because of changes in Polish law, you have a few options (you need to fulfill only one of these requirements):
- 5 years of residence with either refugee status, subsidiary protection or consent for stay issued due to humanitarian reasons,
- 10 years of tolerated residence period,
- 4 years of residence with temporary residence and work permit obtained for the purpose of performing
job in one of the desirable professiongroup . The list ofthis professions is not yet ready, but it might be expected to be similar to the professions described in Ministry’s list concerning jobs that qualify for a simplified procedure for
- Industry and production engineers
- Concrete technology engineers
- Glass technology engineers
- Electrical engineers
- Specialist doctors (with
2nd degree specialization or specialist title) - Nurses without specialization or during
specialization - Nurses with the title of specialist
- Computer systems analysts
- Specialists in IT systems development
- Designers of network and multimedia applications
- Application developers
- Computer systems analysts and programmers not elsewhere classified
- Database designers and administrators
- Computer systems administrators
- Specialists in computer networks
- Database and computer network specialists not elsewhere classified
- Construction technicians
- Electricians technicians
- Electronics and related technicians
- Assistant for people with disabilities
- Elderly carer
- Carer in a nursing home
- Bricklayers and related professions
- Concrete mixers, armed-concrete mixers
and related professions - Carpenters and carpenters
- Road construction workers
- Roofers
- Flooring, parquet
and tiling - Plasterers and related professionals
- Isolation fitters
- Construction and related painters
- Welders and related workers
- Locksmiths and related people
- Construction and related electricians
- Bus driver
- Truck drivers
- Operators of earthmoving equipment and related equipment
- Drivers and operators of lifting and transporting machinery and equipment
Would you like to know more? Do you want to get a permenent residence?
Feel free to contact us and take advantage of our services.
Hello,
Thanks for your article. I could not find any information on official websites about new conditions of permanent residence card through the 3rd option “4years of residence with temporary residence and work permit”. As far as I know this option is for long term EU residence permit not the permanent residence card.
Thank you in advance for your clarification.
Hello,
you’re welcome! The option of 4 years of residence with temporary residence and work (in one of the specified professions) permit is definitely for permanent residence permit – not long-term EU residence. For long-term EU residence you need 5 years of residence. There is no option of 4 year residence for EU long-term residence.
Hello Piotr,
I can not find this information on any official website. Do you think it would be ok if I apply my PR on the basis of this information ? I have been living for 5.5 years. I was student for 1.5 years and i am working from 3 years .
Permanent residence permit doesn’t require a language skill, but you have to meet one of the other listed requirements. The most common is being married to Polish citizen or having Polish origin.
Otherwise, you may qualify for long term EU residence permit if you pass Polish language exam on B1 level and have legal stay in Poland for 5 years.
You can find lists of requirements for permanent residence and long term EU residence permit in the article below:
https://kancelariakamler.pl/en/permanent-residence-vs-long-term-eu-residence-an-up-to-date-list-of-requirements-comparison-and-recent-changes/
Hi…
I applied for temporary resident card and my case was rejected and I appeal against it how long should I wait to get answer?
Hello,
they should resolve your appeal in 30 days – given that you have succeed to appal in time (you have 14 days from the day you got the decision) and your appeal has no deficiencies.
Hi Piotr , thank you for such a wonderful information . May I ask you the difference btw permanent residence & long term EU residence ? How are they renewed ?
Hello Shruthi,
you don’t renew any of them – if you have one of them, then you may stay in Poland indefinitely. You only need to get fresh card every 5/10 years.
As for the differences, you may find them here:
https://kancelariakamler.pl/en/permanent-residence-vs-long-term-eu-residence-an-up-to-date-list-of-requirements-comparison-and-recent-changes/
https://kancelariakamler.pl/en/8-practical-differences-between-permanent-residence-and-long-term-eu-residence/
Hi Piotr,
“4 years of residence with temporary residence and work permit obtained for the purpose of performing job in one of the desirable profession group”
I wanted to ask you, that is this point valid before the official list is published by the ministry. Can we apply for permanent residecncy based on this point today ?
Thanks
Amit
Hello Amit,
unfortunately, until there will be a certified list, this option is on hold. When it will happen, I will definitely write about it on this blog.
So stay tuned!
What is the difference between permanent residence permit and EU Long term residence?
The difference is mainly in the list of requirements for each of them. You have similar rights with permanent residence and EU long term residence.
I will post an article with a comparison sonn, so stay tuned! 😉
What about being married to a Polish citizen? Does that fall under #1?
That’s a whole different category 🙂
You can get permanent residency, if you have been married to a Polish citizen for at least 3 years AND have stayed in Poland without long interruptions for at least 2 years with temporary residence permit based on marriage with a Polish citizen or based on obtaining refugee status, subsidiary protection or consent for stay issued due to humanitarian reasons.
