Poland · Business & founder
Temporary Residence Permit for Business Activity
Open
Last verified July 2026
Open. Starting in 2026, applications go through the MOS system online only.
Poland has no investor route at any price. This is the only business-based option, and it turns on the company's actual income or payroll rather than a capital deposit. Structure matters. A board member with shares gets this permit. A board member without shares gets a single work-and-residence permit instead.
Qualifying routes
—
Company with sufficient income
In the preceding tax year, the company must have earned income of at least 12x the average gross monthly salary in the voivodeship where it is registered.
—
Company employing Poles
Alternative: the company can instead employ at least 2 Poles or work-authorised foreigners for at least 1 year before the application.
The facts
- Total landed cost
- There is no capital threshold. The gate is company income or payroll. There is also a personal income floor: PLN 1,010/month net for a single applicant, or PLN 823 per family member.
- Route type
- Business & founder
- Timeline
- 3–12 months (Voivodeship office backlogs vary widely. Mazowieckie is the slowest.)
- Physical presence
- Genuine business activity in Poland.
- Family
- SpouseMinor children
- Permanent residency
- Generally, 5 years of continuous residence.
- Citizenship
- 3 years holding permanent residence, plus a B1 Polish certificate. See the watch-outs below for a note on pending reform.
- Language test
- B1 Polish certificate.
- Dual citizenship
- Permitted
- Requirements
- Company income of at least 12x the voivodeship's average gross monthly salary in the preceding tax year, or 2 employees kept on for at least 1 yearPersonal income of at least PLN 1,010/month net, or PLN 823 per family memberShareholding, if applying as a board member
What can go wrong
- There is no investor or golden visa route in Poland at any price. Anyone offering one is selling something else.
- The income test is keyed to the voivodeship average salary, so the threshold varies by where the company is registered.
- Board members without shares fall outside this permit. They need a single work-and-residence permit instead. Get the structure right first.
- Starting in 2026, filings are online only, through MOS.
- The citizenship endpoint is under active reform. See the Poland citizenship reform entry.