Poland has no separate “dependent visa”. Your spouse and children join you through a family reunification residence permit, and ONE PLUS handles these cases in Wrocław and across Poland. We check whether you can be the sponsor (the person your family joins), work out the income you need and prepare the documents. Then we help you file the application and reply to the voivodeship office (urząd wojewódzki) after filing.
We also take harder cases: a sponsor on a first permit, a family still abroad, a letter from the office (wezwanie) or a refusal. When a family card is about to expire, we file the new application.
Key facts as of 18 October 2026:
- Sponsor: permanent residence, EU long-term residence, Blue Card, protection, or 2 years on consecutive temporary permits with the current one valid for a year or more.
- Income: as a guide, more than PLN 823 net per month for each family member, sponsor included. No threshold for the spouse of a Polish citizen.
- Official fees: PLN 340 stamp duty per person and PLN 100 for the card (PLN 50 for a child under 16).
- Time: 60 days by law, but time limits are suspended until 4 March 2027 (Art. 100d), so expect longer.
- Biggest risk: a sponsor on a first permit or with under 2 years on permits cannot sponsor yet.
- Our price: from PLN 700 per application, official fees separate.
What is the dependent visa?
The “dependent visa” is a family reunification residence permit (Art. 159) for the spouse and minor children of a foreigner who already lives in Poland. The voivode grants it in a decision (decyzja), and the office then makes the residence card (karta pobytu, often called a TRC). A visa matters only if your family is still abroad.
You do not have to leave Poland to apply: if your family member is already here legally, the application is filed here. Joining a foreigner means Art. 159, with sponsor status, income, housing and insurance. Joining a Polish citizen means Art. 158, with no income test, but the office checks that the marriage is genuine.
Who can sponsor family?
You can sponsor your family if you hold one of these statuses:
- permanent residence or EU long-term residence;
- refugee status, subsidiary protection or a humanitarian stay;
- an EU Blue Card, a researcher permit or an intra-corporate transfer (ICT) permit;
- consecutive temporary permits for at least 2 years, with the current one granted for at least 1 year.
„co najmniej przez okres 2 lat na podstawie kolejnych zezwoleń na pobyt czasowy”
This is how the Act on Foreigners describes the most common route (Art. 159(1)(1)(e)). Only permits count. Time on a visa, visa-free entry or UKR status does not.
On a first permit?
If you are still waiting for a first card, have held permits for under 2 years or live in Poland on a visa, your spouse cannot apply for family reunification. The office will not wait for your permit, and the stamp duty (opłata skarbowa) is not refunded after a refusal.
Your spouse still has options: their own permit (work, studies, business) or a discretionary permit on “other circumstances” (Art. 187(8)). The second gives no access to the labour market without a separate work permit. Once you reach 2 years on permits, she can switch to family reunification.
IT specialists and the Blue Card
For IT professionals, the EU Blue Card is often the fastest way to bring a family, because the holder can sponsor straight away. If the family files on the same day as the sponsor or within 3 days, the same voivode decides right after the sponsor’s decision (Art. 168(4a)). ICT transferees and researchers get the same rule.
Who counts as family
Under Art. 159(3), family means a husband or wife in a marriage recognised by Polish law, and a minor child who depends on the parent. Age is counted on the filing date. Parents, adult children and siblings cannot use this route.
How much income is required?
The sponsor must show stable, regular net income for the whole family, sponsor included. As a guide, this is more than PLN 823 per month for each person and PLN 1,010 for a person living alone. For three people that is more than PLN 2,469. The threshold is reviewed, so we recalculate the exact figure on the filing date.
One spouse’s income can cover everyone. Proof is an employment contract (umowa), a salary certificate, bank statements and a PIT return; a sole trader (JDG) shows income and ZUS records. Housing is shown by a lease, a deed or a registered address (zameldowanie). Insurance is ZUS registration or a private policy, or we can arrange health insurance for a TRC.
Which documents do I need?
