Private individuals and families
Legalization of residence and work, family reunification, Polish citizenship and the Pole's Card, together with appeals against refusals and return and detention matters.
Matters we help with
- Temporary residence permits, including the single permit for temporary residence and work
- Permanent residence permits and EU long-term resident permits
- Work permits of every type, and declarations on entrusting work to a foreign national
- The EU Blue Card - residence and work in an occupation requiring high qualifications
- Family reunification - residence for a spouse and children, and matters concerning family members of Polish citizens
- Polish citizenship - recognition as a Polish citizen, applications for citizenship granted by the President of Poland, and confirmation of Polish citizenship
- The Pole's Card - preparing the application, assembling the documents, and appeal proceedings
- Appeals against refusals issued by the voivode to the Head of the Office for Foreigners, and complaints to the administrative court
- Return proceedings - obligations to return, re-entry bans, and placement in a guarded center for foreigners
- Employment compliance on the employer's side - document audits, internal procedures, and support during inspections
- Business immigration - residence and work for board members, posting of workers, and business activity conducted by foreign nationals
Foreign nationals and employers
Employers
Hiring foreign nationals in compliance with the rules - permits and declarations, audits of personnel documentation, support during inspections, and relocation of staff to Poland.
How we work together
01
Contact
Phone or form. Please tell us your nationality, your current basis of stay and the relevant dates - in particular when your documents expire and when any decision was served on you.
02
Review of documents
Verification of the basis of your stay, the completeness of the documentation and the running of the deadlines, followed by identification of the correct procedure and the authority to which the matter should be referred.
03
Conducting the matter
Preparing the application or the appeal, representation before the voivode, the Head of the Office for Foreigners and the administrative court, and ongoing contact with the authority while the matter is pending.
Frequently asked questions
In which language can you handle my matter?
Contact with the firm, consultations and day-to-day communication are conducted in Polish, English, German, Ukrainian and Russian. Court filings are drafted, and hearings conducted, in Polish - the rules of procedure require it, and in the courtroom the participation of an interpreter is mandatory regardless of the language the legal representative speaks. We work with a sworn translator of English and German, so translations of the necessary documents can be prepared quickly. Please indicate your preferred language when arranging an appointment.
What documents should I prepare for the first meeting?
Above all your travel document and any residence card you hold, together with every letter from the Voivodeship Office or the Border Guard - including the envelopes, since the date of service determines how the deadlines run. Documents evidencing the purpose of your stay are also helpful: an employment or service contract, company documents, a certificate from your university, civil-status records, and proof of health insurance and of your place of residence. Documents drawn up in a foreign language will as a rule need a sworn translation, but the absence of translations at the consultation stage does not prevent the consultation from taking place.
I have received a refusal. How long do I have to appeal?
A decision of the voivode may be appealed to the Head of the Office for Foreigners; the appeal is lodged through the voivode within fourteen days of the decision being served. Once that route has been exhausted, a complaint may be brought before the Voivodeship Administrative Court in Warsaw within thirty days of service of the appeal authority's decision. The time limits run from service, so please keep the envelope and contact us as soon as you can.
May I stay in Poland legally while waiting for a decision?
If the application for a temporary residence permit was filed during a lawful stay and is free of formal defects, the voivode places a stamp in the travel document and the stay is treated as lawful until the decision becomes final. The stamp alone does not, however, entitle you to travel to other Schengen states, and whether you may work during that period depends on the basis of the application and on the right to work you held beforehand. We establish this at the consultation, before any break in employment arises.
We employ foreign nationals - what is the employer responsible for?
The employer must establish whether the foreign national holds a residence title permitting work, obtain the required permit or registration of a declaration, ensure that the actual conditions of employment match the terms of the permit, and keep a copy of the residence document for the whole period of employment. Entrusting work without the required permit exposes the entity concerned to sanctions, and inspections are carried out by the National Labour Inspectorate and the Border Guard. We audit the documentation, put the procedures in order and represent the employer during inspections.
How much does the first consultation cost?
The initial consultation (up to 60 minutes) costs PLN 300 net. During the meeting, the advocate reviews your situation, answers your questions and sets out the possible next steps and the terms of any further cooperation. More about the first meeting
This content is provided for general information only and does not constitute legal advice.