American citizens can relocate to Poland if they wish to do so. However, for this to happen, they have to go through various immigration steps imposed by the Polish authorities. Prior to immigrating to Poland from USA, American citizens should apply for a specific visa, but exemptions from this rule are available based on a diplomatic exchange of notes signed between Poland and the United States of America (USA) in 1991.
The order of the procedures for Poland immigration is the following: verify if you, as an American citizen, must apply for a visa, verify the type of visa you require (Poland issues two basic types of visas, for short-term stays and for long-term stays), submit the necessary paperwork and then wait for the issuance of the document.
This will allow the person, if the visa is needed, to enter this country for a given period of time. If the visa is issued for a period of maximum 90 days, the purpose of the arrival in Poland will be considered a short-time stay, be it for traveling, business, studies or otherwise. If you want to immigrate to Poland from USA, our team of lawyers is at your disposal.
If the visa is issued for a period longer than 90 days and up to a year, then, according to the Polish law, the respective person should apply for a residence permit in this country and our team of immigration lawyers in Poland can assist with advice on the steps involved in this procedure. We can also advise on how to obtain Polish citizenship by investment.
We are at the service of people who want to immigrate to Poland.
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How can American citizens apply for Polish visas?
The procedure starts by applying for a visa with the Polish consulate or embassy operating in the region where the American citizen lives, which can be found in large cities such as New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and others. As presented above, the Polish legislation prescribes two types of visas addressed to American citizens: short-term visas, issued for a period of up to 90 days (Schengen visas A and C) and the long-term visa, issued for a period of minimum 90 days and up to 365 days (National Visa D).
| Quick Facts | |
|---|---|
| Visa requirements for US nationals |
No, if the stay does not exceed 90 days |
|
Special conditions applicable (YES/NO) |
Schengen Agreement parties |
|
Relocation options |
Short-term and long-term residence permits are available for those who relocate from USA to Poland |
| Permanent residence requirements |
Living in Poland for 5 years |
| Access to investor/citizenship by investment visa | YES, it is possible to relocate from USA to Poland based on an investor visa |
| Timeframe for obtaining a residence permit (approx.) |
3 – 8 months |
| Family reunification visa availability (YES/NO) | YES, family reunification visas are available under the form of temporary residence permits
|
| Investment visa requirements | Business creation with a minimum investment of EUR 100,000 |
| Permanent residence timeframe | US citizens must live in Poland for 5 consecutive years to obtain permanent residence |
| Citizenship requirements | After 2 years of living in Poland based on a permanent residence permit |
| Possibility to acquire real estate (YES/NO) | YES, it is possible to relocate from USA to Poland and buy a property |
| Poland-USA double tax treaty (YES/NO) | YES |
| Immigration services (YES/NO) | YES, we can assist those who want to immigrate to Poland from USA |
| Post-immigration support (YES/NO) | YES, tailored support in renewing documents about to expire, registration with the local authorities |
| Residence permit types |
– Temporary residence permit; – Permanent residence permit; – EU Blue Card residence permit for professional workers. |
|
Time needed to obtain the temporary residence permit (approx.) |
4-8 months |
|
Temporary residence permit validity |
1-3 years |
| Documents for obtaining temporary residence |
– Application form; – Valid passport; – Health insurance; – Payment of stamp duty fee; – Four visa photos. |
| Stamp duty fee |
€11 |
| Temporary residence permit fee |
Around €94 |
| Dependents can join the temporary permit holder (Yes/No) |
Yes, only if they have been living in Poland for 2 years based on a temporary residence permit. |
| Minimum temporary residence before applying for permanent residence |
5 years |
| Sponsorship requirement (YES/NO) |
No |
| Naturalization requirements | You are eligible if you have resided continuously in Poland for at least three years with a permanent residence permit, have a stable income in Poland, have been married to your Polish spouse for at least three years, are under 18 years old, have a parent who holds Polish citizenship, or hold a Pole’s Card (Karta Polaka). |
| Relocation steps |
Obtain necessary visas or permits, arrange accommodation, set up a bank account, register with local authorities, secure healthcare coverage, seek employment or establish means of financial support. |
| Special conditions to respect in terms of short-term residency |
Not necessarily, but you are required to personally submit your application for a temporary residence permit by the final day of your lawful stay within the territory of the Republic of Poland. |
| Easiest ways to move to Poland from the USA |
– Study visa; – Work visa; – Entrepreneur visa. |
| Special requirements to secure a work contract (if any) |
No, it is the duty of the employer to apply for a work permit if he/she wishes to hire expat employees. |
| Special requirements when moving to Poland from USA as a dependent (if any) | If the spouse is dependent, then the marriage must be recognized by Polish law, and the minor dependent must be under 18. |
Regardless of what type of visa the person has obtained when immigrating to Poland, if the stay in this country will be prolonged, it will be necessary to apply for a residence permit, in most of the cases. American citizens who are the holders of a Polish visa can also request the extension of the visa, but only for specific legal reasons. For example, in the case of a National Visa D, the extension can be granted only once, if the below conditions are met at the same time:
- the issuance is justified by a personal or professional reason of the applicant;
- the person can’t return to his or her home country due to humanitarian reasons;
- the extension is requested based on unpredictable events that were not taken into consideration at the moment in which the person applied for a visa;
- the person will apply for an extension only for the declared purposes and no other reasons can be identified;
- there aren’t any legal grounds for which the extension can’t be granted under the Polish law.
