Polish immigration lawyer - How to legalize your stay in Poland

Julia Dolińska

attorney-at-law

Welcome to my blog! My name is Julia Dolińska and I am attorney-at-law specialising in the legalisation of stay of foreigners in Poland. Several years ago, I was a foreigner myself. I left my home country of Poland and settled in Belgium [Read more]

Dokumenty i usługi dla Ciebie

How much will you pay for a residence permit in Poland?

September 25 2025
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Julia Dolinska

From this post, you will learn how much you will pay for a residence permit in Poland, whether you are entitled to a reduction or exemption from this fee, in what situations you can get a refund, and what will happen if you do not pay the fee.

Imagine this situation. You have a perfect application for a residence permit in Poland. You have documented that you have health insurance, the required income…. You have prepared everything perfectly. This what is necessary, you translated into Polish by a sworn translator. Satisfied, you go on an extended vacation to the beautiful Polish Baltic Sea, thinking that obtaining a residence permit is just a matter of time (a loooong time, but you don’t worry about anything, because after all, while waiting for the permit you can legally stay in Poland). While you are on vacation, a notice from the Office comes that you should still pay … stamp duty … Unfortunately, you don’t receive the notice. After all, you are on a long and well-deserved vacation! The official should know where to look for you, right?

How can this (fortunately fake) story end? Return of your application without processing it! Depending on your situation, this could even mean having to leave Poland immediately. Therefore …remember about stamp duty. Below is some information about it. You’re welcome to read it. …

How much will you pay for a residence permit in Poland?Read More »

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Permission for foreigners to purchase real estate in Poland – will it always be necessary?

September 10 2025
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Julia Dolinska

From this article, you will learn whether, as a foreigner, you need to obtain a decision permitting you to buy real estate in Poland, how to prepare an application for such a decision, and what will happen if you purchase real estate without the required permit.

Do you know what the oldest Polish law still in force today is?

….?

It is the Act of March 24, 1920, on the acquisition of real estate by foreigners. It is already 105 years old! This act was issued in the interwar period, survived the Polish People’s Republic and the political transformation in Poland! Since its issuance, it has been amended many times, and its current version has little in common with the 1920 version. In fact, only one statement remains almost unchanged from its original version, namely:

The acquisition of real estate by a foreigner contrary to the provisions of this Act is invalid (in 1920 it was Article 7 of this Act, and currently it is Article 6(1)).

This provision is probably the most important provision of this Act. If you are a foreigner and want to purchase real estate in Poland, you need to know that in some cases you will have to obtain the appropriate permit in order to do so in a valid and effective manner.

If you purchase real estate without obtaining the required permit, this legal transaction will be considered invalid at the moment it is performed. This would mean that it would have no legal effect and that such a defective transaction cannot be “remedied,” e.g., by obtaining a permit at a later date. How can this be avoided? You will find out in this post. I invite you to read on!

Permit for the purchase of real estate by a foreigner – who must obtain it?

A permit for the purchase of real estate in Poland should be obtained by a foreigner. However, you should know that according to the polish Act on the Acquisition of Real Estate by Foreigners, a foreigner is not only a natural person who does not have Polish citizenship. …

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Fast residence permit in Poland – is it possible?

August 14 2025
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Julia Dolinska

This article will tell you how long the procedure for issuing a residence permit in Poland should take and what you can do if the procedure takes longer.

Problems with the prolonged duration of procedures for obtaining a residence permit in Poland have been going on for many years.

A few years ago, on behalf of a client who is a US citizen, I filed a reminder regarding the protracted processing of her residence permit application, followed by a complaint to the Voivodeship Administrative Court. The result? The court acknowledged the complaint and a residence permit for the client was quickly issued.

Would such action be possible today, in 2025? You will find out in the article below. I invite you to read it!

What are the official statutory deadlines for processing applications for residence permits?

The Foreigners Act specifies how long the procedure for granting a residence permit in Poland should take. According to these provisions, you should receive a temporary residence permit within 60 days of submitting your application. In turn, you should receive a permanent residence permit or a long-term EU resident’s residence permit within 6 months of submitting your application.

Sounds like an utopia? If you have already had contact with the authorities dealing with the legalisation of foreigners’ residence in Poland, then unfortunately yes. That’s how it sounds. It would be really good if foreigners’ cases were considered within these statutory time limits. Unfortunately, it is not how it works. …

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How long can you stay in Poland without a visa?

August 12 2025
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Julia Dolinska

From this article, you will learn whether you can come to Poland without a visa, and if so, how long you can legally stay in Poland under the visa-free traffic regime.

I found some interesting information on the website of the Nadwiślański Border Guard Unit:

A 66-year-old Canadian citizen arrived at Warsaw Chopin Airport for passport control before her flight to Turkey. Border Guard officers determined that the Canadian had exceeded the permitted length of stay in the Schengen area by 57 days. The woman was fined and issued with a decision obliging her to leave Poland within 15 days.

Could such an unpleasant and probably surprising situation for the person concerned have been avoided? Probably yes.

Canada is one of the countries whose citizens are exempt from the visa requirement when traveling to the Schengen area (including Poland). However, visa-free travel is only possible for a limited number of days.

Perhaps the woman in the above story simply did not know how long she could stay in Poland without a visa?

This story inspired me to write an article about who can benefit from visa-free traffic and for how long. I invite you to read it!