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United Kingdom

Polish Diplomatic Missions in the UK

Visa Types and BREXIT

Since BREXIT UK citizens continue to enjoy a visa-free entry for up to 90 days . Otherwise UK citizens have the following extended-stay visa categories: 

Type D is a national visa allowing a stay for up to 1 year on the basis of work, study, dependant(s)

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UK nationals prior to December 31, 2020 who applied for a Polish residency permit may qualify for an extension under a special scheme.

UK nationals applying after January 1, 2021 without prior documentation must apply the traditional route as Non-EU citizens. 

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More information is available here.

Residence Permits

Once your Type D visa is nearing its expiration you'll need to apply for Temporary Residence Card or Zezwolenie na pobyt czasowy/Karta Pobytu, which allows you to stay for an additional 1-3 years before needing to renew. It is important to inform the respective Voivodeship Office [UrzÄ…d Wojewódzki ] whenever your change employers, places of residency and personal information. 

Afer 5 years of continuous stay in Poland, you may qualify for a Permanent residence card [Zezwolenie na pobyt rezydenta długoterminowego UE

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This category also applies to UK nationals who have married a Polish national who have been married for a minimum of 3 years and in Poland for an uninterrupted period of 2 years.

Citizenship

If you are a UK national with Polish roots (such as your parents or grandparents are/were Polish citizens) you may qualify to be granted citizenship yourself. This not only opens doors to Poland but other EU member states as well. Dual-citizenship is allowed between the UK and Poland. Contact DokuPol for more information. 

Driver's Permit

If you are a holder of a valid UK member driver's permit you do not have to exchange it for a Polish one, as they are valid across all EU member states. Should you wish to exchange your driver's permit, you will require a sworn translation into Polish. For more information contact DokuPol.

Registering your stay/ PESEL

Once you arrive in Poland you should register your stay [Zameldowanie na pobyt czasowy] within 30 days. This document is issued by your respective City Hall [UrzÄ…d Miasta/Gminy] for a period that corresponds to your basis of legal stay (e.g. work, housing contract). The certificate is issued for a cost of PLN 17 and is useful when registering your stay or filing taxes. Non-Polish citizens automatically receive a PESEL number when registering their stay. PESEL numbers are similar to a National Insurance number. This number helps with banking and other government applications. 

Legal Matters for Polish citizens living in the UK

Should you be a Polish citizen living in the UK and require legalization of documents, DokuPol can assist. This includes registering birth, marriage and death certificates from British institutions into the Polish database. DokuPol can also assist with legal name changes or divorce entries. 

Copyright © 2022 by DokuPol Thomas Romanowski NIP: 522 3205 842

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