You need passports, marriage or birth certificates with a sworn translation, the sponsor’s card and decision, and proof of income, housing and insurance.
| Document | For whom | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Passport (all pages), digital photo, proof of the PLN 340 fee | each person applying | names match the certificates; one fee per person |
| Marriage or birth certificate | spouse, child | apostille or legalisation, sworn Polish translation |
| Other parent’s consent or a custody ruling | child | arrange before filing if the other parent is not involved |
| Divorce, name-change or earlier marriage records | spouse, child | needed if names or status differ between documents |
| Sponsor’s card and decision; income, housing, insurance proof | family of a foreigner (Art. 159) | current on the filing date |
| Spouse’s passport or ID, evidence of life together | spouse of a Pole (Art. 158) | joint lease, same address, shared bills, photos |
| Written consent on the official form | family member abroad | replaces a power of attorney for the sponsor |
Foreign certificates need a sworn translation into Polish and an apostille or consular legalisation. India, Pakistan, the Philippines, Turkey and Colombia use the apostille; in India it comes from the Ministry of External Affairs. Indian families should bring a registered marriage certificate, not only a record of the ceremony. Need a stamp? See our apostille services.
Mismatched names often trigger a wezwanie, so we compare them before translation. The full checklist is in our guide to documents for family reunification.
How ONE PLUS handles your case
We check the sponsor, calculate the income and prepare the documents. We help you file and reply to the office. You bring the documents and sign the application.
| Step | We do | You do |
|---|---|---|
| Check the route | read the sponsor’s decisions, count the time on permits, calculate family income | send cards, decisions, passports, payslips |
| Documents | list what your family needs, order sworn translations, compare name spellings | bring original certificates |
| Filing | fill in the MOS form with you, or prepare a paper application | sign the application |
| After filing | read the letters, reply to the wezwanie, add documents | tell us about any letter, attend the fingerprint appointment |
| Delay or refusal | prepare a reminder (ponaglenie) or an appeal | decide whether to go ahead |
Checking the route and filing costs from PLN 700 per application, and handling the whole case from PLN 1,500. Official fees, translations and apostilles are paid separately. The price list shows what each price covers.
How to apply from Poland or abroad
Family member already in Poland
Since 27 April 2026, applications from Poland are filed only in MOS 2.0, no later than the last day of legal stay.
- Each adult logs in via login.gov.pl and creates an account (a parent adds a dependent account for a child). Then you upload scans, the photo and proof of the PLN 340 payment.
- You sign personally with a trusted signature (Profil Zaufany, which needs a PESEL number) or a qualified electronic signature. A parent filing for a child can sign with the e-ID (e-dowód).
- Save the UPO receipt: it confirms the system received the application, not that the documents are right. Later a filing certificate (zaświadczenie) appears in the system and replaces the passport stamp.
- The office invites you to give fingerprints and a signature sample; children under 6 give no fingerprints. After a positive decision you pay for the card and collect it.
Family member abroad: the dependent visa route
MOS does not accept reunification applications for someone outside Poland. As sponsor, you file a paper application at the voivodeship office for your place of residence. Attach your relative’s written consent on the official form (Art. 168). After a positive decision, your spouse or child applies for a national (D) visa at the Polish consulate. Then they travel to Poland, give fingerprints and collect the card.
When the family card expires
A family card does not renew by itself. File a new application before the last day of legal stay. The office checks again that the marriage, the sponsor’s status, income and housing still hold, so bring current certificates.
Residence card for a child
A child cannot be added to a parent’s card: each child gets their own permit, application and PLN 340 fee. The card costs PLN 50 for a child under 16 on the filing date (Art. 237). A parent or court-appointed guardian files, and if the other parent is not involved, their consent or a custody ruling may be needed. Our guide explains the residence card for a child via MOS 2.0.
Child born in Poland
A child born in Poland to foreign parents is not a Polish citizen, so the stay needs its own application. If a parent holds a visa or temporary permit, the child can get a temporary permit under Art. 160(2). If a parent has permanent or EU long-term residence, the child can get permanent residence straight away. File as soon as the child has a passport.
