Publication date: 23.12.2024
Place of residence in Poland is the address where you actually live or are registered, and it can be permanent (stały meldunek) or temporary (czasowy meldunek). In Poland, registration of place of residence is an important procedure regulated by law and applies to both Polish citizens and foreigners.
Question
What is place of residence (Miejsce mazęcania)?
Answer
Place of residence in Poland is the address where a person actually lives on a permanent or temporary basis or is registered with the administrative authorities (Urząd Miasta/Gminy).
Permanent place of residence (Stały meldunek) is the place where a person plans to live for a long time. Registration of permanent residence is mandatory for citizens and foreigners who have a permanent residence permit. Temporary place of residence (Czasowy meldunek) is the place where a person lives temporarily, for example, due to studies, work or renting housing. Registration is mandatory if you move to Poland and stay for more than 30 days.
To register your place of residence in Poland, you must submit a passport or residence card, a lease agreement, a document proving ownership of the property or a written permission from the owner. You must also complete a registration form (available at the City or Gminy Office). Registration can be done in person at the city/commune administration or online via the ePUAP platform if you have an electronic signature.
Why do you need a place of residence in Poland?
- Tax issues: registration affects the place of tax payment (Urząd Skarbowy).
- Issuing a residence card: you must confirm your place of residence by submitting documents.
- Health insurance: registration is important for accessing NFZ services.
- Banking services: banks often require proof of address.
- Other documents: for example, a driver's license or car registration.
If you are planning to change your place of residence in Poland, there are several important aspects to consider, including the legal obligations associated with registering a new place of residence and moving to Poland.
Algorithm for changing your place of residence:
- Deregistration (Wymeldowanie): if you move from one place of residence to another, you must officially deregister from your old address. This can be done in person at the government office (Urząd Miasta/Gminy) or online using the ePUAP system (if you have an electronic signature or ePUAP profile). You need to submit the form Zgłoszenie wymeldowania z miejsca pobytu stałego/czasowego.
- Registration of a new place of residence (Zameldowanie): after moving, you must register a new place of residence. This is a mandatory procedure in Poland, even for foreigners who plan to move to Poland for permanent residence, submit a passport or residence card, as well as a document confirming the right to reside at the new address (lease agreement, confirmation of ownership of the housing, permission from the owner). A completed form Zgłoszenie pobytu stałego/czasowego. Registration is also carried out at the Urząd Miasta/Gminy or via the ePUAP system.
- Updating data in important organizations: after changing your address, you need to update your information in the following institutions: your employer - for correct filing of taxes (PIT) and social contributions (ZUS); banks - to ensure correct processing of your financial data; the Foreigners' Office (Urząd Wojewódzki) - if you have a residence card or are applying for one; the Tax Office - to update your tax address; health care institutions (NFZ) - if you have health insurance.
If you change your place of residence while a case regarding a residence card, driver's license or other official documents is being processed, you must update your address in the relevant institution, check whether this affects the terms or conditions of processing your documents. In case of moving to another voivodeship, it is important to know that the cases regarding the residence card may be transferred to a new authority, which may increase the processing time. Always keep copies of the lease agreement or other documents confirming your right to reside. Changing your place of residence while applying for a residence card in Poland requires notifying the relevant authorities.
Here’s what you need to do:
- Notifying the Voivodeship: If you change your place of residence while your application for a residence card is pending, you must notify the Voivodeship that is handling the case. This can be done in person, by mail, or via the electronic system (if available).
- Redirecting your case to a new Voivodeship: If you have moved to another voivodeship, your case may be transferred to a new Department of Foreigners. To do this, you must submit a written request to the authority examining the case and attach proof of your new place of residence (e.g. a rental agreement). This may increase the processing time of your application.
- Updating data in systems: if you indicated your old address as a contact address, you must also update it to avoid losing correspondence with the authorities.
- Taking into account new conditions: if the conditions affecting your application have changed during the change of residence (e.g. employer or type of accommodation), this must be reflected in your case by providing the relevant documents.
- Notification of administrative authorities: in addition to the voivodeship, other relevant authorities must be notified (ZUS, Urząd Skarbowy, if you are working or have social obligations).
Key aspects to pay attention to regarding the impact of a change of residence on the processing of your case: if you change your place of residence within the same voivodeship, the process usually proceeds as usual. You only need to notify the relevant Department of Foreigners. If the move is to another province, the case may be transferred to the new Department of Foreigners. This may increase the processing time.
Changing your place of residence when applying for a residence card is an important legal point that may affect the processing of your case. In such cases, the help of a lawyer can be useful to avoid delays or errors.
A lawyer from the legal service "Consultant" will help you:
- Prepare an application for a change of place of residence for the province.
- Control the transfer of the case to the new department.
- Compile the application to avoid errors.
- Check whether your data in the register of foreigners is correctly updated.
- Prepare the correct package of documents.
- Protect your rights in case of conflicts with the landlord.
- A lawyer can submit a petition to the voivodeship to speed up the process and ensure its continuity.
- Represent your interests before government authorities.
- Resolve disputes or file a complaint in case of violation of your rights.
Common problems that may arise:
Loss of documents during the transfer of the case.
Refusal due to failure to comply with formal requirements.
Slowing down the consideration due to insufficient or incorrect submitted documents.
Migration to Poland is the process of moving to Poland for the purpose of permanent or temporary residence, study, work, business or other purposes. Poland is an attractive country for migration due to its stable economy, location in the European Union and accessible conditions for foreigners.
If you need the help of a lawyer who will accompany your process of changing your place of residence, prepare all the necessary documents, provide legal support in cooperation with the Provincial Office, contact the legal service “Consultant”, where they will help you choose the right specialist for your issue and help make your departure for permanent residence in Poland and more correct.
