Spis treści
- When should a non-Polish citizen be registered in Poland?
- Does a non-Polish citizen working in Poland need a PESEL number?
When should a non-Polish citizen be registered in Poland?
Every non-Polish citizen, who decides to stay in Poland for more than 30 days, is obliged to register his or her stay for a certain period of time or permanently. If a non-Polish citizen is registered somewhere else permanently (e.g. in the country of origin), he or she can apply for a so-called “temporary residence”.
If you have a permanent residence permit and intend to stay in Poland, you must register permanently.
| Remember: A temporary residence permit is not the same as registration of residence. A residence permit implies staying on Polish territory, registration of residency is a confirmation of your permanent stay in a given place. |
You can register your residence online at obywatel.goc.pl or in your local Town Hall/ local office.
Citizens of the EU may stay in Poland for up to 3 months without having to meet any residence conditions other than having a valid travel document or another valid document confirming their identity and citizenship.
A citizen of the EU who has entered Polish territory in order to look for employment may stay in Poland without having to meet any legal conditions for up to 6 months unless after this period he or she proves to actively continue looking for work and have real chance to be employed. During this period, the EU citizen is required to have a valid travel document or other valid document confirming his or her identity and citizenship.
| Remember: The obligation to register your stay as an EU citizen is not the same as the registration of residence. The authority competent to register the EU citizen's stay is the voivode (at Urząd Wojewódzki), according to the place of stay. The competent authority in matters of the registration of residence is the head of the regional office (e.g. city mayor). |
The obligation to register your stay does not apply to EU citizens who have the right to reside in the country for the purpose of seeking employment, as referred to above.
After 5 years of uninterrupted stay in the Republic of Poland, an EU citizen acquires the right of permanent residence.
Does a non-Polish citizen working in Poland need a PESEL number?
Every non-Polish citizen working in Poland should have a PESEL number.
PESEL number is issued automatically by the regional office (organ gminy) in which the non-Polish citizen registered his or her permanent or temporary stay longer than 3 months.
A citizen with a visa or a temporary residence permit must submit an application to issue a PESEL number on his or her own. The application can be submitted online at portal.giv.pl; at the regional office (urząd gminy) according to the place of residence; in the regional office according to the location of employer’s headquarters – if the citizen does not have the registration of residence); or at the Warsaw City Centre Office (Urząd Dzielnicy Śródmieście m. st. Warszawy) – if the citizen in not employed or the employer’s headquarters is located outside of Poland).
If a non-Polish citizen cannot get registration of residence and wants to obtain a PESEL number, he or she should submit the PESEL application attaching a copy of a document confirming his or her identity and citizenship (a passport, an ID, etc.).
pomoc@pitax.pl