Permanent residence permit and EU long-term resident permit
Official name: Zezwolenie na pobyt stały / zezwolenie na pobyt rezydenta długoterminowego UE
Poland has two open-ended permits. The EU long-term resident permit is for people who have lived in Poland legally and without a break for at least 5 years and have stable income, health insurance and Polish at B1. The permanent residence permit is for specific groups, such as spouses of Polish citizens, refugees after 5 years, people of Polish origin and Karta Polaka holders; it has no language test.
Life in Poland
Finance
3
Currency
Polish Zloty
PLN
Polish Zloty
Cost of living
55
Price level · US = 100
World Bank price levels, 2025
Tax
12–32%
Income tax (national)
VAT 23%
Tax scale: 12% less a PLN 3,600 reducing amount (effectively PLN 30,000 tax-free) up to PLN 120,000, then 32%; optional 19% flat rate for business income.
Living
1
Happiness
#23 of 145 countries
World Happiness Report 2025
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What gives you an edge here: passports, visas and permits you hold, work, study, language and family ties
Who it’s for
Long-term residents of Poland, spouses of Polish citizens, refugees, people of Polish origin and Karta Polaka holders.
Eligibility
EU long-term resident: 5 yearsEU long-term resident
Sign in to check this route against your profileYou need 5 years of legal, uninterrupted stay in Poland directly before applying, with limits on time away.
Time away allowed
- Single absencemaximum, standard
- 6 months
- Total absencemaximum, standard
- 10 months
- Blue Card single absenceEU Blue Card, highly qualified
- 12 months
- Blue Card total absenceEU Blue Card, highly qualified
- 18 months
- Stay must be directly before you apply
Official wording
Legal and uninterrupted stay in Poland for at least 5 years directly before applying. No single absence over 6 months and no more than 10 months away in total (EU Blue Card and highly qualified holders: up to 12 months at once, 18 months in total).
EU long-term resident: periods that do not countEU long-term resident
Sign in to check this route against your profileSome types of stay do not count toward the 5 years.
- Time studying does not count
- Posted worker and intra-company transfer permit time does not count
- Short-term-circumstances permit time does not count
- Refused asylum claim time and humanitarian Schengen visa time do not count
Official wording
Time spent studying, as a posted worker, on an intra-company transfer permit, on a short-term-circumstances permit, during an asylum claim that was refused, and on a humanitarian Schengen visa does not count toward the 5 years.
EU long-term resident: income and insuranceEU long-term resident
Sign in to check this route against your profileShow stable, regular legal income above the social assistance threshold, plus health insurance or private cover for treatment in Poland.
Income assessment period
- Most applicantsbefore applying
- 3 years
- Highly qualified workersbefore applying
- 2 years
Official wording
A stable and regular legal income above the social assistance threshold, assessed over the 3 years before applying (2 years for highly qualified workers), plus public health insurance or private cover for treatment in Poland.
A sneak peek at what's inside
- Next requirement
- Document checklist
- Fees
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Official sources
Other routes to Poland
- Visit & tourismSchengen tourist & business visa
- StudyTemporary residence permit for studies / national D visa for study
- Work permitsWork permit for a Polish entity entrusting work to a foreigner (formerly type A) and temporary residence and work permit
- 3 more routes with Premium
