ONE PLUS prepares student residence permit applications and works on them across Poland, from our Wrocław office or remotely. The permit lets you stay in Poland while you study full-time at a Polish university. Strictly speaking, the permit is the voivode’s decision (zezwolenie na pobyt czasowy w celu kształcenia się na studiach). The card, often called a student TRC or karta pobytu, is what you collect after a positive decision.
We check that your university may admit foreigners, work out how much money you must show and prepare your application in MOS 2.0. We also watch that the university e-signs Annex No. 5 (Załącznik nr 5) on time. After filing, we read the letters from the voivodeship office (urząd wojewódzki) and reply to any request for documents (wezwanie). We take on first permits, renewals and the switch from a D visa.
Quick answer, as of 18 October 2026:
- Apply online only, in MOS 2.0, with a PESEL and Profil Zaufany, by the last day of legal stay. Without the university’s e-signature on Annex No. 5 the system will not let you submit.
- Stamp duty (opłata skarbowa) is PLN 340; for applications since 5 March 2026 it is not refunded after refusal or discontinuation.
- The card costs PLN 100; a student of a Polish university pays PLN 50 under Article 237 with a confirming document.
- Validity: first-year students usually get 15 months, later permits cover your studies plus 3 months, up to 3 years.
- Main risk: September and October, when the visa ends before the annex is signed.
- ONE PLUS help starts from PLN 700; official fees are paid separately.
Who can get a student TRC
You qualify if you study full-time at a university that may admit foreigners; you do not need a job. That means bachelor’s, master’s, long-cycle master’s (for example medicine) and doctoral programmes (Article 144 of the Act on Foreigners). A student visa is a different document: this page is about the permit you apply for inside Poland.
| Type of study | Legal basis | Work without a permit |
|---|---|---|
| Full-time bachelor’s, master’s or long-cycle master’s | student permit, Article 144(1) | yes |
| Doctoral school | student permit, first one 2 years 6 months | yes |
| Preparatory course | student permit only for Belarusians (Article 144(2)); others under other circumstances | only with a permit under Article 144(2) |
| Part-time studies (niestacjonarne) | other circumstances | usually a work permit is needed |
| Language courses, post-secondary schools | other circumstances; Polish B1 for new post-secondary students | usually a work permit is needed |
If you do not study full-time at a university, the office gives you a permit on other grounds, not as a student. It checks classes, attendance, what you pay and why you need to live in Poland for it.
Private universities and the MSWiA list
Only public academic universities, such as the University of Wrocław, admit foreigners without approval from the Minister of the Interior (MSWiA). Private academic and public vocational universities must be on the MSWiA list (transition ended 30 June 2026). Check it before paying tuition.
What ONE PLUS does at each stage
We check your basis, calculate the funds and prepare the documents and application. We also reply to the office’s letters. You sign the application and attend the fingerprint appointment.
| Stage | What we do | What you do |
|---|---|---|
| Check | look at when your visa expires, your form of study and the university; if a student permit looks weak, we say so at once | send passport, visa and university details |
| Funds and documents | calculate the sum, build your list, fix mismatches, order translations | collect certificates, arrange insurance |
| Application | prepare it in MOS 2.0, count the fees, say which university address to enter | pay the fees, sign the application yourself |
| After filing | save the UPO, watch the 30-day link, read the office’s letters, reply to any wezwanie | attend the fingerprint appointment |
| Decision | explain how to pay for and book the card; after a refusal, go through the decision | collect the card in person |
Documents checklist
The first three rows open the case; the rest can follow a request. A part-time or post-secondary student needs a different set from a full-time one.
| Document | Who prepares it | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| MOS 2.0 form, photo, passport scans | you | no case without them |
| Proof of PLN 340 payment | you | pay before filing |
| Annex No. 5 | university | signed by an authorised person, link valid 30 days |
| Proof of tuition for a semester or year | university | paid programmes only |
| Document for the PLN 50 card rate | university | before paying for the card, Article 237 |
| Health insurance | you | NFZ or a policy covering treatment in Poland for the whole permit |
| Statement of monthly housing costs | you | Belarusians do not file it |
| Tenancy agreement or dormitory certificate | you | on request; rent must match the housing statement |
| Proof of funds | you or your parents | bank certificate, scholarship, sponsor’s income; parents also add proof of income and a birth certificate |
| Sworn translations | sworn translator | every document not in Polish; parents’ documents need an apostille |
| Polish B1 certificate | post-secondary student | new students only, from 1 September 2025 |
| Power of attorney | representative | PLN 17 fee |
| Extras on request | you, university | attendance, results, sponsor documents, university explanations |
Foreign documents need a Polish sworn translation and usually an apostille too.
