Documents for a residence card in Poland (2026): what to attach in MOS
Updated 10.11.2026
Since 27 April 2026, residence card documents are attached to your application in MOS as files instead of being taken to the voivodeship office on paper. At the start you only need a JPG photo and a scan of all passport pages as one PDF, and for work or studies also an annex that your employer or university signs in MOS. For EU long-term residence you also need a housing document straight away, and for a CUKR card you need two payment confirmations instead of a passport. You pay the stamp duty on the day you apply, and the office will ask for the remaining documents by letter.
Sign up and start the questionnaire
Answer the questions in your own language, and EXPAT fills in the application in MOS and adjusts your photo and passport scan to MOS requirements.
Choose your basis
- I'm applying based on workZałącznik nr 1 from your employer, photo and passport
- I'm applying based on studiesZałącznik nr 5 from your university, photo and passport
- Family reunificationSpouse of a foreigner or of a Polish citizen
- Your own business (JDG, spółka)Photo, passport and payments, reports on request
- CUKR cardFor Ukrainian citizens with UKR status
- Permanent residence (pobyt stały)Karta Polaka, marriage, Polish origin
- EU long-term resident5 years in Poland, housing document at the start
- Card for a childA parent submits the application
What changed on 27 April 2026: files in MOS instead of paper
- Applications for temporary and permanent residence, EU long-term residence and the CUKR card are submitted only through MOS. The office will leave a paper application unexamined, including one sent by post.
- So "two copies", photocopies and "4 photos" are no longer needed: in MOS you attach files. A scan or a clear photo of the document will do, as long as everything is legible.
- The originals still matter: you show your passport at your appointment at the office, and the office may ask for other originals or certified copies by letter.
- A few rare cases are still handled on paper: for example, when the foreigner is still abroad and a relative in Poland applies for family reunification, as well as exchanging a card and changing a residence and work permit. These can be taken to the office or sent by post.
Basic list of residence card Poland documents for MOS
| Document | Format in MOS | When |
|---|---|---|
| Application (MOS form), signed with a trusted or qualified signature | filled in within MOS | at the start |
| Scan of all pages of a valid passport | one PDF file, up to 10 MB | at the start (not needed for CUKR) |
| Photo | one JPG file, 684×883 pixels, up to 2.5 MB | at the start |
| Annex from your employer (Załącznik nr 1) or university (Załącznik nr 5) | filled in and signed in MOS by the employer or university itself | at the start, without it MOS won't send the application |
| Housing document (EU long-term resident only) | PDF, up to 10 MB | at the start |
| Stamp duty confirmation (pay on the day you apply) | PDF from your bank or a scan of the receipt, up to 10 MB | CUKR: required at the start; work, studies, own business: MOS asks for it at the start, and a paper confirmation can be shown at the appointment; family, child, pobyt stały, EU long-term resident: can come later |
| Card fee confirmation (100 zł) | a separate PDF, up to 10 MB | work, studies, own business, CUKR: MOS asks for it at the start; for other bases it is not requested when you apply, and the office will tell you the deadline |
| Other documents for your basis (contract, certificates, civil records) | each document as a separate PDF, up to 10 MB, all files together up to 50 MB | at the start or when the office asks |
- The photo must be no older than 6 months on the day you apply, in colour, on a plain light background, with the face taking up 70 to 80% of the picture, no dark glasses and no head covering (exceptions: for health or religious reasons, with a statement). MOS accepts exactly 684×883 pixels.
- The passport goes in as one PDF, not a dozen pictures. Every other document is attached as a separate file, so don't merge your passport and payments into one PDF.
- Name files in Latin letters without Polish characters or symbols: paszport.pdf, oplata_440.pdf, oplata_100.pdf.
- A document you signed by hand can be scanned and attached. Only the application and the annex from your employer, university or internship organiser are signed electronically.
- An electronic payment confirmation from your bank is best. If you attached a photo of a paper stamp duty receipt, you show the receipt itself at the appointment. Two payments, two files.
- Don't attach extra documents: they don't speed up the decision.
Residence card photo: size and requirements. Residence card fees: amounts and how to attach the proof.
Don't gather documents at random
Answer the questionnaire in your own language, and EXPAT fills in the application in Polish in your MOS account. The dashboard prepares your photo and passport scan to MOS requirements itself. For individuals it's free.
Residence card documents for work
Basis: zezwolenie na pobyt czasowy i pracę.
At the start in MOS
- The application.
- The annex from your employer (Załącznik nr 1): your employer fills it in and signs it online through a link from MOS.
- A scan of all passport pages (PDF) and a photo (JPG).
- Pay the 440 zł stamp duty (340 zł if you are on the board of a spółka or a prokurent) and the 100 zł card fee before sending, and attach the confirmations: MOS asks for them. If the stamp duty confirmation isn't in MOS, you show the paper one at the appointment.
- The contract with your employer isn't required when you apply: you can attach it straight away or send it when the office asks.
For your appointment at the office
- Your original passport (without it the case will be discontinued).
