Many foreigners use the services of an intermediary in the process of legalizing their stay. You can complete all the formalities related to legalizing your stay at the Department of Foreigners' Affairs yourself, but if you are considering entrusting your case to a representative, be sure to read the tips below.
Unfortunately, in many cases, dishonest intermediaries provide foreigners with unreliable information and do not always act in good faith. Our tips will help you avoid unpleasant consequences, including illegal residence in Poland. Therefore, we encourage all foreigners to submit applications for legalization of their stay independently.
Why?
You will have greater awareness and full control over your case. You will not be cheated. You will be able to check the status of your case on your own in the inPOL Foreigner's Portal, arrange a visit to the office and receive the necessary correspondence - addressed directly to you, including electronic correspondence sent via e-Delivery.
Simple procedure
You can obtain a residence permit yourself in a very easy way. All detailed information on submitting an application, necessary documents, and fees are available on our website Stay | WSC migrant. You will also find answers to most questions and concerns there.
What are the stages?
- Choose the type of residence that suits your situation – temporary, permanent or long-term EU resident.
- In the case of temporary and permanent stay, select the appropriate purpose of stay (e.g. work, studies, family).
- Complete the application and submit it in person at the office or send it by post.
- Submit fingerprints and all required documents as requested.
- Follow the case on your account at inPOL Portal and patiently wait for the decision to be signed.
- Collect your decision and residence card.
What do you need to remember?
- Create an account on the inPOL Portal and track your case yourself.
- Your passport must be valid during the process.
- Your contact details must be up to date – always notify the Office of any changes.
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Your documents must be complete and completed on time
Tips on using a proxy
- First verify whether the person you want to grant power of attorney to is trustworthy and actually has knowledge in the field of legalization of stay.
- Create an account on the inPOL Foreigner Portal, so you can check the status of your case on an ongoing basis and see if the attorney is actually providing the required documents in your case. You will have full control over this. Do not share your login and password with anyone, all the more so to the proxy. The site is available in 4 language versions: English, Polish, Russian and Ukrainian, so you will understand its interface.
- Remember, appointing a representative in the case does not guarantee legalization of your stay and has no effect on the duration of the proceedings.
- Beware of dishonest offers from intermediaries advertising their alleged high effectiveness in obtaining legalization of stay and faster resolution of the matter. Having a proxy never provides such guarantees nor does it affect the work of officials.
Moreover, it sometimes extends the duration of the proceedings, for example due to the intermediary's failure to take necessary actions or failure to respond to summonses or letters from the office.
Intermediaries often charge additional fees and mislead you about the applicable law. They do not keep you informed about the stages of the proceedings.
By choosing the wrong attorney, you may lose influence on your case and suffer the consequences of his improper actions.. -
You can complete all formalities yourself, so:
- you will avoid the risks associated with the actions or lack of required actions on the part of an unreliable attorney;
- you will avoid additional costs related to the power of attorney service. The only costs of obtaining the permit are indicated on our website https://migrant.wsc.mazowieckie.pl/wskazowki/oplaty;
- you will have direct information (letters) from the office about the proceedings. On the inPOL Portal you will see the requests issued to you to provide additional documents in the case. You can download such a document and translate it free of charge in available translators on the Internet.
Remember to inform the office about any changes to your address: Are you a foreigner? Have you changed your address? Let us know.
At the same time, if you want to correspond with us electronically, we encourage you to set up an e-Delivery address and mailbox: Did you know that from January 1, 2025, you can correspond with our Office via the Internet - free of charge and without queues at the post office?
Remember, you can always revoke the power of attorney granted - just report it in writing to the office. Use the available form LINK.
Stay in Poland legally. Act wisely – don't be fooled!
The aim of the campaign is to reach a wide group of foreigners interested in legalizing their stay in Poland with information that will increase their awareness and knowledge of the rules of entry and stay in Poland, including obtaining a residence card.
The sole responsibility for the opinions expressed lies with the author and the European Commission and the Ministry of Interior and Administration are not responsible for the use of the information provided.
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