Piotr,
I am a UK citizen, and have been here for more than 10 years. The Polish Government has made a very good (I think) offer to UK citizens in the case of Brexit. What would be the advantages of going for residency as opposed to the Brexit offer?
Hello Robin,
it’s a bit too much for an answer in a single comment. Generally speaking, the residence dedicated to UK citizens is better then “regular” residence. Just remember that, in order to take advantage of it, you need to have a legal residence in Poland on the day of Brexit – preferably with registered stay for EU citizens or any other permit.
Hi Piotr,
Thanks for sharing this Article. However I have also heard that to apply for Permanent Residence Card in Poland. We mainly have to fulfill two conditions..
1. Min 5 Years of Stay in Poland based on Blue Card or Temporary residence card
2. B1 level Polish Language Certificate
I fulfill the 1st criteria as I have been working in Poland from past 6 years but not the 2nd one as I don’t know B1 Level of Polish.
Do you think I can still apply for Permanent Residence card in Poland without having B1 level certificate? Currently I am in Poland based on my blue card.
Thanks and Regards,
Apurve
Hello Apurve,
what you describe in point 1 na 2 is not Permanent Residence Card requirements. These are requirements for Long Term EU Residence.
You don’t need any language skills for Permanent Residence. Still in most cases it is much more difficult to get PR. The easiest one is to marry a Polish citrizen or have Karta Polaka (Polish descendent card).
Hello Piotr,
Thanks for sharing with us all this helpful articles.
I have a non-Eu passport and I already have long-term Eu residence card (I have it from Poland)
I would like to know:
1- what are the documents required to renew my long-term Eu residence card ?
2-Do I need to be all the time working and living in Poland ? (I am thinking to go to Africa for a discovery trip and it may take more than 1 year).
3- I have certificate from University of Lodz that I have completed 1 year intensive course of Polish language (5 days per week and between 5 and 8 hours courses per day ). Is such certificate can be considered as proof of speaking Polish language ? (In case I apply for Polish citizenship)
Link of the course : http://sjpdc.uni.lodz.pl/?q=node/21&language=pl
Best regards
You can find the detailed list of requirements here: https://kancelariakamler.pl/en/permanent-residence-vs-long-term-eu-residence-an-up-to-date-list-of-requirements-comparison-and-recent-changes/
You don’t need to be all the time in Poland. During required 5-years period of stay, you can leave Poland for travels no longer then 6 months and all stays outside Poland cannot exceed 10 months.
Unfortunately, language courses does not provide you with a benefit of being able to skip language exam.
Hi Piotr,
“4 years of residence with temporary residence and work permit obtained for the purpose of performing job in one of the desirable profession group”
Is this point valid today ?
Thanks
Hello sir, i read your all blogs, all are very informative. I have one question about PR, my wife is polish. On marriage base can i submit my PR after 2. 5 years of marriage. I know normally after 3 year of marriage you can submit. I just want to put before because of pandemic immigration taking long time, is it good to submit paper PR before exactly 3 year of marriage.?Just want to save time.
Unfortunately, you have to apply only once you meet the requirement. If you do this again, you will receive a refusal.
Hi. As a graduate of a Polish University, does the 4 years still count since there is no requirement for a work permit?
I understand you are referring to permanent residence for specific professions (like IT workers etc.) staying for 4 years in Poland?
Unfortunately, the list of professions that may allow you to apply for permanent residence after 4 years is not yet published by Polish Ministry and nobody knows when it will happen. As long as there is no official list, it is not legally possible to apply for it.
So we can’t apply using the following basis until the list of jobs gets announced, correct?
4 years of residence with temporary residence and work permit obtained for the purpose of performing job in one of the desirable profession group. The list of this professions is not yet ready, but it might be expected to be similar to the professions described in Ministry’s list concerning jobs that qualify for a simplified procedure for work permit:
That is correct, until there is a list of professions published, it is not possible to permanent residence permit based on that.
Hi Piotr,
Thank you very much for sharing such a wonderful information. I really appreciate it. After reading questions and answers here, I atleast understand that, Getting PR is not an easy task with 4 years stay.
Hence, I would like to ask 2 questions, please could you share information on it? if possible for you.
1.) If I complete any vocational course of 1 year in Polish language (for an example Florysta z certyfikatem aranżacji ślubnych), then is this certificate valid to apply for EU LTR?
2.) Do you offer your service in Warsaw for EU LTR?
Additional information:
09/2018 – Entered in Poland as a Student
02/2019 – Joined a Multinational Bank
07/2020 – I have completed Master (in English) in Poland.
No Gap in Work since Feb, 2019, Changed 3 companies, all are multinational banks.
I am looking forward to hearing from you.
Thank and Bless you,
Kind Regards,
Brijesh
Good afternoon,
1. if you graduate from a school that is on Polish Ministry of Education list, then the language requirement should be met;
2. I offer services for the whole country.
If you would like to receive legal assistance, please contact me via email: biuro@kancelariakamler.pl