- A paper stamp duty confirmation, if you didn't attach an electronic one.
When the office asks
- Świadectwo pracy from your previous employer, if you have already worked in Poland.
- Proof of health insurance, if you work under an umowa o dzieło.
- Qualification documents, if your profession is regulated.
- A power of attorney and proof of its payment, if a representative acts for you.
The terms in your employer's annex must match your contract and still be valid on the day of the decision.
Warn your employer: MOS will send them a link to Załącznik nr 1, it is valid for 30 days, and without the signed annex MOS won't let you send the application. Załącznik nr 1 is also required for a Blue Card. Załącznik nr 1 from your employer: what they fill in.
Residence card documents for studies
At the start in MOS
- The application and the annex from your university (Załącznik nr 5): the university fills it in and signs it online itself.
- Passport (PDF) and photo (JPG). Pay the 340 zł stamp duty and the 100 zł card fee before sending and attach the confirmations: MOS asks for them.
For your appointment at the office
- Your original passport and a paper stamp duty confirmation, if you didn't attach an electronic one.
When the office asks
- Health insurance: NFZ or a policy that covers treatment in Poland.
- Money for living costs and the journey home: housing costs (bills or your own statement of costs) and funds (a bank statement, credit card limit, scholarship, income certificate). Certificates of funds must be issued no earlier than one month before you apply.
- Proof of tuition payment, if you study on a paid basis.
Belarusian citizens don't submit housing cost documents. Courses, part-time studies and language schools fall under a different basis with its own list.
Residence card documents for family reunification
This applies if your spouse is already in Poland. If they are still abroad, a relative in Poland submits the application on paper.
Spouse of a foreigner with a permit in Poland
- At the start in MOS: the application, passport (PDF) and photo (JPG). The stamp duty and documents can be attached straight away or later.
- For the appointment: your original passport and the stamp duty confirmation, if you didn't attach it.
- When asked: a recent odpis aktu małżeństwa (marriage certificate, no older than 3 months on the day you apply), a copy of your spouse's permit decision, proof that the marriage is genuine (photos together from different times, a shared home, children's birth certificates), health insurance, income and housing. For a repeat permit you don't have to prove again how you met.
Spouse of a Polish citizen
- At the start in MOS: the application, passport (PDF) and photo (JPG). The stamp duty and documents can be attached straight away or later.
- When asked: odpis aktu małżeństwa, a copy of your spouse's dowód osobisty and proof that the marriage is genuine.
The office accepts foreign documents with a sworn translation into Polish.
Documents for your own business (JDG, spółka)
- At the start in MOS: the application, passport (PDF) and photo (JPG). Pay the 340 zł stamp duty and the 100 zł card fee before sending and attach the confirmations: MOS asks for them.
- When asked, if you have a JDG: health insurance (a ZUS certificate of insurance and no arrears, or a private policy), income for the last 6 months by month (KPiR or other accounting records, ZUS DRA), housing, PIT-36 or PIT-28 for last year, and ZUS and tax office certificates of no arrears.
- When asked, if you have a spółka: the resolution appointing you to the board, dividend resolutions, an employment contract or management contract, PIT for last year, CIT-8, and ZUS and tax office certificates.
- If last year's income is below the required level: show that for at least 12 months before applying the company employed two people on permanent full-time contracts, or provide a business plan, investments and a statement from the company account.
If you are on the board of your own sp. z o.o. or S.A. (you founded it or bought a share), a komplementariusz or a prokurent, MOS will ask for Załącznik nr 1 from the company, and without it you can't send the application.
CUKR card documents for Ukrainian citizens
- Only four things at the start in MOS: the application, a photo (JPG), the 100 zł card fee confirmation and the 340 zł stamp duty confirmation. No passport scan is needed.
- Both payments are made before you apply: without either of them you won't get the card.
- There are no fingerprints and no passport check, and additional documents are usually not requested. If your data in PESEL or the UKR register is incomplete, MOS won't let you apply: correct it at the gmina office first.
Documents for permanent residence (pobyt stały)
- At the start in MOS: the application, passport (PDF) and photo (JPG). The stamp duty and other documents can be attached straight away or later.
- For the appointment: your original passport, the stamp duty confirmation if you didn't attach it, and the originals of the documents you attached as scans.
- What the office asks for next depends on your basis: Karta Polaka, marriage to a Polish citizen, a child, Polish origin. With a Karta Polaka there is no stamp duty.
- You can only apply while you are in Poland.
Documents for EU long-term residence (rezydent długoterminowy UE)
- At the start in MOS: the application, passport (PDF), photo (JPG) and a scan of your housing document. This is the only basis where housing is needed at the start.
- For the appointment: your original passport and the original housing document (without them the case will be discontinued), and the stamp duty confirmation if you didn't attach it.
- When asked: proof of 5 years of legal stay, health insurance, income and Polish at B1 level, shown by a document from a closed list. A szkoła policealna certificate no longer counts.
Which documents a child needs for a residence card
A parent or guardian submits the child's application from their own MOS account. If the child is still abroad, a parent in Poland submits the application on paper.