Spouse of a Polish citizen or partner
The spouse of a Polish citizen applies under Art. 158 with no income threshold. An unmarried partner of a Polish or EU citizen can apply under Art. 160(3) with proof of a lasting relationship.
| Situation | Route | Main condition |
|---|---|---|
| Married to a Polish citizen | Art. 158 | genuine marriage; no income, housing or insurance proof |
| Married to a foreigner | Art. 159 | sponsor status, income, housing, insurance |
| Unmarried partner of a Polish or EU citizen | Art. 160(3) | lasting shared life, income, insurance |
| Unmarried partner of a foreigner | not family | needs their own permit: work, studies, business |
How a genuine marriage is proved
The office can check that a marriage is real and not just a way to get a card. It may ask where you live and who pays for what, and invite both of you to an interview. Expect more questions if the wedding was recent, you live at different addresses or your answers differ.
Useful evidence: a joint lease, the same registered address, shared bills, your children’s birth certificates, insurance policies, photos and messages. You need enough to show your real life together, not everything.
After 3 years of marriage and 2 years on a permit granted because of it, you can apply for permanent residence. Both conditions are needed at once, and time abroad counts. Our guide on marriage to a Polish citizen and legal stay covers the steps.
Fees and processing time
The permit costs PLN 340 per person and the card PLN 100. The office has 60 days by law, but in practice you will wait longer.
| Item | Amount or rule |
|---|---|
| Stamp duty for the permit | PLN 340 per person; for applications filed from 5 March 2026 not refunded after a refusal or discontinuation |
| Card fee | PLN 100, a separate payment after the decision; PLN 50 for a child under 16 |
| Card validity | until the sponsor’s permit expires, up to 3 years; for a Polish citizen’s spouse, up to 3 years |
In 2026 a special suspension of time limits applies to many migration cases until 4 March 2027 (Art. 100d). Actual waiting times may be longer than 60 days, so treat this as a guide, not a forecast. Whether inaction can be challenged depends on the case and court practice.
In family cases the delay often sits in the evidence. The office may doubt the marriage or ask whether the sponsor can support the family. We list what is missing, for example a marriage certificate with the right translation, and add it before the deadline in the wezwanie.
If the wait goes on, we prepare a ponaglenie (a complaint about the delay) and assess a court complaint in light of Art. 100d. More than 15,000 clients have come to ONE PLUS, so these questions are familiar to us. The office sets the timing, and no one can guarantee a date or compensation. More on speeding up a residence permit case.
Can my spouse work in Poland?
Yes, a permit under Art. 158 or 159 allows work without a work permit, and the card says “dostęp do rynku pracy”. An Art. 187(8) permit does not, so we read the decision, not just the card. While the case is pending, the right to work depends on the previous status. To open a sole proprietorship (JDG), show us the decision first: the right depends on the type of permit.
Filing extends your legal stay but gives no right to return from abroad. With the card you can travel in Schengen for up to 90 days in any 180.
Why applications are refused
Applications fail on income, sponsor status and paperwork:
- the sponsor has under 2 years on permits: wait, and let the spouse apply on her own basis;
- income is below the threshold or irregular: recalculate for the whole family;
- a translation is missing or names differ: check before filing;
- doubts about the marriage: gather proof of your life together;
- a missed request in MOS, e-Doręczenia or by post: check all three.
If the reason for the permit ends (divorce, the sponsor leaving Poland), notify the voivode in writing within 15 working days (Art. 113). The appeal deadline is in the decision, usually 14 days from delivery. We prepare an appeal against a refusal with specific arguments.
Expert advice
Tatiana Vyborna, President of the Management Board of ONE PLUS, has more than 12 years of practice in residence and employment matters for foreigners. She graduated in law at the University of Wrocław and has represented clients in more than 25 inspections by the Border Guard (Straż Graniczna), the National Labour Inspectorate (PIP), the Social Insurance Institution (ZUS) and the Tax Offices (Urząd Skarbowy).
In Tatiana Vyborna’s practice, families lose the most time when the sponsor’s permit is chosen without thinking about the spouse. An IT specialist who takes a standard work permit instead of a Blue Card may wait two years before the family can apply.
Describe your family’s situation in the form below or on our contact page and we will tell you which route fits.
Updated: 20 October 2026. Sources: Act on Foreigners, Arts. 158, 159, 160, 168, 187, 237 (isap.sejm.gov.pl); MOS questions and answers, Office for Foreigners.
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