Temporary Stay Process
Hello everyone!
I want to thank you all for going on this journey with me to Poland! Like any adventure of a lifetime, I have had my ups and downs, exciting moments and sad ones, and I have been challenged emotionally. But, it brightens my day to see your positive responses and to know that I am loved near and far. ☺ Now, let’s talk about this temporary visa process for Poland.
Anyone that’s reading this post for informational purposes, it is important that you know every country can have different requirements. This is so even if they fall under the same laws. For my USA people, my example would be how all of the states in the USA fall under federal law, but state laws trump when it comes to certain things. It is kind of similar here.
Poland is a Schengen country and is a part of the European Union. So, this means that US citizens can come to Poland or a Schengen country with a valid passport for up to 90 days within a 6 month period. Mateusz being stuck in the USA for 5.5 months was helpful with this because it allowed my 90 days to restart. But, I have been here since November 2020 and we started my temporary visa process in March 2021. This is simply because that was when we were able to get an appointment. Also, due to COVID-19 there were visa “extensions” since this is an extenuating circumstance.
In the second week of March, Mateusz and I went to the office to start my temporary visa process. When we arrived at the office for my appointment, guess what happened! Mateusz scheduled the appointment at the wrong place, there are 2 different places you can go to. At one of the places you can only drop off documents, at the other place is where you turn in your documents and you can also get the stamp in your passport to show that you have started the process. This place is Urząd do spraw imigracyjnych. The great thing about scheduling an appointment with the correct location is that they will let you know if the information you have provided is accurate and help you fill it out correctly.
The items we took with us were as follows:
- Photos with family, friends, neighbors (I mean they are friends/family also)
- 4 Passport photos that were taken within the last 6 months
- Sponsorship documents (Rent)
- Documents showing proof that he own his home
- Tax documents stating the sponsorship documents have been filled
- Bank statements
- Credit card statements
- Letters between us
- Christmas cards
- Passports
- A letter from me about why I want to stay in Poland
- All of the documents that our lawyer told us to fill out
*we used a lawyer for this whole process and I recommend you do the same
Below are the links for temporary residency information depending on your stay, the contact information for the Centres for Foreigners, and the forms.
Centres for Foreigners Contact info
Download Centre (forms)
I recommend using a lawyer simply because there are laws and regulations that as a layperson, we are not aware of. Using a person who is versed in this information and process may help to make filling out the forms and knowing what is needed go a lot smoother. And let’s just say smooth is what I like. Although every part of my process was not smooth, I am sure it could have been worse.
FYI… Do NOT smile in the photo. It will save you time and money. Thank me later ☺
It is hilarious because Mateusz was so anxious about this process, but everything went way smoother than he could have imagined. Also, it would be helpful to have someone with you who speaks Polish because I am sure this helped me. This whole process can take up to 3 months or longer. Please leave a message in the comments or contact me if you have any questions.
And….we wait.
Right!!! 😩😭