The absolute majority of foreigners visiting the country for employment, study, as refugees (in the light of current events), or for any other purpose, seek to stay in this country for a long time, or better - forever. They are attracted by such opportunities as free movement within the EU, access to the local labor market, enrollment in universities. These and many other advantages are a serious motivation for foreigners to consider staying in Poland for a longer period of time.
But for this purpose it is necessary to pass a certain way from the status of a mere visitor to the status of a Polish citizen. And if you imagine this path as a ladder leading upwards, then obtaining an EU long-term resident card will be a step exactly in the middle of this ladder.
The EU long-term resident card is a document that confirms a foreigner's right to permanent (indefinite) stay in Poland, drawn up according to the European rules.
Foreigners who do not have Polish roots must first obtain a temporary residence permit (Hourly Residence Card), then a Polish residence card or a permanent residence permit (Stalego Pobyt card) and then they can apply for Polish citizenship.
Few foreigners have proven Polish roots, and a residence card is an ideal alternative to obtaining a residence permit on the basis of Polish roots. This is why the EU Resident Card in Poland is such a sought-after and coveted document.
Have you been living in Poland for more than 5 years and would like to extend your legal stay in the country? If so, it will be useful for you to know how to obtain a residence card in Poland, what documents are required for its issuance and what advantages its issuance provides.
Rights and opportunities provided by the EU Resident Card:
- Staying in Poland without time limits.
- Crossing Polish borders an unlimited number of times without the need to open a visa.
- The right to stay in other EU countries for 90 days per half-year.
- Work in Poland without a work permit.
- Employment in other EU countries (subject to the internal regulations of these countries. For example, in many of them it is necessary to obtain an additional work permit).
- The right to use state medicine, receive free education, own real estate, obtain loans on favorable terms and other rights that Polish citizens have (except for the right to vote).
- After being a long-term resident of the EU for three years, a foreigner has the right to apply for Polish citizenship.
Find out if you have a chance to obtain permanent resident status.
Who can apply for an EU residence card?
Only visitors who have stayed in Poland continuously for more than five years can apply for an EU residence card in Poland. Continuous means that the foreigner has traveled outside the EU for no longer than ten months in total and no longer than six months per trip. If the foreigner has traveled from Poland to other EU member states, such trips may last no longer than eighteen months in total and no longer than 12 months per one trip.
Important point: foreigners who stayed in Poland for part of the time on the basis of study (at school or university), the period of study is counted for half. That is, if a student studied at a university for four years, only two years will be counted for the continuous period of his/her stay in Poland.
Another important point: in order to obtain an EU resident card, a foreigner needs to prove that he/she has been working for the last three years and has submitted all the required PIT-37 declarations.
Also, a frequent “sticking point” when applying for a residence card is a certificate of Polish language proficiency at a level not lower than B1. Such a certificate can be obtained by passing a state exam (which is very difficult to register for) or by having a diploma from a Polish university (when applying, it is equal to such a certificate).
The status of a long-term resident of the EU is granted to a foreigner for an unlimited period of time, but the plastic card itself must be changed every five years.
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