You've been in Warsaw for two years. Your contract is renewed. Your Karta Pobytu (Polish residence permit) is valid. And every Sunday you open WhatsApp and spend forty minutes on a video call with your wife and your seven-year-old daughter back in Manila — wishing they were here. The good news: if you have a valid Karta Pobytu with at least one year remaining and stable income, Polish law lets you bring your spouse and children to live with you. The process is called family reunification (łączenie rodzin), and in 2026 it runs through the same MOS portal you used for your own permit.
Who Can You Actually Bring — and What's the Legal Basis?
Polish immigration law (specifically the Act on Foreigners) allows a third-country national holding a valid temporary or permanent residence permit to sponsor immediate family members. Under the gov.pl family reunification rules, the people you can bring are: your legal spouse (the marriage must be registered — a church ceremony alone is not enough) and your unmarried biological or legally adopted children under 18. Parents, siblings, or adult children do not qualify under this route. If your child is under 18 but turns 18 before the card is issued, the application still covers them, but act fast.
One thing many Filipino workers don't know: your children born in Poland are registered under Polish law automatically, but children still in the Philippines need to go through the full family reunification process before they can join you here legally. Don't assume the Polish consulate in Manila will handle it — the application is filed in Poland by you, not by your family members abroad.
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3 Conditions You Must Meet Before Filing
The voivode won't even open your family's file if your own legal situation doesn't check out first. Three gates you must pass:
- Valid residence permit with ≥1 year remaining — your Karta Pobytu must be valid for at least one year from the date you submit the family application. If your own card expires in nine months, renew it first.
- Stable income — in 2026, the minimum wage in Poland is PLN 4,806 gross per month. The voivode expects you to earn at least minimum wage for yourself, plus an additional amount for each family member you sponsor (typically equivalent to the subsistence minimum — around PLN 776 net per adult and PLN 640 net per child, per month). In practice: if you're bringing a spouse and one child, net income well above PLN 5,000/month puts you safely in range.
- Adequate housing — you must prove you have a place to live that is large enough. Polish law generally expects a minimum of 12m² per person in the household. A rental agreement or property title deed in your name (or in the name of someone permitting you to reside there, with a notarized declaration) works. A hotel booking does not.
Health insurance for every family member is also required. NFZ (National Health Fund) covers you through your employment contract, but your arriving spouse and children will need private insurance until they register with NFZ. Check the NFZ coverage rules for family members — in many cases, once your spouse becomes insured through their own work or through your NFZ account, private cover can end. Until then, keep the policy active.
The Full Documents List — What You File, What Your Family Sends
This is where Filipino applicants consistently get tripped up — not because the documents are hard to get, but because the Philippine-specific steps (PSA authentication, DFA apostille) add 3–6 weeks of lead time if you start too late. Build this timeline into your plan.
Documents you prepare in Poland (the sponsor's side):
- Completed application form (filed via MOS portal — no paper filing from April 2026)
- Copy of your valid Karta Pobytu (front and back)
- Proof of income — last 3 months of payslips, or a letter from your employer confirming your salary and contract type
- Proof of accommodation — rental agreement or property title; if renting from a private landlord, make sure the contract is in your name
- Health insurance documents covering your family members
- 4 biometric photos of each family member (35×45 mm, white background, taken within the last 6 months)
Documents coming from the Philippines (your family's side):
- PSA-issued Marriage Certificate — must have a DFA apostille. As of March 2026, the Philippines DFA issues fully digital eApostilles for PSA eCertificates, which carry the same legal weight as a paper apostille. Get the eApostille version and carry the printout.
- PSA-issued Birth Certificate for each child — same apostille requirement applies.
- Valid passports for your spouse and each child — copies plus originals for the appointment.
- All PSA/DFA documents must be translated into Polish by a sworn (przysięgły) translator registered in Poland. Do not use online translation tools — the voivode will reject them.
Practical tip: Order PSA documents online through PSA Serbilis or via an authorized PSA outlet, then send them to DFA for apostille. The whole process takes 2–4 weeks from Manila. If your family is in a province, add a week for courier time. Start this before you even open the MOS portal.
Filing Through MOS in 2026 — What the Portal Actually Asks
From April 2026, all family reunification applications are filed exclusively via the MOS (Moduł Obsługi Spraw) online portal. There is no walk-in paper submission for new applications. Here's what the process looks like step by step:
- Create or log in to your MOS account at moj.gov.pl — use your existing login if you used MOS for your own permit.
- Select 'Pobyt czasowy' → 'Połączenie z rodziną' (Temporary residence → Family reunification).
- Fill in the sponsor's data (your details) and add each family member as a separate sub-application. Each person gets their own file number.
- Upload scanned documents — scan quality matters. The portal rejects files above 10MB and those below 150 DPI. A clean scan on a flatbed scanner is better than a phone photo.