You can apply for a permanent residency visa after three 3 of holding a temporary one. You are eligible to seek for Polish citizenship after three more years of continuous permanent residence in this country. Do not hesitate to contact our local specialists for support in applying for any of the two statuses. You can also rely on us if you have other immigration issues.
We also invite you to read more about this subject in infographic below:
You can rely on us if you want to apply for a residence permit in Poland. We can support you if you want to relocate to Poland from other countries too.
How can one apply for a long-term stay visa in Poland?
An individual moving to Poland and seeking residency will first be granted a temporary residence permit. When you apply for any D visa for long-term stay in Poland, you will be given a temporary residence permit (for work, studies, or family reunification, depending on your reasons). No matter the situation, you can rely on our immigration lawyers.
The long-stay visa application must be made with the Consular Office operating in the USA. In order for the application to be processed, the applicant must submit all the required papers, and this is why is it very important to verify the required conditions. If the paperwork satisfies the requirements imposed when moving to Poland, then the person will complete an online form. Additional information can be obtained from the Office for Foreigners.
However, it is also required to print a hard copy and bring it in person to the Consular Office, this being an important step for the process of Poland immigration. The application can be processed in a period of 15 days and a person can legally apply for a visa within three months prior to his or her visit to Poland. Our immigration lawyers in Poland can offer more details on other steps involved in the process. Do not hesitate to get in touch with our team of attorneys if you wish to move to Poland from US.
We can also explain how you can obtain citizenship as a US citizen who moves to Poland.
Getting Polish residency through employment
Labor is one of the safest ways to immigrate to Poland from the United States as the country is constantly developing and there are many emerging industries, among which new ones such as IT.
One cannot enter Poland as a non-EU national and start working here without a visa. An American citizen must apply for a work visa if they have an employment offer from or contract with an employer in Poland. However, before applying for a work visa, the employer must apply for and obtain a work permit on one’s behalf.
There are various work visas available from Poland that American citizens can select from:
- the A type which can be obtained if you have a job offer from a company with a Polish business registration;
- the B type which is issued if you work as a board member and plan to stay in Poland for more than 6 months;
- the C type which can be issued for intra-company transfers of more than 30 days ;
- the D type which is issued to American citizens working in the export sector;
- the S type which is available for seasonal workers and it is seldom applied for by Americans.
One can prolong his or her stay in Poland with this type of visa by renewing the labor agreement with the employer after the initial term has expired. Based on this visa, one can also bring their relatives to Poland for family reunification reasons.
Family members can also qualify for Polish permanent residency.
How to immigrate to Poland from USA for family reunion purposes
A family reunification visa is required for non-EU nationals who wish to reunite with non-EU family members in Poland, a scenario that also applies to American citizens who move here.
This category of visas is granted to:
- spouses;
- children who are under the age of 18;
- parents (if you must care for them because they are dependent on you and no other family member is available to help.
An extended 3-year stay in Poland is possible with a family visa. The American citizens moving here are free to work and learn throughout this time.
If you want to move to Poland from USA based on family reunion visas, you can rely on our immigration lawyers who can help with the paperwork.
Applying for permanent residency in Poland
Americans who wish to live in Poland permanently must either have held a long-stay visa (for job, study, or family reunification) for at least 5 years, or they must have been married to a Polish national for at least 3 years.
In order to get Polish permanent residency, you must gather all necessary paperwork and file with the nearest migration office. Prior to submission, each document needed for a permanent residence permit must be translated into Polish and legalized. The application takes between 6 and 12 months to process.
Moreover, once one becomes a lawful permanent resident he or she can apply for citizenship in Poland.
How to get Polish citizenship as an American
Naturalization is one of the safest ways to obtain citizenship in this country. If you meet any of the following requirements, you can become a Polish citizen:
- you have a permanent residence permit and have resided in Poland continuously for at least 3 years;
- you have a stable source of income.
Additionally, you must also have a good knowledge of the Polish language. It is also worth noting that Poland also allows holding dual nationality. You must abide by the same laws, rights, and obligations as any other Polish citizen if you desire to retain your former citizenship. Considering that the US also allows for a foreign citizen to have dual citizenship, there is no impediment to retaining your former passport after moving here.
How many foreigners live in Poland?
Poland has one of the highest inward migration rates registered at a European level. Moving to Poland has become increasingly attractive for numerous nationalities, European and otherwise. In 2019, Poland reached a new record level of foreigners living in this country (in an analysis that took into consideration the persons who have a permanent residence permit). The following data is available:
- the Office for Foreigners declared the country has approximately 400,000 foreigners relocate here on a permanent basis;
- a large proportion of the foreigners living here arrive in this country for work related purposes, most of whom are persons with an age below 40 years;
- almost 50% of all the foreigners living here on a permanent basis are from Ukraine;
- there are approximately 200,000 foreigners from Ukraine, out of which 72,000 arrived in the last 2 years;
- currently, approximately 60% of the persons who have received a permanent residence permit in Poland are men.
If you want to immigrate to Poland from USA, we invite you to address to our team of immigration lawyers in Poland for more information on the visa application process. We can also assist with professional advice on the procedures applicable when requesting a short-term or a long-term residence permit in Poland.
