WHAT DOCUMENTS ARE REQUIRED FOR A WORK-BASED RESIDENCE CARD?
A work-based residence card is a document that identifies a foreigner and grants him/her a temporary residence permit in Poland based on the fact that he/she is officially employed by a Polish employer under an employment contract (umowa o praçe, umowa zlecenia).
A residence card on the basis of work in Poland gives you the right to stay and work legally in Poland for up to 3 years without the need to apply for a visa.
The main conditions for obtaining a residence card on the basis of employment are that the foreigner is officially employed and has a contract with the employer.
If both of these conditions are fulfilled, you can collect the necessary documents and contact us, Global documents solution company, to apply for a residence card.
Submission of a complete package of documents with all the correctly filled in papers is a guarantee that the waiting period for a residence card for you will be many times shorter. You will not have to denounce, correct, change documents, thus delaying the course of the case.
It is worth noting that the laws in force in Poland are the same, but each voivodship has its own nuances of legislation, which may be valid in one region and not in another. And this happens quite often. For example, in one voivodship when filling out an application (vniosek) it is allowed to leave some lines blank, while in another voivodship the inspectors will require that every line be filled in. Or in one voivodship they may require additional documents, such as a statement from your payroll card, while in another voivodship they may not.
IMPORTANT: Be sure to check that the information provided in all of the above documents is correct and logically fits together in each document. For example, the employment contract and the opinie starosty should contain the same position.
Very often foreigners are refused a residence card precisely because of such confusion in the documents. The contract states the position as “laborer”, the opinie starosty states “carpenter”, and the information about the company states that it is a confectionery shop.
Here’s the updated list of documents and details required for obtaining residency in Poland based on a work invitation:
- Identification document (passport or ID card) — original and copy to confirm your identity.
- Your full name — as stated on your identification document.
- Date of birth — as stated on your identification document.
- Hair color — information for describing your physical appearance (sometimes required).
- Eye color — information for describing your physical appearance.
- Height — often included in forms for full physical description.
- Photograph — passport-style photo (size 35x45 mm, on a light background, no headwear).
- Full names of your parents — might be required for filling out forms or profiles.
- Your signature — for official documents and applications.
- Fingerprints — providing fingerprints is mandatory for biometric identification. If requested to submit fingerprints yourself: apply ink or paint on your fingers, press them onto a white sheet of paper, and then take a clear photo or scan of the prints.
Additional documents for work-based residency:
- Work invitation — official letter or document from a Polish employer offering you a job, which is the basis for your residency application.
- Employment contract — a signed contract with the employer in Poland, detailing the terms of your employment.
- Proof of financial stability — bank statements or other documents confirming that you have sufficient financial resources to live in Poland.
- Proof of accommodation — lease agreement or other documentation showing where you will be staying in Poland.
- Health insurance — valid health insurance covering your stay in Poland.
This expanded list takes into account the specific requirements for obtaining a residency permit in Poland based on a work invitation.
IMPORTANT: If you are waiting for a residence permit, you will not be able to cross the borders of other European countries. You will need a visa or a residence card for this purpose.
APPLYING FOR A CARD ON THE BASIS OF EMPLOYMENT
The whole procedure from submitting documents to obtaining a card on the basis of employment is as follows:
- A complete and correct package of documents is submitted to the UZOND and its acceptance is registered.
- If you are present at the submission in person (submitting the papers not by post), you will receive a red stamp in your passport. The presence of such a stamp in your passport is evidence that you are waiting for a decision on your residence card and are therefore legally in Poland.
- Next, the inspector will make inquiries about the foreigner to the following state authorities: Polish Security Service, Police, Border Guard Service. They will check all your data, whether you are legally staying in Poland, whether you pay taxes regularly, whether your visa validity period on the date of submission has not been violated, whether you are not on various blacklists and so on.
- After receiving the answers from all the competent authorities, the inspector draws up a decision on granting you a residence permit (decizia), signs it at the head of the Uząd and sends it to you by letter.
- Until you receive the plastic card itself, you can officially stay in Poland, waiting for your decisión on the basis of the red stamp in your passport.
IMPORTANT: If you are waiting for a residence permit, you will not be able to cross the borders of other European countries. You will need a visa or a residence card for this purpose.
The process of obtaining a residence card
After receiving the positive decisión, you will also receive an invitation from the inspector for the fingerprinting procedure.
You will also have to pay a fee for the card plastic - 50 PLN.
Then you will be fingerprinted and handed a residence card. From this moment you will have a confirmed right to legally stay and work in Poland.
How long does it take to issue the card?
The legislation does not specify the exact period of time and formulates the duration of the processing of a residence card case as “up to 2 months, but in individual cases the period may be extended”. Of course, few people have received their card in 2 months.
But in order to understand approximately what the duration of the decisión depends on, we will list the main points that affect the course of the case.
- It is very important where your employer is located, and therefore where you will apply for a residence card.
For example, if it is a large city like Wroclaw, the processing time will automatically be longer, because there are many foreigners living in such a city. And each of them may apply for a residence card, creating an additional burden on the Uząd inspectors.
- Filing an incomplete or incorrectly filled out package of documents. You can, of course, correct something, and something to deliver. But this definitely stretches the term of consideration of your case.
- If everything is in order with your documents, you start to be checked by various law enforcement agencies in Poland. And from that moment on, the responsibility for the duration of the processing of your visa card case shifts from the inspector to the police, border guards, and the Polish security service.
Summarizing all of the above, you can understand that the submission of a complete package of documents with correctly filled out paperwork is the most important nuance that will definitely accelerate the decision on your residence permit.
We invite you to apply for a residence card together with experienced specialists of our company Global documents solution. We have been successfully cooperating with foreigners in Poland for 5 years! You will undoubtedly become one of our satisfied customers when you receive your long-awaited residence card.
COST OF OUR SERVICES
The total cost of our services for applying for a residence permit on the basis of employment depends on the documents you already have.
Write to our friendly manager and find out the price individually for your application for a residence permit on the basis of employment.
Filing together with Global documents solution: why us?
Our company is undoubtedly number 1 among companies helping foreigners with legalization. Our 5 years of experience and constantly growing ranks of satisfied clients speak for themselves. Reviews of foreigners who have already used our services can be found here..
- Cooperation with us is completely transparent: we conclude a bilingual contract with you for maximum comfort and give you receipts for all your payments.
- When signing the contract, we analyze your situation and propose the best possible solutions to all issues for your case. In fact, our service is additionally accompanied by a free legal consultation.
- Our experienced specialists will help you to fill out and prepare the maximum package of documents for the case from filing to receiving the plastic.
- We, as no one else, realize that busy working people simply do not have time to study the intricacies of Polish legislation on their own. That is why our company saves your precious time and nerves: you will have peace of mind because your documents are in the hands of reliable professionals.
Contact us to order support and management of your case under the residence card by writing in the contact box of our manager.
If you can not understand the documents and decide how to act in your current situation, then make an appointment with us for a free legal consultation!
We are grateful for your trust and for choosing our company!
