Does my employer pay for my karta pobytu?

The employer covers its own side: the work authorisation and its fees. The stamp duty for your residence application (PLN 440 in 2026) is normally paid by the applicant, you, unless you agree otherwise in writing. Always get any agreement on costs on paper before you start.

Can I file the TRC application myself without the employer?

For a work-based card, no. You file the application, but it needs the employer’s signed attachment and valid work authorisation. Without them the office will ask for corrections or refuse. Talk to HR early and agree dates for each document.

If my employer fires me mid-process, do I lose my card?

Not automatically, but you must act fast. Losing the job changes the basis of your application or card, and short deadlines apply. Message us the same day, with your contract, termination notice and case number, and we will tell you the exact options.

Is the whole process online now?

Applications for a temporary residence permit go through the MOS portal, which has been mandatory since 27 April 2026. Fingerprints and some collection steps still happen in person at the voivodeship office.

Do you get the work permit for me?

No. The work permit or declaration is the employer’s job. We handle the karta pobytu: preparing the application, following it up, appeals and renewals.

Employer Sponsor for Poland TRC 2026: Who Does What

Your recruiter says, “Don’t worry, the company will sponsor you.” You nod. Then you land in Poland, start work, and nobody tells you what “sponsor” actually covers. Does the employer apply for your residence card? Do you? Who pays? And what happens if the company stops cooperating halfway?

Here’s the honest answer. In Poland, an employer does not “buy” you a Karta Pobytu (Polish residence permit, often called a TRC). The employer supplies the paperwork that proves the job is real, and you file the residence application yourself. Get that split wrong and months disappear. This guide shows who does what in 2026, step by step.

What does an employer sponsor for a karta pobytu actually mean?

In everyday speech, “sponsor” means the employer wants you, offers a contract, and helps with the papers. In legal terms it is narrower. The employer’s job is to make the work side of your case valid: a genuine job offer, a contract, and the work authorisation that Polish law requires for your type of employment.

Your job is the residence side: the application for a temporary residence permit, the fee, the biometrics, and keeping your stay legal while the office decides. The two tracks meet in one place: the employer fills in and signs an attachment to your application (załącznik nr 1) that describes the job, pay and working conditions.

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One boundary we want to be clear about. Obtaining the work permit or the employer’s declaration (oświadczenie) is the employer’s task, not ours, and we don’t arrange visas either. What we do is the part that decides whether you can stay: the karta pobytu application, its follow-up, appeals and renewals.

Employer and employee going through the job paperwork before a karta pobytu application

Who files what: the employer’s side vs your side

Think of it as two folders. If either folder is thin, the voivodeship office will notice.

The employer’s folder

A real job offer and a contract that matches what is written in the application attachment (position, hours, pay).
The valid work authorisation for your case, obtained by the employer: a work permit or the employer’s declaration, depending on your situation.
The completed and signed załącznik nr 1 for your residence application.
Proof the company is active and pays what it owes, which matters because the office can check it.

Your folder

The application for a temporary residence and work permit, filed in the MOS online system.
A valid passport, photos, health insurance and proof of where you live.
Proof of legal stay on the day you file. This is the one people forget.
The stamp duty. In 2026 it is PLN 440 for a temporary residence permit. Since 5 March 2026 it is not refunded if the decision is a refusal or the case is discontinued.

Check current forms and rules on the official gov.pl foreigners portal before you pay anything. For fees and which office handles your city, see our guide on how much money you need for a Poland residence permit.

From job offer to card: the steps in order

The order matters more than speed. A perfect file filed too late is worse than a decent file filed on time.

Confirm the basics with your employer in writing: position, salary, working time, start date. The pay must respect Polish rules and cannot fall below the statutory minimum, which is PLN 4,806 gross per month in 2026.
The employer obtains the work authorisation that applies to your case. Ask for a copy. It is tied to the employer and the job, so it must match your contract.
Sort your legal stay. Your application has to be filed while you are legally in Poland. Never let a stay lapse while you wait for HR.
Ask the employer to complete and sign załącznik nr 1. Do this early. Since the MOS portal became mandatory on 27 April 2026, applications requiring an employer’s signature are best started before your deadline, not on it.
Create your application in MOS (log in through login.gov.pl), upload documents, pay the PLN 440 duty and submit.
Book and attend the fingerprint appointment. After you file on time, your passport gets a stamp that confirms your stay is legal while the case is pending.

Filing a karta pobytu application online in MOS, with passport and contract on the desk

Waiting time depends on the office and the year. We explained what is normal and what is not in Day 61 and No Answer? Poland TRC Decision Time in 2026.

What happens if the employer is slow, vanishes or goes bankrupt?

This is the fear behind most of our WhatsApp messages. A residence card based on work is linked to the job it was granted for. If the job disappears, the card doesn’t vanish overnight, but the clock starts.

Employer insolvency, a dismissal or your own resignation can trigger short deadlines to act. We cover the bankruptcy case, including the 15-working-day window, in Employer Bankruptcy in Poland: 15 Working Days to Save Your Karta Pobytu. If you are leaving voluntarily, read Leaving Your Employer? 15 Working Days to Act on Your TRC first.

Ravi, a welder from Punjab, was told by his employer that “the card is handled.” In reality only the contract existed. The attachment was never signed and nothing was filed. He found out when his stay was ten days from ending. He got the missing signature, filed through MOS in time and kept his legal status. (An illustrative composite, not a real client.)

Red flags when someone says they will sponsor your TRC

Most employers act in good faith. A few don’t, and the cost lands on you. Watch for these.

The employer wants to hold your passport “to process things”. Keep it; you need it for appointments and the stamp.
You are asked to pay for the work permit or the employer’s declaration. Costs of the employer’s side are the employer’s matter; ask for receipts for anything you pay.
The job in your contract is not the job you actually do, or the pay in the paper is higher than the pay in your account.
No one can show you a document with the case number or a submission date.
Pressure to “wait until after the holidays” when your stay ends soon.

Practical tip: Photograph every page you sign, and diarise your last day of legal stay. Your deadline is yours, not your employer’s.

Keep copies of the contract, work authorisation and signed attachment in one folder

Already have a card and thinking about moving to a better job? Read Changing Employer in Poland: 3 Steps to Protect Your TRC before you resign. For ZUS contributions that prove your employment, see zus.pl.

After the card: what the employer still owes you

Sponsorship doesn’t end the day the card arrives. For your next renewal, the office will again look at the same two folders, and your employer’s behaviour in between becomes your evidence.

Contributions to ZUS paid on time, with payslips that match the contract.
The job and the pay unchanged, or any change properly documented.
A fresh signed attachment and updated documents when you renew.

Start renewal before the last day of your stay. Our step-by-step on Poland TRC Renewal 2026: 5 Steps Before the Last Day of Your Stay shows how to do it.

Your employer owns the job paperwork; you own the deadline, and we help with the rest. Legal Solutions — 98% approval rate. Drop us a WhatsApp at +48 735 248 525 (Kamil, English) — we read every message.