- Pay the stamp duty: PLN 340 per person (per application). Payment is made online via the portal — bank transfer or card. Keep the payment confirmation.
- The voivode's office contacts you — and your family — to schedule a biometrics appointment once the file is reviewed. Your family members must come to Poland on their current visas or visa-free entry before or during this appointment.
- After approval, collect the physical Karta Pobytu cards. Cost: PLN 100 per adult card, PLN 50 per child's card. This is paid when collecting, not when applying.
For a deeper look at how the MOS system works for residence permits generally, see our guide: Karta Pobytu Online via MOS in 2026: Every Step, PLN 440 Total, No Paper.
Timeline and Costs — What to Realistically Expect
Let's talk numbers — because optimistic timelines cause more problems than honest ones.
- Document preparation (Philippines side): 3–6 weeks for PSA + DFA apostille + sworn translation in Poland.
- MOS portal processing time: the voivode has 60 days to issue a decision from the date all documents are correctly submitted. In busier voivodeships (Warsaw, Kraków, Wrocław) expect 60–90 days, sometimes longer.
- Physical card production: 2–4 weeks after a positive decision.
- Total realistic timeline: 3–5 months from the moment you start gathering documents to your family holding their Karta Pobytu cards.
Cost breakdown (for one spouse + one child):
- Stamp duty (opłata skarbowa): PLN 340 × 2 persons = PLN 680
- Card issuance fee: PLN 100 (spouse) + PLN 50 (child) = PLN 150
- Sworn translations: approximately PLN 50–80 per page — budget PLN 400–700 depending on document length
- PSA + DFA apostille fees in the Philippines: approximately PHP 200–400 per document (check current DFA rates directly)
- Private health insurance for family (until NFZ kicks in): PLN 100–200/month per person
If documents are missing or incorrect the clock resets — the voivode sends a formal notice (wezwanie do uzupełnienia) and you get 7 days to respond. Missing that deadline can result in the application being left without consideration. Read more about what typically goes wrong in our post on Karta Pobytu for Philippines Citizens in Poland 2026: Step-by-Step Guide.
After Arrival: What Your Family Can Do on a Family Reunification Card
A family reunification Karta Pobytu is not a tourist card. Your family members can:
- Work legally in Poland without a separate work permit — this right is built into the family reunification card.
- Enroll children in Polish public schools — free of charge, same as Polish citizens.
- Register with NFZ for public health insurance once employed.
- Apply for a PESEL number — essential for opening a bank account, renting, and any administrative interaction in Poland.
- Travel within the Schengen Area for up to 90 days in any 180-day period — without applying for separate visas for each trip.
The card is typically issued for the same validity period as your own Karta Pobytu, or for 3 years — whichever is shorter. When you renew yours, your family renews theirs at the same time, following the same process.
Frequently Asked Questions
My spouse is in the Philippines and I'm in Poland — who files the application?
You file it in Poland, through MOS. Your spouse does not need to be in Poland to start the application. However, they will need to enter Poland (on their existing visa or visa-free) before or at the time of the biometrics appointment. Plan their travel after the voivode confirms the appointment date.
Does my child need a separate visa to fly to Poland while the application is pending?
Philippine citizens can enter Poland (and the entire Schengen Area) visa-free for up to 90 days. Your child can come on this visa-free entry for the biometrics appointment. If the card takes longer than 90 days to issue, speak to a legal advisor before that window closes — overstaying, even by accident, creates problems for the card application.
What if my Karta Pobytu expires before the family application is decided?
Your own permit must be valid for at least one year when you file the family application. If your card is nearing expiry, renew it first and submit the family application only after your new card is issued. Never file the family application when your own status is uncertain — a denial or suspension of your permit automatically endangers the family file.
Can I bring my parents or siblings under family reunification?
No — Polish family reunification law covers spouses and unmarried minor children only. Parents, adult children, and siblings are not eligible under this route. If you want to bring a parent for medical or care reasons, there are separate provisions, but they require a different type of application and the criteria are narrow. Talk to us before assuming it's possible.
Will my Filipino marriage certificate be accepted as-is in Poland?
Only after apostille and sworn Polish translation. A PSA-certified marriage certificate with a DFA eApostille (as issued from March 2026) is accepted. The sworn translator must be on the official Ministry of Justice list in Poland — check przysiegly.ms.gov.pl for certified translators. Budget 3–4 weeks for the full authentication process from Manila.
Family reunification in Poland takes patience and paperwork — but it works. Hundreds of Filipino workers have brought their families to Warsaw, Kraków, Wrocław, and Gdańsk using exactly this process. The biggest risks are a wrong document, a missed deadline, or filing before your own permit is stable. Legal Solutions — 98% approval rate. Drop us a WhatsApp — we read every message: +48 735 248 525