Stable and regular income

You must have a source of stable and regular income sufficient to support you and the family members you maintain (Art. 211 para. 1 point 1 of the Act on Foreigners).

Your monthly income must be higher than the income that entitles a person to cash benefits from social assistance - for you and for each family member you maintain (Art. 211 para. 2 and Art. 140 para. 2). The social assistance income thresholds since 1 January 2025 are:

  • 1 010 PLN for a person living alone,
  • 823 PLN per person in a family (Council of Ministers regulation, Dz.U. 2024 poz. 1044).

How long you must have the income

Income does not count only on the day of the application. You must meet the condition for 3 years of residence in Poland directly before submitting the application (Art. 211 para. 2 point 2). An EU Blue Card holder who adds residence in other EU countries shows income for 2 years (Art. 211 para. 2 point 1).

The rules do not give a closed list of income documents. The voivode may summon you to submit documents confirming the data in the application within a time limit of not less than 14 days (Art. 219f). So before applying, collect documents for the whole period, not only for the last months.

Health insurance

You need health insurance within the meaning of the Act on publicly funded healthcare services (e.g. through work or registration with the NFZ) or confirmation that an insurer will cover the costs of treatment in Poland (Art. 211 para. 1 point 2).

If you do not meet the conditions

If you do not meet the conditions of Art. 211 para. 1, the voivode refuses the permit (Art. 214 para. 1 point 1). The stamp duty of 640 PLN is then not refunded (Art. 223a). That is why it is worth checking your income and periods of residence before submitting the application.