Temporary stay permits for foreigners are issued as an administrative decision made by the voivode of the Lesser Poland based on an application.

Małopolski Urząd Wojewódzki w Krakowie
(Małopolska Provincial Office in Krakow)
Wydział Spraw Obywatelskich i Cudzoziemców
(Department of Nationals' and Foreigners' Affairs)
Oddział do Spraw Cudzoziemców
(Foreigners' Affairs Unit)
Krakow, ul. Przy Rondzie 6 (ground floor, foreigners' affairs room)

Postal address
ul. Basztowa 22, 31-156 Kraków
e-mail:

Phone no.:
Information on legalization of foreigners' residence: 12 39 21 804, 12 39 21 877
Opening hours for residents
Monday 9:00-17:00
Tuesday – Friday 8:00-15:00

Branch Office in Nowy Sącz
33-300 Nowy Sącz, ul. Jagiellońska 52, (1st floor, room 111)

Postal address
ul. Jagiellońska 52, 33-300 Nowy Sącz
e-mail:

Phone no.:
Information on legalization of foreigners’ residence: 18 540 23 41
fax 18 44 37 025

Opening hours for residents
Monday 9:00-17:00
Tuesday - Friday 8:00-15:00

A temporary stay permit to enter a full time studies is granted if the objective of the alien's stay on the territory of the Republic of Poland is entering education on:

• first-degree studies,
  
• second degree studies, or
  
• uniform Master's studies, or
  
• third-degree studies.
  

Necessary documents:

1. The application form completed according to the instructions
   
2. Four photographs that fulfill the following requirements:
   
   • are intact, colored, with a good focus; dimensions 35 mm x 45 mm;
     
   • were taken not earlier than 6 months before submitting the application;
     
   • present the front of the alien's face from the top of the head to the upper part of shoulders so that the face takes up 70-80% of the photograph, on a homogenous bright background, looking straight with open eyes that are not covered with hair, with natural facial expression and closed mouth, and reflecting their natural skin color;
     
   • clearly present the alien's eyes, particularly pupils, the alien's eye line is parallel to the upper edge of the photograph;
     
     Note: An alien wearing headgear out of faith may include with the application a photograph presenting them in the headgear, provided that their face is fully visible. In such case, an alien's declaration of their affiliation with a religious community is included with the application.
     
3. A copy of a valid travel document (the original document available for inspection), in an exceptional case when the alien does not have a valid travel document and they cannot obtain it, the alien can present other document confirming their identity.
   
   Note: Not submitting any of the above mentioned documents shall cause a request for the alien’s appearance in order to provide such document within 7 days from receiving the request, otherwise the application shall not be processed.
4. a proof of the administrative fee payment (not paying the fee results in the return of the application).
   

Typical documents confirming the circumstances indicated in the application:

Note: Including the documents listed below with the application when submitting it, may limit the amount of official correspondence and shorten the time of the application processing.

1. a certificate issued by the institution of higher education confirming the alien's admission to studies or continuation of the studies or admission for a preparatory course,
2. a proof of tuition fee payment, if the alien undertakes or continues tuition-based studies,
3. The documents confirming having health insurance as defined by the regulations of the Act of Publically Funded Healthcare Benefits of 27th August 2004, or a confirmation that the insurer will cover the costs of healthcare on the territory of the Republic of Poland (e.g. an applicable certificate from the Social Insurance Institution, insurance policy)
4. documents certifying having sufficient financial means to cover the costs of living and of the return journey to the country of origin or residence or the costs of transit to a third country, which shall grant the permission to enter and the costs of studies.

Note: Should there appear a need to explain or clarify the evidence in possession of the office, related to the matter, during the proceedings, the alien may be requested to provide other documents or to make a statement confirming the circumstances described in the application.

Application forms are also available in the Department of Nationals' and Foreigners' Affairs of the Małopolska Provincial Office: Foreigners' Affairs Unit, ul. Przy Rondzie 6, ground floor, foreigners' affairs room
and in:

Branch Office in Nowy Sącz ul. Jagiellońska 52, 1st floor, room 111

PLN 340 at the time of submission of the application, payable to the bank account:

Wydział Podatków i Opłat UMK
PKO Bank Polski S.A.
49 1020 2892 2276 3005 0000 0000

PLN 50 for the residence card upon receipt of the decision, payable to the bank account:

Małopolski Urząd Wojewódzki
NBP Oddział Okręgowy w Krakowie
08 1010 1270 0051 2222 3100 0000

The documents should be submitted in person in the Foreigners' Affairs Unit of the Department of Nationals' and Foreigners' Affairs of Małopolska Provincial Office in Krakow, ul. Przy Rondzie 6 (ground floor, foreigners' affairs room) or in the Branch Office of the Department of Nationals' and Foreigners' Affairs in Nowy Sącz, ul. Jagiellońska 52 (1st floor, room 111).