- At the start in MOS: the application, a scan of all pages of the child's passport (PDF) and the child's photo (JPG), under the same rules as for adults. The stamp duty and documents can be attached later.
The child was born in Poland
- Odpis aktu urodzenia (birth certificate, no older than 3 months on the day you apply), a copy of the parent's visa or permit decision that was valid when the child was born, health insurance, income and housing.
The child is already in Poland, a parent has a permit
- Akt urodzenia or an adoption decision; if the parents are married, akt małżeństwa and a statement about the marriage; if the child lives with one parent or a stepparent, documents on parental rights and maintenance; a copy of the permit decision of the parent the child is joining; health insurance, income and housing.
The CUKR card for a child is covered in the CUKR section above.
What can be attached later, when the office asks
- Scans of documents you already have are best attached in MOS straight away: that means less back and forth with the office. Take the originals to your appointment, the office may ask to see them.
- Documents for your basis can be attached in MOS straight away, or you can wait for a letter from the voivode. Exceptions: the annex from your employer or university and, for EU long-term residence, the housing document are attached at the start.
- The deadline in the letter is at least 14 days. You deliver the documents by the deadline and in the way the office states in the letter.
- If you sent scans, the office may ask for originals or certified copies. For documents sent later, some offices accept paper, while others accept them only electronically via e-Doręczenia, as a copy certified by a notary or by an advocate or legal adviser (radca prawny) who represents you. The letter from the office says how.
- Documents in a foreign language are accepted with a sworn translation into Polish.
- Documents must be up to date on the day of the decision.
- If you don't send the documents in time, the office will decide the case on what it has and may refuse. If you don't fix formal defects in the application, it will be left unexamined. Didn't pay the stamp duty? The office will give you 7 to 14 days, and then the application will be returned.
- MOS itself won't write to you about documents. The office will.
A letter from the office: what to do.
What to bring to your fingerprint appointment
- The office will invite you to the appointment by letter, no earlier than 7 days after the letter. You don't need to book in MOS.
- Bring your original passport and a paper stamp duty confirmation, if you didn't attach an electronic one. For EU long-term residence you also need the original housing document, and for pobyt stały the originals of the documents you attached as scans.
- Each office runs the appointment its own way. For example, in Wrocław the office asks you to print the application with all attachments and the UPO from MOS, while in Warsaw paper documents are not accepted at the appointment. The letter from the office says what to bring.
- For the CUKR card there is no fingerprint appointment.
Documents for an application vs documents for a card exchange: the difference
Exchanging a card (your details changed, the card is damaged or lost, your appearance changed significantly) is a separate procedure: you apply within 14 days, on paper, and the list of documents is different. It is not a permit application. Renewing and replacing your residence card.
FAQ on residence permit Poland documents
Which documents do you need for a residence card in 2026?
At the start in MOS: a scan of all passport pages as one PDF and a JPG photo, plus, for work or studies, the annex from your employer or university, and for EU long-term residence a housing document. You pay the stamp duty on the day you apply. Other documents can be attached straight away or sent when the office asks.
How many photos and passport copies do you need?
One photo as a JPG file and one PDF with all passport pages. MOS doesn't need photocopies or printed photos, and you show your original passport at your appointment at the office.
Can I attach documents later?
Yes, documents about the purpose of your stay can be sent when the office asks by letter. The deadline in the letter is at least 14 days. If you miss it, the office will decide on what it has and may refuse. But documents you already have are best attached in MOS straight away.
Which documents do you need for a CUKR card?
The application in MOS, a JPG photo and two payment confirmations as PDFs: 100 zł for the card and 340 zł stamp duty. A passport scan and fingerprints are not needed for CUKR.
Do documents need to be translated into Polish?
Yes. The office only takes a foreign-language document into account with a sworn translation into Polish. If you attach a scan in MOS, attach a scan of the translation too.
Do scans need to be certified by a notary?
For MOS a clear scan or photo of the document is enough. If the office asks, originals or certified copies are shown later. The letter says how: some offices accept paper, others only an electronic copy certified by a notary or an advocate.
Which documents does a child need for a residence card?
A parent submits the application from their own MOS account. At the start you need a scan of the child's passport and a photo. The birth certificate and the parents' documents on their permit, income, insurance and housing can be attached straight away or when the office asks.
What should I bring to the fingerprint appointment?
Your original passport and a paper stamp duty confirmation, if you didn't attach an electronic one. For EU long-term residence also the original housing document, and for pobyt stały the originals of the documents you attached as scans. What else to bring is in the letter: for example, in Wrocław the office asks for a printout of the application with attachments and the UPO from MOS.
Can I submit residence card documents on paper?
No. Applications for temporary and permanent residence, EU long-term residence and CUKR are submitted only through MOS, and the office will leave a paper application unexamined, including one sent by post. A few rare cases are still handled on paper, for example exchanging a card.
How much does a residence card cost?
The stamp duty depends on your basis, and the card itself costs 100 zł. Amounts and account numbers are in the guide to fees.
