Your card expires in a few weeks. A friend tells you, 'Just take the papers to the office.' Another says, 'No, it's all online now.' Who's right? For the TRC process in Poland in 2026, the second friend. Since 27 April 2026, applications for a Temporary Residence Card (Karta Pobytu) go through the MOS online system, and paper applications are no longer accepted. We walk through the whole process in the short video right below. This article goes deeper: the steps, the money, the documents and the mistakes that cost people months.
What is the TRC process, and what actually changed in 2026?
TRC means Temporary Residence Card. In Polish it's the karta pobytu you get after the voivode (the regional office, urząd wojewódzki) grants you a temporary residence permit. The permit and the plastic card are two linked things, and each has its own fee. The big change in 2026 is how you file: online through MOS, not on paper at the counter. You can read the basics on the official foreigners' portal and in the MOS service.
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So what does the change mean in real life? Three things.
- You need a way to sign electronically. The application is signed with Profil Zaufany or a qualified electronic signature.
- The office still wants to see you. After you file online, you're invited in person to give fingerprints and show your original documents.
- Everything is on a screen, so a typo or a wrong upload is easy to miss. Slow down at this stage.
No Profil Zaufany yet? Start there, because without it you can't sign. Our guide explains why PESEL comes first and what Profil Zaufany costs. And if you're a Filipino applicant, check what changed for electronic delivery in our e-Doręczenia article.
How does the TRC application procedure work, step by step?
Here is the order that works for most people. The exact documents depend on why you're staying (work, study, family), but the flow is the same.
- Check your dates first. File while your current legal stay is still valid. Don't wait for the last week if you can avoid it.
- Get your electronic signature ready (Profil Zaufany or a qualified signature).
- Create your application in MOS and choose the correct basis of stay. A wrong basis is one of the most expensive clicks in the whole process.
- Upload your documents. Scan every page of your passport and keep file names clear.
- Pay both fees: PLN 440 for the temporary residence permit and PLN 100 for the card. They are separate payments, and the official MOS fee page lists them.
- Sign and submit. Save the confirmation. You'll need it later.
- Go to the appointment for fingerprints and to show your originals. The office will tell you the date.
Want the same flow with screenshots-level detail? Read our MOS step-by-step guide and the seven-step MOS walkthrough.
What happens after you file, and can you stay in Poland while you wait?
This is the fear behind most WhatsApp messages we get. You filed, the old card is about to expire, and nothing has arrived.
The law helps you here. When an application is filed on time and has no formal defects (or the defects are fixed on time), your stay is treated as legal from the day you file until the decision becomes final. The voivode confirms the filing with a stamp in your passport. In practice you'll often see a stamp or a confirmation in your documents, and the exact form can differ by office.
The statutory decision time is 60 days, but that clock doesn't start on the day you click submit. It starts only after the last required step is done, for example fingerprints and missing documents. Real waiting times vary a lot by voivodeship and by case, so we don't promise a number. What you control is this: answer every request from the office quickly and keep your contact details current.
If the answer is a refusal, you have a short window to appeal (14 days from delivery of the decision). Don't panic and don't sit on it. Our step-by-step refusal guide shows what to do on day one.
Which documents may be required for a Temporary Residence Card?
There is no single universal list. A person on a work basis needs different papers from a student or a spouse. Use the list below as a map, then confirm the exact set for your basis on the voivode's or MOS page.
- Passport, with copies of all pages that contain data or stamps.
- A recent photo that meets the passport-photo requirements.
- Proof that you paid the PLN 440 and PLN 100 fees.
- Documents for your basis of stay: employer's documents and contract for work, school documents for study, marriage and partner's documents for family.
- Proof of health insurance or social insurance registration.
- Proof of where you live, if your case requires it.
- Foreign documents with a sworn translation into Polish where needed.
For work-based cases, the employer's part decides a lot. See the full list in our work Karta Pobytu checklist. Employers can read what is on their side in the employer guide.
What are the most common TRC mistakes to avoid?
We see the same slips again and again. None of them looks serious in the moment. All of them can cost months.
- Filing at the last minute. One technical problem and your legal stay has a gap.
- Choosing the wrong basis of stay in MOS.
- Paying only one fee, or paying with the wrong details.
- Blurry scans or missing passport pages.
- Ignoring a request from the office because the email went to spam.
- Assuming the employer handled it, without checking what was actually filed.
Here is an illustrative example, not a real client. A warehouse supervisor from India filed in the last week before his card expired and uploaded a passport scan with a cut-off page. The office asked him to fix it. He didn't see the message for a few days, and the correction deadline got tight. He made it, but only just. Filing two weeks earlier would have turned a stressful month into a boring one.
Practical tip: after you submit, check your email (including spam) every day until the decision, and set a phone reminder for the correction deadline on any request you receive.
Another group of errors is specific to MOS. We listed them in 7 MOS errors we see from Bangladeshi applicants, and most of them apply to any nationality.
How can you make the legalization process smoother?
You can't control the office, but you can control your own file. These habits make the biggest difference.
- Start early and work backwards from the date your legal stay ends.
- Set up Profil Zaufany before you need it.
- Keep one folder with every scan, receipt and confirmation, with clear names.
- Read the application summary before you sign. Names and passport numbers must match exactly.
- Ask early if something feels unclear. A 10-minute question is cheaper than a four-month delay.
Legal Solutions helps with preparation and support through the process. We don't replace the decision of the office, and we don't promise outcomes, but a well-prepared file gives it the best chance.
Stuck on one step of your TRC application? Tell us where, and we'll point you to the next move. Legal Solutions — 98% approval rate. Drop us a WhatsApp, we read every message.