You land in Warsaw on a Peruvian passport, no visa, and the border officer stamps you in. Ninety days sounds like plenty. Then a job offer shows up, a room to rent, and one question keeps you up at night: how do I stay legally? If that's you, this guide to the Poland TRC for Peruvians is for you. The TRC is the temporary residence card, known in Polish as the karta pobytu. We'll cover how many days you really have, when to file, and what to do with the birth certificates, police records and translations that come from Peru. Straight answers, no impossible promises.
How long can a Peruvian stay in Poland without a visa?
Peru is on the list of countries whose citizens don't need a visa for short stays in the Schengen area. The rule: up to 90 days in any 180-day period. It comes from the EU–Peru agreement, applied since 15 March 2016, and from Regulation (EU) 2018/1806, where Peru appears in Annex II.
Two details most people miss. First, the 90 days cover the whole Schengen area, not just Poland. If you spent 40 days in Spain during the last 180, you have 50 left here. Second, since 10 April 2026 the Entry/Exit System (EES) records your entries and exits digitally, so your count no longer depends on a faded passport stamp. ETIAS, the pre-travel authorisation, still has no confirmed start date, so check the official EU page before you book flights.
One more thing that saves a lot of trouble: not needing a visa is not the same as being allowed to work. The 90 days let you be in the country, not take a job. The work permit or declaration is handled by the employer or the consulate, and we don't arrange visas or work permits. What we do starts where you want to move from visitor to resident: the karta pobytu.
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When should you file your karta pobytu after a visa-free entry?
The practical rule is simple: you file electronically in the MOS portal (Moduł Obsługi Spraw, the Office for Foreigners' case system) no later than the last day of your legal stay. According to the MOS FAQ, if you file correctly and during your legal stay, your stay in Poland is treated as legal from the filing date until the decision becomes final. That's your safety net. But it only works if you file before your days run out.
Watch the phrase last day. It isn't always day 90 of your latest entry into Poland. If you've already used Schengen days elsewhere, your deadline comes sooner. So the first step isn't filling in forms. It's counting.
- Count your days. Check your entry and exit dates over the last 180 days across all Schengen countries and write down your exact deadline.
- Choose the basis of your application: work, study, family or business. Each one has its own document list in MOS.
- Collect the papers from Peru early. Apostilles and sworn translations take time and can't be rushed.
- Log in with your login.gov.pl profile, complete the MOS form and attach every document.
- Keep your filing confirmation. It's your proof that your stay stays legal while you wait.
Mexicans face the same 90-day clock, and their route is a useful reference: Poland TRC for Mexicans: 90 Days, Then What?. We won't promise decision times, because each regional office (urząd wojewódzki) works at its own pace and it depends on your case.
Apostille and sworn translation: what do you do with Peruvian documents?
Any Spanish-language document you submit has to come with a Polish translation made by a tłumacz przysięgły (a Polish sworn translator). Voivodeship offices ask for this for things like birth and marriage certificates, and the register of sworn translators is kept by the Polish Ministry of Justice. An ordinary translation, even a perfect one, won't do.
An apostille is the stamp certifying that a Peruvian public document is authentic. Peru has applied the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention since 2010, and apostilles on Peruvian documents are issued by the Cancillería (the Ministry of Foreign Affairs), not by the consulate. Some offices require it and others don't, depending on the document and the permit type. The MOS checklist for your procedure is what counts, so read it before spending money on stamps.
- Birth or marriage certificates (if your application is family-based): from RENIEC, with apostille and sworn translation.
- Criminal or police records: only if your procedure asks for them. They are issued by the Poder Judicial or the national police and usually have a limited validity, so don't order them months ahead.
- Degrees and study certificates: apostille and translation, especially for study routes or when you need to prove a qualification.
- Passport: must be valid. It needs no apostille, but if it's close to expiring, renew it at the Peruvian consular office before you file.
A small tip: before ordering anything, ask the translator whether the apostille text will be included in the translation. It's a thirty-second question that prevents starting over.
Which route fits you: work, study, family or business?
The karta pobytu is the card you receive when a temporary residence permit is granted, and your reason for staying changes what you have to prove. These are the most common routes among Latin Americans.
- Work: the employer does their part and you file your residence application. Having a contract isn't enough, both sides of the paperwork have to match.
- Study: you need an admission letter and proof of how you'll support yourself.
- Family: applies when a real family relationship already exists with someone legally residing in Poland or with a Polish citizen, proved with apostilled and translated certificates.
- Business: for people starting their own activity. It takes more preparation and should be reviewed before you sign anything.
For the work route, the employer's role matters a lot. Here is how it works from the employer's side: The Employer Signs, You Apply: How a TRC Sponsor Works in Poland.
An illustrative case (a generalised example, not a real client): Camila, an engineer from Arequipa, entered visa-free and found a job in Wrocław within weeks. Her employer had their side ready, but she hadn't counted the days she'd spent earlier in Madrid. We checked the dates, filed in MOS with a safe margin, and she left with her filing confirmation in hand, no last-day panic.
Practical tip: keep your Schengen day count next to a copy of your passport. If something goes wrong at the border or at the office, that sheet of paper saves you weeks of arguing.
What happens while you wait, and if the answer is no?
After you file, the case runs its course and you can stay in Poland on your legal stay. Be careful with travel, though: the stamp placed in your passport during the procedure does not entitle you to travel freely in other Schengen countries. If you plan to leave, talk to a specialist before buying the ticket, not after.
If a refusal arrives, the appeal window is short: 14 days. Don't sit and stare at the letter. Here's what to do on day one: Poland TRC Refused? 14 Days to Appeal (Latin Americans).
If your passport is about to expire, see Passport Renewal During Your TRC Application: 5 Steps. For general procedures, the official source is the gov.pl page for foreigners.
If any of this doesn't fit your situation, message us on WhatsApp at +48 735 248 525 and we'll go through it with you, no commitment. Legal Solutions — 98% approval rate.