The EU long-term resident card in Poland: requirements, Polish B1 and the fee
Published 29 October 2026
You get the EU long-term resident's permit after 5 years of legal, uninterrupted stay in Poland, with a stable income, health insurance and proven Polish at B1 or above. The permit has no end date; the card that shows it is valid for 5 years. The stamp duty is 640 zł and the voivode has 6 months to decide.
In short
- 5 years of legal, uninterrupted stay: no break longer than 6 months, all of them together no more than 10.
- Income above the social-assistance threshold over the last 3 years, health insurance, a right to your home.
- Polish at B1 or above: a certificate from the minister's list (the state one or telc), a Polish school certificate or a degree taught in Polish.
What are the conditions?
| Condition | What exactly | Provision |
|---|---|---|
| Stay | 5 years legally and without interruption, immediately before applying | art. 211(1) |
| Income | stable and regular, above the social-assistance threshold — for you and each dependant, over the last 3 years (with an EU Blue Card, 2) | art. 211(1)(1), (2) |
| Insurance | NFZ health insurance or a policy covering treatment in Poland | art. 211(1)(2) |
| Polish | B1 or above: a certificate from the list, a school certificate or a degree taught in Polish | art. 211(1)(3), (3) |
| Home | a legal title to where you live; a loan of a flat counts only from close family | art. 219(2), (3) |
How are the five years counted?
A stay is uninterrupted if no break lasted more than 6 months and all of them together stayed within 10 months over five years. The limit does not cover, among others, work trips for a Polish employer or placements during Polish university studies. A stay on a studies permit counts by half. Not counted at all are, among others, a posted worker's stay, some Schengen-visa stays and local border traffic (art. 212).
On the day you apply you may not be in Poland on a basis that closes this route: studies, a pending international-protection case, humanitarian or tolerated stay (art. 213). The voivode then does not open the case.
What Polish, and which document?
The act requires proven Polish at B1 or above. A certificate from the list in the minister's regulation — the state one or telc — will do, as will a certificate from a school in Poland taught in Polish or a degree from Poland taught in Polish. Children under 16 need nothing. Which certificate to take is settled on Polish for a residence card; what replaces the exam in a certificate without the exam.
How do you apply?
- You file the form in person with the voivode for where you live, by the last day of your legal stay (art. 202, 223).
- You add a photo, a valid passport, your title to your home and papers for income, insurance and Polish; the office takes fingerprints (art. 219).
- You pay 640 zł in stamp duty.
- The voivode decides within 6 months of a complete application; an appeal goes to the Head of the Office for Foreigners, who has 90 days (art. 210).
What comes after the decision?
The permit has no end date; the residence card runs 5 years and the next one is a replacement, not a new case. The permit can be withdrawn after more than 6 years away from Poland or 12 months in a row outside the EU (art. 215). It lapses the day you become a Polish citizen. The resident card leads on to citizenship after further years — see citizenship: requirements.
The law as of 29 October 2026. Confirm the form and the list of papers with the voivodeship office where you apply.