The vibrant and amazing country of Poland is nothing but welcoming and sociable when it comes to residents from other countries. The act of 195 – act on foreigners specifies cases where the permanent residency is granted. Permanent residency is granted for an indefinite period to the applicants. The country only provides two forms of permits for foreigners:

• Long – Term EU Residence
• Permanent Resident Permit

1.Eligibility to acquire the permit:

The permanent permit can be issued only to an applicant that fulfills the following criteria:

• Married to a Polish Resident, for atleast 3 years, and who before the application has uninterruptedly resided in the territory of Republic Poland.
• A minor child of the foreigner with a permit to settle
• An applicant who has resided in the country of Poland uninterruptedly for 10 years
• Is an offspring of a Polish Resident and remains under the parental authority

2. Required documents:

In order to obtain a Permanent Resident Permit the applicant needs to go to The Office of Voivodeship and carry a few documents listed below.

• 4 Copies of the application in compliance with the instructions
• Passport sized colored photographs – 4 nos
• Fulfillment of Tax liabilities certificate
• Valid passports upto 6 months of travel
• Confirmation of registration for temporary residency
• Place of stay/ Apartments and legal documents proving the same

3. Additionally, the candidate may require:

In case of being married to a Polish citizen:

• A copy of the marriage certificate
• identity card of the partner
• In case of joint children, copies of their birth certificates

In case of a minor being a foreigner’s child:

• Copy of birth certificate
• Copy of the residence card of the statutory representative or decision on granting the permit

In case of the child of Polish citizen under his/her parental authority:

• Copy of birth certificate
• Copy of personal identity card of the authority.

4. Where and when to submit an application

The applicants can submit the application in person, no later than the last day of legal residence in the country of Poland. While submitting the documents it is imperative for the applicant to submit fingerprints.

In case of an applicant being a minor, the application is issued by the parents/ guardians. While submitting for an applicant who is more than 6 years or age, his/her presence is compulsory

5. Refusal to grant a permanent residence permit:

Initiation of proceedings or grant to permanent residency is refused for the applicant who is:

• Residing in the territory of Poland, illegally
• His entry was issued into the country only for humanitarian reasons
• On the basis of a temporary residency permit involving circumstances for a short stay
• Is serving for crime or is detained temporarily
• Is detain in a guarded centre or has a prohibition to leave the country.
• Resides in Poland but is obliged to return after a stipulated period outside the country and hasn’t returned
• Resides outside the borders of the country of Poland

6. Document issued after obtaining the permit

An applicant who has obtained a permanent resident permit is issued with a permanent residence care. The document is to be collected personally. If the applicant who is to receive this residency card is under the age of 13, the document must be collected by the legal representative/ curator.

During the card’s validity, the resident card can be used as a proof for confirming identity of the applicant, during his/her stay in the country. The card can also be used to travel the schengen area without having to obtain a visa.

The first resident card issued by the government grants a stay of 10 years from the date of issue. A new card must be issued before the expiration date. In case of the card getting lost, it is imperative to get it replaced immediately.