Residence card
Right of residence
Another condition to be fulfilled in order to study in Poland is legalization of your stay in the Republic of Poland. If you are an EU citizen and want to stay in Poland for more than 3 months (because your studies last longer thna that), you must register your stay in the territory of Poland. If you are a citizen of a non-EU country, you must receive a Polish visa from the Consulate of the Polish Embassy in your country before coming to Poland. In order to extend your stay in the territory of Poland, you should apply for a Temporary Residence Card before your visa expires. All the formalities linked to this are also handled by Think Poland agents.
Polish Act on Foreigners describes two types of Residence Permit for people undertaking different forms of education and students from abroad. A Temporary Residence Permit for the purpose of studying in a higher education institution shall be granted exclusively to full-time first-cycle, second-cycle or third-cycle students (bachelor, master and doctoral). This sort of temporary permit is also issued for foreigners who undertake a language preparatory courses for their studies in Poland in the English or Polish language, as well for part-time students.
On the other hand, Residece Card issued for language course students and students of part-time programs apply for a residence permit based on so called "other circumstances" and this permit doesn't allow to work leggaly without a Work Permit. It can also be granted to students of other schools than universities and students undergoing vocational training in Poland. What is worth to mention, graduates from Polish universities who are looking for legal employment in Poland may also receive a 1-year "job seeking" Residence Permit.
When studying in Poland and having a Residence Card of a full-time student, you can work legally in our country - you are exempt from the obligation of having a special Work Permit. If you have any doubts about this, please log in and contact our office.
We can help you arrange your Residence Card or get a new one based on different circumstances. While studying in Poland you will have the right to stay for at least 3 more months. EU citizens must register their stay at the Voivodeship Office (they can be found in the city descriptions - redirection to cities) relevant to their place of residence. It is best to submit application for the Temporary Reisdence Permit relatively early (process can be very lengthy these days) and certainly at least one month before the visa expires. We will be happy to help you with this – please log in. Such permit can be granted for maximum 3 years, but usually you need to get a new one every 15 months.
Foreigners who are not EU citizens - whether they arrive with a student visa or based on a non-visa traffic - at some point will have to apply for a Residence Card. At the moment of entering the territory of the Republic of Poland they must have a Polish visa, unless they are nationals of a country exempted from this obligation under an international agreement. Here is a list of such countries: Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Chile, Croatia, Guatemala, Honduras, Israel, Japan, Canada, South Korea, Costa Rica, Malaysia, Mauritius, Mexico, Monaco, Nicaragua, New Zealand, Panama, Paraguay, El Salvador, San Marino, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Seychelles, Singapore, United States of America, Uruguay, Vatican City, Venezuela; Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China: Hong Kong SAR, Macao SAR; British citizens who are not nationals of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland for the purposes of Community law: British Nationals (Overseas)).
If your country is not on the list, you will need to apply for a visa before you can come to Poland. We can help you with this – please log in. You will have to have a visa before you are able to apply for a Residence Card.
What documents do I have to submit?
Documents needed for the application for a Residence Permit:
- 1 original and 1 copy of the completed application for a Temporary Residence Permit;
- 4 current colour photographs 4.5 cm x 3.5 cm, of the same type like for passport;
- a photocopy of a valid travel document and an original for inspection;
- confirmation of payment of the stamp duty.
If the basis for applying for the Residence Card is to take up or continue education in the territory of the Republic of Poland, the following documents should be additionally submitted:
- a rental contract for an apartment or room in which you are staying or intend to be staying or a confirmation from an university dormitory;
- a document confirming that they have sufficient financial means to cover their current costs of living and their return to their country of origin;
- a document confirming having a valid health insurance or a confirmation that the insurer covers the costs of medical treatment in the territory of the Republic of Poland;
- a certificate from the school or university confirming enrolment or continuation of studies and proof of payment of fees, if these are required.
If you are taking part in training or work placements as part of EU programmes, you should also provide:
- a certificate attesting to the participation in a training or work placement.
If you are in Poland because you are conducting scientific research here, you must provide:
- an agreement on admission for the purpose of carrying out a research project concluded with a research institution based in the territory of the Republic of Poland and a written statement from this institution declaring the costs of stay coverage,
- an agreement on the adoption of a research project implementation concluded with a scientific institution established in the territory other than the Republic of Poland an EU Member State and a written commitment of this institution to cover the costs of residence and expulsion of a foreigner.
SWPS & Think Poland PLS Packages
Think Poland is the largest service provider for international students in Poland. We offer services based on over 10 years of experience in the market. We are an official partner of the SWPS University and we can arrange all the formalities for you in Poland! You can contact us in one of the following languages: Turkish, Spanish, English, Thai, Italian or Chinese. We will happily answer your questions during our free consultation in our office in the centre of Warsaw.
Individual package
Assistance in obtaining your Residence Card in Poland!
- assistance in the purchase and installation of your SIM card;
- assistance service in your bank account opening;
- assistance service in your insurance policy purchase and making (the insurance policy itself is additionally paid by the student).
Optional package
Assistance in accommodation organisation and airport pickup!- pick up from the airport;
- assistance in the accommodation organisation;
- city orientation;
- assistance in registering at universities;
- assistance in making a city card;
- a welcome pack including: a set of information about life in Poland, arrival formalities, a mini-glossary of Polish language, etc.;
- emergency number.
Contact us now to arrange a visit in our office at warsaw@thinkpoland.org or 22 692 49 39!