The MOS Portal is coming: what it means for your residence permit

Last updated: April 2026

Paper applications for residence permits in Poland end on April 27, 2026. From that date, everything goes through the MOS Portal. If you have a permit coming up for renewal, or you're applying for the first time, this affects you.

What changes on April 27

Until April 26, you can still submit a residence permit application the way it's always been done: paper form, documents, and either a trip to the voivodeship office or a registered letter.

From April 27, that's over.

The MOS Portal, officially the Moduł Obsługi Spraw, is the only way to apply for a temporary residence permit, permanent residence permit, or EU long-term resident permit in Poland.

If you send a paper application that arrives at the voivodeship office after April 26, it won't be processed. The postmark date doesn't count. What matters is when the office physically receives it.

Source: Office for Foreigners (UdSC)

If your permit expires soon, don't wait

The government has been direct about this: if your legal stay expires before April 27, or within about two weeks after, submit a paper application now so it arrives before the 26th. Or be ready to file through MOS the moment it launches.

If you're not sure which route fits your timeline, talk to us. Getting this wrong can leave a gap in your legal status that's hard to fix.

What MOS covers, and what it doesn't

A lot of people hear "everything is digital now" and assume it all goes through one portal. It doesn't.

If you need both a residence permit and a work permit, you're dealing with two separate digital systems with separate requirements. We handle both.

Why MOS isn't as simple as it looks

The portal is public. Anyone can create an account and file. But "publicly accessible" and "easy to get right" are not the same thing.

Profil Zaufany

MOS requires you to log in through login.gov.pl, which means you need a Profil Zaufany (Trusted Profile). That's Poland's digital identity system. To set one up, you need a PESEL number, a Polish phone number, and identity confirmation, either through a Polish bank account or an in-person visit to a government office.

For foreigners, this is often where things stall. A name spelled differently across your documents, a missing PESEL, a bank that doesn't support the process. Any of those can block you before you even see the application form.

Info on Profil Zaufany: gov.pl/web/profilzaufany

The form must be filled in Polish

The portal interface is available in seven languages (Polish, English, Ukrainian, Russian, French, Arabic, Vietnamese), but the actual form data needs to be entered in Polish. Your personal data must match your travel document exactly. If you're not comfortable filling in a Polish-language legal form, that's where mistakes happen.

You can't correct a submitted application

Once the application is signed and submitted, it is treated as final and cannot be edited or withdrawn through the MOS system. For this reason, it is important to carefully review all information and attachments before submission.

You can save your application as a draft and return to it within 45 days, so there's no need to complete everything in one sitting. After signing, no further changes will be possible.

Attachment requirements are strict

Your photo must be biometric format (max 2.5 MB). Individual attachments can be up to 10 MB, and the total across all attachments is capped at 50 MB. You need digital copies of every page of your passport, plus any apostilled or translated documents.

The red passport stamp is gone

Until now, when you filed a residence permit application, the voivode put a red stamp in your passport confirming your legal stay during processing. That's being replaced by a digital certificate (zaświadczenie). The certificate is only issued after the office verifies that your application was filed on time and is formally complete.

You still need to show up in person

Filing the application is online, but the process isn't fully remote. The voivode office handling your case will ask you to appear in person for fingerprints, a specimen signature, and to present original documents. Decision documents are still delivered outside the portal. That part hasn't changed. (MOS Q&A)

Not everything goes through MOS

Changes to an existing temporary residence and work permit (zmiana zezwolenia na pobyt czasowy i pracę) are still filed on paper. Some intra-corporate transfer cases and certain family reunification cases for relatives living outside Poland are also excluded. If you're not sure whether your specific case goes through MOS or not, check before you file.

If the system goes down, you get a short extension

According to the MOS Q&A, if the portal is unavailable due to a technical failure, you have up to 3 working days after it comes back online to submit. The submission date counts as the first day of the outage. Information about system failures and restarts is published on gov.pl/udsc.

For Ukrainian citizens: the CUKR card

Starting May 4, 2026, Ukrainian citizens living in Poland under temporary protection (with PESEL UKR status) can apply for the CUKR card through MOS.

The CUKR card (karta pobytu z adnotacją "Poprzednio posiadacz ochrony czasowej") is a three-year temporary residence permit. It replaces your temporary protection status, which means your UKR status ends once you get the card. It's a transition to a different legal basis, not an extension.

If you're not sure whether CUKR or a standard temporary residence permit is the better move, talk to us. The difference matters long-term.

Source: Office for Foreigners (UdSC)

How we can help

We've been following MOS since it was announced, and we've been walking clients through the preparation since January.

In practice, what that looks like: we help you get your Profil Zaufany sorted before you even open the application. We prepare your documents so they're in the right format. And when you sit down to fill in the form, we're there to explain what each field actually means, because the translated legal terminology doesn't always make that obvious.

Residence permits go through MOS. Work permits still go through praca.gov.pl. If you need both, we keep track of which application goes where so you don't have to.

Once your application is submitted, we monitor it. If the voivodeship office asks for something extra or wants you to come in person, we'll tell you.

If your permit is expiring soon and you're not sure whether to go paper (before April 26) or wait for MOS, book a consultation. The answer depends on your exact dates, and we can figure that out in a 15-minute call.

Our temporary residence, permanent residence, work permit, and EU Blue Card services all include MOS support.

Frequently asked questions

Can I file through the MOS Portal myself?

Yes. But think about what's involved: getting Profil Zaufany set up, preparing documents in the right format, understanding translated legal terminology, and having no paper fallback if you make a mistake. A lot of our clients choose to work with us for the first application. One wrong field or attachment can hold things up for weeks.

Do I need a Profil Zaufany?

Yes. MOS logs in through login.gov.pl, which requires a Profil Zaufany, a qualified electronic signature, or a personal signature. Profil Zaufany is the practical option for most foreigners. You'll need a PESEL, a Polish phone number, and identity confirmation. If you don't have one yet, start the process now, before April 27.

My residence permit expires before April 27. What should I do?

Submit a paper application now. It needs to physically arrive at the voivodeship office by April 26. Postmark doesn't count. If you're cutting it close, call us.

Does this affect work permits?

No. Work permits still go through praca.gov.pl, not MOS. Two separate systems.

I already submitted a paper application. Is it still valid?

Yes. If the voivodeship office received it before April 27, it'll be processed as before.

When can Ukrainian citizens apply for the CUKR card?

From May 4, 2026, through the MOS Portal.

What does Krakspire charge for MOS support?

Depends on the permit type and your situation. A renewal is different from a first-time application. Book a consultation and we'll give you a straight answer.

Two weeks to go

The MOS Portal launches on April 27. Paper applications end. If your legal stay depends on a permit that's coming up for renewal, now is the time to prepare.

We can help you get your Profil Zaufany sorted, your documents ready, and your timeline figured out.

Book a consultation. Tell us your situation and your dates. We'll tell you what to do next.