It's May. Your thesis is submitted, the defence date is set, and your student karta pobytu says 30 June. In the group chat everyone is asking the same thing: what happens to our legal stay the day after the diploma? Here's the short answer. If you studied at a Polish university, there is a one-time permit built for exactly this moment: a karta pobytu (Polish residence permit, often called a TRC) for graduates, valid for 9 months, so you can look for a job or start a business. The karta pobytu after graduation is not automatic, though. You have to ask for it, in the right system, before the right date.
So, what is the graduate karta pobytu in plain words?
Think of it as a bridge. Your student card ends, your first employment contract hasn't started yet, and Poland gives you a window to close that gap legally. It is a temporary residence permit for graduates of Polish universities who want to stay longer than three months to search for work or to set up their own business. Official sources describe it as granted once, for 9 months.
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- 9 months, one time only. You cannot ask for a second one later.
- You must be a graduate of a Polish university. A diploma from another country does not qualify.
- It is meant for job hunting or starting a business. By itself it is not a work authorisation for a specific employer (more on that below).
- Since 27 April 2026, residence applications are filed online through the MOS portal only.
Who qualifies, and when exactly must you file?
Timing is where most graduates slip. The rule that matters most: file in MOS no later than your last day of legal stay.
If you file on time and without formal errors (or you fix any errors by the deadline the office gives you), your stay stays legal from the day you submitted the application. Miss that date and you end up in a much harder situation, because you can no longer rely on a pending case. Some voivodeship portals say you may file before the diploma ceremony, so you don't have to wait for the paper itself. Since the permit is one-time and tied to your graduation date, confirm the exact moment with your voivodeship office before you click submit.
Another detail people discover too late: the application includes an attachment that your university has to complete. That means a visit to the dean's office, and deans' offices are slow in June.
You can read the official description on the UdSC page for the graduate permit and the basic information about the MOS system. For general rules for foreigners, the starting point is gov.pl/cudzoziemcy.
What goes into the MOS application for graduates?
Build the pack before graduation week, not after. Based on the voivodeship guidance, expect to prepare these items:
- Your passport: scans or photos of all pages of the travel document.
- The university attachment, completed by your university, plus your diploma or the university's confirmation that you are graduating.
- Proof that you are actively looking for work: CVs sent to employers, confirmations of scheduled interviews, replies from recruiters.
- Health insurance that covers you for the whole stay.
- Proof of where you live in Poland: a current rental contract or similar.
- Proof of funds for your stay and a return ticket for the 9 months.
- A biometric photo that follows the photo rules.
- Confirmation that the stamp duty has been paid.
Fees: the stamp duty for a standard temporary residence permit is PLN 340, and the card itself costs PLN 100 when it is issued. The two are paid into separate accounts. Fee tables can change, so check the current amounts and account numbers on the MOS portal before you pay. The permit fee is generally not refunded if the case is refused.
Insurance is a common stumbling block for students whose university policy ends with the studies. Check how your cover continues after the last day of enrolment, and see the rules on nfz.gov.pl if you plan to rely on the public system.
Can I work on this permit, and what comes after the 9 months?
This question decides your next year. The graduate permit exists so you can search for work or build a business. It does not replace the paperwork for a specific job. Graduates of Polish universities are generally treated more simply than other foreigners when it comes to taking up work, but your future employer has to confirm what applies to your exact contract. The employer, or the consulate where relevant, handles the work-side paperwork. We do not prepare visas, work permits or employer declarations. What we do is the residence card that follows.
Illustrative example (composite, not a real client): Nimal, a mechanical engineering graduate from Sri Lanka, filed his graduate application three weeks before his student card ended. In month five a manufacturer in Wrocław made him an offer. The employer started the work-side paperwork, and Nimal prepared his next karta pobytu while the first one was still valid. Nothing lapsed, and he never had a day without status.
Plan the next step around month four or five, not month nine. A new karta pobytu for work needs employer documents, and decisions take time. Our guide to renewal timing and the last day of stay explains why filing before the deadline protects you, and how long a TRC decision really takes shows what to expect while you wait. If your salary and diploma fit the Blue Card route, it is another option to compare with a standard work-based permit.
What if the 9 months run out, or the office says no?
You cannot extend this permit or repeat it, so plan B must be a different kind of karta pobytu, filed while the graduate permit is still valid. Study, work, business and family routes each have different requirements, and choosing the wrong one costs months.
If you plan to travel home during the wait, read our checklist on travelling while a TRC case is pending before you book a ticket.
If the decision is a refusal, the clock is short. You have 14 days to appeal, and this day-one guide shows what to do first. If your case simply sits past the legal time, there are tools such as a ponaglenie (a formal reminder to the office) and a complaint about inaction. We prepare and file both.
Practical tip: Book the dean's office appointment for your university attachment at least six weeks before your last day of legal stay, and save the MOS submission confirmation as a PDF the same day you file.
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