Insurance and housing
Short travel policies are often rejected; see health insurance for a TRC. A meldunek (address registration) is not required for filing but makes getting a PESEL easier. If you will be away over the holidays, appoint a person to receive letters (pełnomocnik do doręczeń). Otherwise a letter counts as delivered anyway.
How to apply in MOS 2.0
Apply only online in MOS 2.0, no later than your last day of legal stay. Start 4 to 6 weeks earlier.
- Get a PESEL and set up Profil Zaufany. You log in to MOS 2.0 only through login.gov.pl; old accounts were not carried over. We can help with PESEL registration.
- Fill in the form. Upload a digital photo (35 by 45 mm, under 6 months old), scans of every passport page including the cover, and proof of the PLN 340 payment. DocPhoto for MOS 2.0 makes a compliant photo.
- Enter your university’s e-mail address. MOS sends a link to Annex No. 5 there, valid for 30 days. Ask the dean’s office which address to use: large universities have one per faculty.
- Sign the application yourself once the university has signed: with a trusted signature (podpis zaufany via Profil Zaufany) or a qualified electronic signature. A representative can help with the form, but you sign.
- Save the UPO, the official receipt. Later MOS shows a certificate of filing (zaświadczenie) instead of a passport stamp.
- Attend the appointment with your original passport: fingerprints and a signature sample.
For us to prepare the whole application, see residence permit in Poland via MOS 2.0.
Minimum bank balance
The Lower Silesian Voivodeship Office (DUW) in Wrocław applies this rule. After paying for housing you need more than PLN 1,010 for each month of stay (PLN 823 per person with family). Add travel home: PLN 200 for a country bordering Poland, PLN 500 for an EU country and PLN 2,500 for anywhere else, such as India or the UK. We confirm the country list against the DUW rules. First-year students show funds for 15 months; continuing students for each month to the end of studies plus 3 months, up to 3 years.
Formula: (PLN 1,010 + rent) times months, plus travel home and unpaid tuition.
- First-year student from India, room at PLN 1,300: (1,010 + 1,300) for 15 months = PLN 34,650, plus PLN 2,500, about PLN 37,150.
The rent comes from your housing statement and must match your tenancy agreement. The DUW names certificates from banks in Poland, the EU, the EEA or Switzerland, so open a Polish account a few weeks before filing. Worked examples: student funds for a residence card in Poland.
Fees and what help costs
| Payment | Amount | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Stamp duty | PLN 340 | paid before filing; not refunded after refusal or discontinuation for applications since 5 March 2026 |
| Card fee | PLN 100 | a separate payment after a positive decision |
| Card fee with discount | PLN 50 | student of a Polish university, Article 237, document needed |
| Power of attorney | PLN 17 | if someone represents you |
Our help costs from PLN 700 for a document check, funds calculation and help with the application. It costs from PLN 1,500 if we run the case and from PLN 1,700 with action on delays. Translations and insurance are separate; see our price list.
How long does a TRC take
By law the office has 60 days (Article 112a). Until 4 March 2027 time limits are suspended in many cases (Article 100d), so in practice you will wait longer. Treat this as a guide. Whether you can challenge inaction depends on your case and court practice.
After the decision you pay for the card and wait for a text or e-mail from the DUW, then collect it in person after booking. See current TRC processing times.
Can you leave Poland while your study case is open? You can, but you come back only with a valid visa or another entry document. The UPO is not a travel document. Your stay is legal while the case runs if you applied on time.
A student case rarely stalls over the form itself. More often the office wants proof of money in a Polish account, a tenancy agreement that matches the housing statement, or a paper from the university. We check these and add what the office asks for.
