Residence and work of foreigners – residence cards and legal employment in Kraków

The actual waiting time is often longer than the statutory time limits. If the proceedings drag on, you can file a reminder and then a complaint to the administrative court – see Appeals, entry bans and citizenship.

No. Since 27 April 2026 applications for temporary, permanent and EU long-term resident permits are filed only electronically via the Case Service Module. The application is signed with a trusted profile or a qualified electronic signature, and fingerprints are taken at the office.

It depends on the basis of your stay and your current work permit. In some situations the law allows you to continue working for the same employer on the same terms. We check this individually.

The decision can be appealed to the Head of the Office for Foreigners – the deadline is stated in the instructions in the decision (as a rule 14 days). We help prepare the appeal and handle further proceedings.

Yes, if the application for a temporary residence permit was filed on time – at the latest on the last day of your legal stay – and has no formal deficiencies, or they were remedied within the deadline. Your stay is then regarded as legal until the day the decision becomes final (Article 108 of the Act on Foreigners). During that time, however, you cannot travel within Schengen on the basis of the filed application alone.

The registrar requires, among others, an identity document, a copy of the birth certificate and a document confirming that the foreigner may marry under the law of their country (Article 79 of the Civil Status Records Act). Foreign documents usually need an apostille or legalisation and a sworn translation. If the certificate cannot be obtained, you can ask the court for an exemption.

A valid residence card together with a valid passport allows you to travel to other Schengen countries for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. It does not, however, give you the right to work in another country – the rules on employment are set by the law of the country you travel to.

The costs include stamp duty for the permit – its amount depends on the type of permit – and a fee for issuing the residence card, plus any sworn translations of documents. We give the current rates and our fee before starting the case.