EU Long-Term Residence Poland 2026: B1 Polish Rule

It's Sunday night. You've just counted the months on your Karta Pobytu (Polish residence permit): five years in Poland this spring. You search 'EU long-term residence Poland 2026', and a friend from the warehouse says, 'Easy, just bring your Polish school paper.' Another says, 'No, you need an exam.' Who's right? The honest answer: the rule changed, and the old shortcut for many people closed on 30 June 2026. Below you'll find what the permit needs, what counts as proof of B1 Polish, what you pay (PLN 640), and what to do this month. It's written for Sri Lankan workers, but it works for anyone in the same situation.

So, who actually qualifies for EU long-term residence in Poland?

Five years sounds simple until you start counting. The permit is called zezwolenie na pobyt rezydenta długoterminowego UE, the EU long-term resident permit. It's a separate application from the Karta Pobytu you hold now, and the voivodeship office looks at your whole five-year history, not just this year's papers.

In plain terms, the office wants to see:

• Five years of legal, continuous stay in Poland before the day you file
• A stable, regular source of income, such as an employment contract with payslips or business income
• Health insurance, through ZUS/NFZ or a private policy, plus proof of where you live
• A document proving Polish at B1 level

Time abroad matters. Short trips are normal, but long ones can break the count, so read Trips Outside Poland and Your 5-Year Count for Permanent Residence before you file. For the official description of the permit, see the Office for Foreigners (UDSC) and the MOS portal.

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The B1 Polish rule: what counts as proof, and what stopped counting?

This is the part that trips people up, so read it twice. B1 is the 'independent user' level: you can handle everyday situations, talk about work and plans, and write a simple text. The office doesn't test you at the counter. It wants a document.

Proof that offices commonly accept for the EU long-term resident permit:

• A state certificate of Polish as a foreign language at B1 level or higher, issued by the State Commission for Certification of Proficiency in Polish as a Foreign Language
• An ECL or telc certificate; the Poznań voivodeship's migrant portal lists both
• A diploma from a higher-education programme taught in Polish, or a school certificate where Polish was the language of instruction

Now the change. From 1 July 2025, a graduation certificate from a Polish post-secondary school (szkoła policealna) no longer proves your Polish for new applications. Certificates issued by 30 June 2025 stayed usable for applications filed between 1 July 2025 and 30 June 2026. That transition window has now closed. Today is late October 2026.

Sources describe the transition in slightly different words, so don't rely on a forum post. Check the current wording on the Poznań voivodeship page on confirming knowledge of Polish and with your own office. If your only language paper is a szkoła policealna diploma, plan for the state exam.

Why does this hit Sri Lankan workers hard? Many people learn Polish on the job, on night shifts, or in an evening course. That's real skill, and it helps you every day. But it's not a document. The certificate is.

How much does EU long-term residence cost in Poland in 2026?

Let's talk money, because surprises hurt. The state fee is the clear part: stamp duty (opłata skarbowa) of PLN 640 for the permit. You pay it before filing and attach proof of payment to your application, as voivodeship offices such as the Zachodniopomorski office describe.

• Permit stamp duty: PLN 640, confirmed on voivodeship office pages
• Residence card issue fee: office pages list different amounts, so check your own voivode's page for the current figure
• Polish exam: check the price and dates with the examining institution. We couldn't confirm one official price, so we won't quote one
• Sworn translation of any foreign-language document: the price depends on the translator

One warning. If someone sells you a 'guaranteed pass' for the Polish exam, walk away. Nobody can guarantee a result, and the certificate is issued by the State Commission, not by a course provider.

Here's an illustrative example, not a real client. Nuwan, a warehouse operator from Kandy, reached his fifth year in Poland and planned to file with the diploma from his evening course at a post-secondary school. Under the 2025 change that paper no longer worked. He booked the state B1 exam, passed it in the autumn, and filed with the certificate attached. It was a few months later than planned, but the file was one the office could accept.

Sri Lankan workers: where can an EU long-term residence file stall?

Most delays come from boring gaps, not dramatic problems. Check these five before you pay PLN 640:

• The language paper. Wrong type of document, or no document at all.
• The five-year count. Add up every trip home to Colombo, Kandy or Jaffna. Long absences can interrupt continuity.
• Income paperwork. Contract ended, or a new employer starting next month? Bring documents that show stable, regular income over the period, not just one payslip.
• Health insurance. A lapse, even a short one, is a question you don't want to answer at the counter.
• A gap between cards. If one Karta Pobytu ended before the next one began, your stay may not look continuous.

The last point is the easiest to prevent. Use the 90-day renewal calendar with exact dates so your card never lapses.

Changed jobs recently? A job change by itself isn't the problem. A period with no legal basis to stay is. If you've lost a job, read Karta Pobytu After Losing Your Job first, then plan your timing.

What should you do this month?

No panic, just a checklist. You can do most of it before you talk to anyone.

1. Count your legal months from your first permit or visa. Write down every trip abroad with exact dates.
2. Look at your language paper. If it's a szkoła policealna diploma, plan for the state exam instead.
3. Find exam dates on the examining institution's website and book one that leaves time before your target filing date.
4. Collect income proof, insurance proof, and proof of where you live.
5. Pay PLN 640 stamp duty and keep the confirmation.
6. File with your voivodeship office, through MOS if your office accepts this application there. Keep your current card valid while you wait.

Practical tip: Don't file the week you take the exam. Wait until you actually hold the certificate, then file. A missing language paper is a gap the office can ask you to fix, and every request costs you time.

Planning citizenship later? A B1 certificate is usually what you need there too, so the exam isn't wasted money. Our guide to Polish Citizenship for Foreigners: 3 Years on Permanent Residence, B1, 3 Routes shows how the pieces fit.

Five years of work in Poland deserve a clean filing, so let us check your B1 paper and your count before you pay a zloty. Legal Solutions — 98% approval rate. Drop us a WhatsApp — we read every message.