• English
    • Polish
    • Ukrainian

Residence Card

8 things student must keep in mind while applying for the residence card

Foreigners are knocking at the doors of Polish offices and unfortunately still on the threshold happen to hear – “Wait a minute, but that’s not all the documents.” Lawyers of the Rule of Law Institute Foundation working with foreigners for many years have stressed their attention to the most common mistakes in preparing the documents.

Below you will find the list of things that are worth paying attention to while preparing documents for obtaining a residence card.

  • Before submitting the documents to the local Immigration Office, check the content of application form and required documents. Polish Law on Migrants has been changing a lot, so has changed the practice of office workers. In order not to bring unnecessary documents or vice versa –not to miss the necessary documents, check the list of required documents and attachments available on the website of the Office.
  • Remember to have the original documents with you. Office staff can confirm the copies of documents when they are accompanied by the original documents.
  • All documents must be translated into the Polish language. It is important that the translations were made by the certified translator.
  • You need to have a health insurance. Note that the purpose of the stay (noted on the insurance) should be “studies”, and health insurance guarantee amount should be 30,000 euro. Keep this in mind when signing a contract with an insurance company.
  • Universities and schools usually issue hundreds of certificates for their students each day. Make sure that the certificate has been filled in the relevant form. The certificate can be downloaded
  • When submitting the documents for getting a residence card you are to prove, that you have a place to live in. This may be a contract for an apartment/room or confirmation from the dormitory. It is not obligatory to have a registration [zameldowanie].
  • Remember to have 4 photos on a light background, with your face occupying 70-80% of the photo (you school photo will not be fine – it is supposed to be not older than 6 months).
  • You will also need to prove, that you have sufficient financial means to cover the costs of living in Poland. You can prove it by presenting your bank account statement from the bank, which is based in Poland. It can also be:

A credit card with the appropriate limit

Statement of your parents that they will sustain you while being in Poland along with the document on their income

Documents on the scholarship

If you believe that the procedure for obtaining the residence card is too complicated and you do not feel confident with it, we invite you to consult with our experts in the Information Center for Foreigners – it’s really worth it!