Temporary residence permits due to seasonal work

Applying

The Act on foreigners provides for the obligation for a foreigner to submit an application for a temporary residence permit in person - under pain of leaving the application unprocessed.

This obligation should be fulfilled - at the latest on the last day of the foreigner's legal stay on the territory of Poland. Failure to meet this deadline results in the refusal to grant the permit (provided that such a procedure is initiated).

The application completed in MOS, after it is printed and signed, is submitted together with attachments to the voivode competent for the foreigner's place of stay, after prior appointment at the department competent for foreigners in the voivodeship office or its delegation. When submitting the application, a foreigner is required to submit fingerprints, show a valid travel document and attach the necessary documents (more information in: “Documents”).

If the application was submitted during legal stay and there were no formal defects or they were corrected on time, the voivode shall include a stamp in the foreigner's travel document which confirms the submission of the application. A foreigner's stay is considered legal from the date of submitting the application to the date on which the decision on granting a temporary residence permit becomes final.

Remember!

• Departments responsible for foreigners in the voivodeship offices have introduced a system of electronic booking of visits in order to submit an application. Be sure to check the rules for booking a visit to a given office. The waiting time for the visit may be extended, so do not hesitate and book your visit well in advance.

• When it is not possible to visit during legal stay in Poland (i.e. before the expiry of the visa, permissible stay in visa-free regime or the validity period of the residence permit), you can send the application in paper form by post (the date of issuing a parcel at an office of Poczta Polska SA decides) or submit it (in person or with the help of another person) at the office's registry desk. However, you will then be summoned to appear in person at the time specified by the voivode. If you do not comply with the summons, the application will not be processed.

Remember also!

• Placing the stamp on the travel document does not entitle to travel within the territory of other Schengen states. You can travel to your country of origin or permanent residence, but to return to Poland, you must obtain a visa if you come from a visa-required country, or meet the entry conditions for visa-free travel.

• If you return to Poland within a visa-free regime, you can stay in Poland until the date on which the decision on granting a temporary residence permit becomes final, even if it occurs after 90 days from the date of re-entry into the Schengen area.