If nothing happens, we go through the file and the letters and help prepare a ponaglenie (a complaint about the delay). We also assess a court complaint in light of Article 100d. We work every day with inspectors at voivodeship offices in several regions, but the office sets the timing. We cannot promise a date or compensation.
Repeating a year, removal and renewal
A student TRC is not extended automatically. The next permit means a new MOS 2.0 application, a new Annex No. 5 and fresh proof of funds, filed before your card expires. The voivode checks POL-on twice a year. Later permits cover your studies plus 3 months (plus 6 for doctoral candidates), up to 3 years.
If the reason for which the permit was granted ceases to exist, you must notify the voivode in writing within 15 working days (Article 113). The university reports removal from the student list without delay (Article 149(3)).
These are two separate duties, so you must tell the voivode yourself. Repeating a year for poor attendance can cost you the next permit.
Can students work in Poland
Yes. A full-time student at a Polish university with a valid visa or residence card works without a work permit, as do doctoral candidates. Part-time, language course and post-secondary students usually need one. Polish law sets no “20 hours a week” limit for you, but if work clearly outweighs study the next permit may be refused.
After graduation
Graduates can get a one-time 9-month permit to look for work or start a business. Apply right after graduating, during legal stay, with your diploma, evidence of a job search, funds for 9 months and housing.
With a job, move to a residence permit based on work: on a student card the office accepts that application, but on a student visa it refuses to consider it. For EU long-term residence, years of study count by half.
Common mistakes and refusals
Even a genuine student can get a wezwanie, and the cause is usually small. Before you file, we go through your documents and tell you what to ask the dean’s office for.
- University not on the MSWiA list, or a part-time programme filed as studies.
- Rent in the housing statement differs from the tenancy agreement, so the total falls short.
- Bank statement from outside the DUW list or without a translation.
- No proof of tuition on a paid programme, or insurance that does not cover treatment in Poland.
- Missed wezwanie deadline because the letter arrived during the holidays.
A wezwanie is not a refusal: reply within the deadline in the letter. A negative decision can be appealed within 14 days.
Notes for Indian and UK students
India and other non-EU countries
Count PLN 2,500 for a ticket home and prepare apostilled documents with sworn translations. File before your D visa expires, because you cannot apply from abroad. More in our karta pobytu guide for Indian, Nepali and Bangladeshi citizens.
United Kingdom, Ukraine, Belarus
Britons need a permit once visa-free time runs out: residence guide for UK and Irish citizens. With PESEL UKR status you cannot apply for a student permit; the route is the 3-year CUKR residence card, filed by 4 March 2027.
What changed and choosing help
| Date | What changed |
|---|---|
| 1 June 2025 | On a visa issued for studies the office refuses to open a work-based residence case; a student card has no such ban. |
| 1 September 2025 | Polish at B1 for new post-secondary students. |
| 5 March 2026 | Stamp duty is not refunded after refusal or discontinuation (umorzenie). |
| 27 April 2026 | Applications only through MOS 2.0; the electronic Annex No. 5 replaced the paper enrolment certificate. |
| 30 June 2026 | Transition period ended for universities without MSWiA approval. |
Before you file, you get a clear plan. It tells you which reason for stay fits you, how much money to show, and when to ask the dean’s office for Annex No. 5. It also says whether you may work and how long the card will last. If your case is clear and most documents are ready, a check and help with the application is enough. If we run the case for you, the client portal shows its status and letters.
Expert tip
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 from the Faculty of Law at the University of Wrocław and a postgraduate programme at Uniwersytet Ekonomiczny we Wrocławiu. She 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). Tatiana Vyborna’s profile.
In Tatiana Vyborna’s experience, students rarely lose time on the amount itself; they lose it on where the money sits and how it is documented. A Polish account and a tenancy agreement that matches the housing statement remove a frequent reason for a wezwanie. Also ask the university for the Article 237 document before paying for the card. Then you pay PLN 50 once, not PLN 100 and a correction.
Tell us in the form below where you study and when your visa expires. Other ways to reach us: contact page.
Updated: 20 October 2026. Sources: DUW, temporary residence permit for studies, MOS, Moduł Obsługi Spraw, Act on Foreigners, Journal of Laws 2025 item 1079, Poznań office: full-time studies.
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