The Act on Aliens of 12 December 2013 (Journal of Laws of 2003, Item 1650)

THE TIME LIMIT FOR SETTLING A MATTER

Pursuant to the obligation to obtain the information from the Chief of the Polish National Border Guard, the Chief Constable of the Provincial Police Department, the Chief of the Internal Security Agency, and, if necessary, also a consul or other institutions, confirming that the arrival of the alien on the territory of the Republic of Poland and their stay on this territory does not pose a threat to the defense or national security or the protection of safety and public order, who are obliged to provide the above mentioned information within 30 days from receiving the request for information. The decision about granting the permit is issued after 1 month from the day when the proceedings started.

You have the right to appeal against the decision to the Head of the Office for Foreigners in Warsaw, through the agency of Małopolska province governor. Written appeals should be submitted within 14 days from the date of receiving the decision.

The alien shall submit an application for a temporary stay permit in person, not later than on the last day of their legal stay on the territory of the Republic of Poland. If the application for the permit was not submitted by the alien in person, the voivode requests their personal appearance within 7 days, otherwise the application will not be processed. If the alien is:

1. a minor - the application for the permit is submitted by the parents or guardians appointed by the court or one of the parents or one of the guardians appointed by the court;
   
2. totally incapacitated - the application for permit is submitted by their guardian appointed by the court;
   
3. an unaccompanied minor – the application for the permit is submitted by the court-appointed guardian. When submitting an application for granting a permit to an alien who is a minor of 6 years of age, the minor's presence is required.
   

When submitting an application for a temporary stay permit, the alien shall leave their fingerprints in order to obtain the residence card.

Aliens who are less than 6 years old or for whom leaving fingerprints is physically impossible, do not fall under the above obligation.

If an alien does not leave their fingerprints in order to obtain the residence card, although they are obliged to it, the proceedings to grant the alien a temporary stay permit are not initiated.

If the deadline for application submission was met and there is no information missing from the application or the information missing was provided on time, the alien's stay is considered legal from the day the application was submitted, until the day when the final decision regarding this case is made. If the proceedings related with granting a temporary stay permit are suspended on the alien's request, their stay during this time shall not be deemed legal.

NOTE: Having a stamp in their travel document does not entitle the alien to travel to the territories of other countries of the Schengen Area, however, the alien can travel to their country of origin.

Financial means:

According to the Regulation of the Council of Ministers of 19th May 2014 regarding the minimum financial means that an alien undertaking or continuing studies on the territory of the Republic of Poland must have, and the documents that may be used to confirm the possibility of obtaining such means (Journal of Laws of 2014, item 681), an alien undertaking or continuing studies on the territory of the Republic of Poland must have the financial means to cover the costs of living on the territory of the Republic of Poland amounting to at least 543 PLN - a single person or 437 PLN for a person staying in Poland with the members of their family who depend on them, per each person and per each month.

1. during the period of 15 months, or
   
2. during the whole stay, if the period of stay is shorter than the period indicated in point 1
   - or the equivalent of this sum in foreign currencies.
   

and a return ticket to their country of residence or the financial means to cover the costs of returning to the country of residence in the amount equivalent to the ticket:

1. 200 PLN - if the alien arrived from a neighboring country of the Republic of Poland;
   
2. 500 PLN - if the alien arrived from a member state of the European Union, other than the countries indicated in point 1;
   
3. 2,500 PLN if the alien arrived from a country that is not a member of the European Union).
   

Documents that can confirm the alien's ability to obtain financial means to cover the costs of living on the territory of the Republic of Poland and their return journey to their country of origin or residence or the costs of transit to a third country that shall grant them the permission to enter, are:

1. a traveler's check;
   
2. a certificate of the credit limit for the credit card, issued by the bank that issued the credit card;
   
3. a certificate of having a means of payment in a bank or in a cooperative savings and credit union with their registered office on the territory of the Republic of Poland;
   
4. a document confirming being awarded a national or foreign scholarship;
   
5. a certificate of employment and of income.
   

The certificates mentioned in points 2, 3, and 5, must be issued not earlier than a month before the day of submitting the application for a temporary stay permit.

Duration of the permit:

The first permit is issued for 15 months.
Another permit may be issued for the time of the studies, not longer than 3 years.

If the duration of studies or a preparatory course is shorter than one year, the permit is issued for the duration of the academic year or the duration of the preparatory course prolonged by 3 months. The voivode informs the president of the university or other institution providing the education about granting the permit.
The president of the university or other institution providing the education immediately notifies the voivode if the alien is expelled or if they did not pass the academic year within the specified time. The voivode can decline granting another permit and they can revoke another permit if the alien did not pass the academic year in the specified time.

A foreigner is obliged to collect the residence card in person.