How much does a Polish residence card cost in 2026 — full list of fees, discounts and refunds

Residence card fees in 2026 are several items, not one — the stamp duty for the permit, the card issuance fee and extra costs that are easy to overlook. A mistake here can freeze your application for weeks before the office even starts reviewing it. Below is the full 2026 price list — the whole procedure is covered in our guide residence card in Warsaw.

Stamp duty for the permit — PLN 340, 440 or 640

The amount of the stamp duty depends on the type of permit you apply for:

• 340 zł — temporary residence permit (studies, family and other grounds),
• 440 zł — temporary residence and work permit (the "single permit"),
• 640 zł — permanent residence and EU long-term resident permit.

The fee is paid when filing the application. A missing payment confirmation is a formal defect: the office will summon you to correct it, and your case will stand still before it even reaches review.

PLN 100 for the card and the 50% discount

The second fee — PLN 100 for issuing the card itself — is paid only after a positive decision. Students and pupils get a 50% discount. The card goes into production only once the payment is booked, so delaying the transfer means prolonging your own case.

Extra costs that are easy to forget

• PLN 17 — stamp duty on a power of attorney, if a representative acts for you,
• sworn translations of foreign-language documents — every document in the file must be translated,
• certified copies and attestations (e.g. civil status records) which the office requires in the original.

In practice these are the items that surprise applicants most — and missing them triggers summonses that add weeks to the case.

How and where to pay

The stamp duty is paid to the account of the city office competent for the voivode’s seat (in Warsaw — the City of Warsaw), and the card issuance fee — to the account of the voivodeship office. These are two different accounts and two different transfer titles; the title must always contain the foreigner’s details and the type of fee. Confirmations are attached to the application in MOS. A transfer to the wrong account or with an unclear title will be treated as no payment at all.

When the office refunds a fee

The stamp duty is refundable if the office issues a refusal or you withdraw the application before it is decided — but this does not happen automatically: you must file a refund request. The PLN 100 card fee is never paid in case of refusal, because it is only due after a positive decision.

The most expensive thing is not the fees — it is the mistakes

The real cost of a case rarely comes down to PLN 340 or 640. What costs most is a wrongly chosen residence basis or an incomplete application: months of waiting — at the Masovian Voivodeship Office realistically 6–12 months — then end in summonses, and sometimes in a refusal and refiling everything from scratch, often with a gap in legal stay. Saving on the preparation of the application is the most expensive item on this price list.

How our law firm helps

We choose the right type of permit, prepare a complete application in MOS and keep track of fees, deadlines and summonses — foreigners’ cases are our daily work and we know where cases really get stuck. We provide consultations in eight languages, also online, usually within 1–2 business days.

Useful links

• Residence card in Warsaw 2026 — step by step
• Residence card application 2026 — MOS step by step
• Documents for the residence card 2026 — full list
• How long the residence card takes in Warsaw — real timelines