Legalization process for an entrepreneur and their family via sole proprietorship¶

Credit for this document goes to immigration consultant Irina from ROOT Group.

This document describes the process of applying for a karta pobytu (residence permit) based on działalność gospodarcza (business activity).

General information¶

How the wniosek is submitted¶

Since 2026, the wniosek (application) for pobyt czasowy for all voivodeships is submitted fully electronically via the MOS (Moduł Obsługi Spraw) portal — filling out, signing via Profil Zaufany, and sending all happen online, and the voivode is selected directly in the wniosek form.

Step-by-step guide: Applying for a karta pobytu via MOS.

Regional electronic queue systems (inPOL in Warsaw, bezkolejki, etc.) are no longer used for submitting the wniosek — they may only come in handy for booking odbiór karty (picking up the finished card) in some voivodeships.

Some criteria for obtaining a residence permit based on business activity according to legislation¶

• Documented income from business activity for the previous year, confirmed by a tax declaration.
• A business plan showing how you will reach the stated income.

Several recommended conditions for legalization¶

1. Active operation of the sole proprietorship for at least 3 months
2. You need to earn 12 average monthly gross salaries in gospodarce narodowej, published by GUS, in the voivodeship where you are submitting your residence permit application, according to Art. 142. of the Act on Foreigners

General tips for preparing documents¶

• Documents must be translated by a sworn translator (tłumacz przysięgły). A list of all sworn translators in Poland is available in the Ministry of Justice register of sworn translators.
• You need to attach copies of the original and the translation to your case file; original documents are only presented for verification against the copies. The office employee will certify the copies as matching the originals and stamp them.
• Documents proving family relationships (marriage certificate, birth certificate, etc.) must be translated by a sworn translator. However, since there may be differences between voivodeships, check the requirements on the office's website before submitting.
• It is recommended to print documents double-sided and staple documents of the same type together.
• Arrange the prepared documents so that the inspector can easily understand all the information and doesn't have to search for documents you reference. For example, it makes sense to attach the UPP and bank payment confirmation to each ZUS DRA declaration, and attach payment receipt confirmations to invoices.
• Keep in mind that the office employee who will be making the decision:
  • Is not motivated.
  • Is a government employee on a low salary.
  • Does not speak English.
  • Knows nothing about IT.
  • Is not familiar with specialized terminology.
  • May start nitpicking simply because your documents are not clear to them.

Checklist for an entrepreneur applying for a residence permit as JDG¶

1. Basic package¶

The basic package is a set of documents you need to provide for your application to be accepted and reviewed. If anything from the list below is missing, your application will be left without consideration.

• Wniosek o pobyt czasowy (application for a temporary residence permit). Usually 2 copies are needed.
• 4 photos (3.5x4.5, standard document photo).

• A copy (scans or good quality photos) of all filled pages of the passport. If a spread has stamps, stickers, visa labels, or other information — make a copy; if the spread is empty — you can skip it.

  Some voivodeships require a copy of the entire passport, including empty pages, for example Lubelskie and Pomorskie.

  Also, the number and format of copies differ by voivodeship: for example, in Masovian they ask for one copy for Warsaw and two if you live outside Warsaw, in Pomorskie they ask for one copy + two copies of the last page (with passport data in Latin script and photo), in Lower Silesian — three copies.

• Opłata skarbowa — stamp duty for issuing the decision (in this case — 340 zł) — pay and print the payment confirmation (in Polish).

2. Proof of purpose of stay¶

• CEIDG registration extract.

  Get it at biznes.gov.pl: Pobierz zaświadczenie o wpisie -> Pobierz zaświadczenie z danymi niejawnymi.pdf.

• Entrepreneur questionnaire.

  blank form for filling out, approximate filling instructions

• Documents confirming the fact of conducting business activity.

  Choose what is applicable to your business. Also any other documents that confirm facts from the questionnaire / business plan / application.

• Description of activities.

  In the description of activities, tell about yourself — state your experience, what you do. Describe your education and specialization, what you use in your work. You can mention your previous clients or employers, which will demonstrate your competence. List your current clients, including those from your freelance work and side income. Describe your income for the current year, the amount of taxes paid. Use your imagination. The description of activities is a brief summary of certain chapters of your business plan.

• Business plan (recommended volume of the business plan is 10-15 pages).

The business plan should consist of:

• title page
• introduction (why you are writing the business plan and what it represents)
• description of services you provide (what do you do, and what is your business about?)
• description of the place of business (why did you choose this particular city? why did you choose Poland?)
• description of your competence (why you are great — your experience, what you can do, what you can learn)
• form of business (why a sole proprietorship? maybe a spółka would have been better for you?)
• current clients and projects
• pricing (why do you earn as much as you are paid?)
• your expenses and income (how much did you earn? how much tax did you pay? attach a table and chart)
• your short-term and long-term plans (don't hold back!)
• summary (conclusions)
• at the end, write that you confirm the truthfulness of this business plan, date-signature

• Extract from the income and expense book KPIS (ewidencja przychodów/zaliczka for the ryczałt tax form).

  KPiR example, ewidencja przychodów example

• Contracts with clients, translated by a sworn translator if the contract does not contain a Polish version.

  The ideal contract (meeting all points is usually difficult):

  • Has a Polish version or is entirely in Polish.
  • Contains clear obligations for the inspector that overlap with those stated in the questionnaire, description, and business plan.
  • Has a remuneration amount. If it is fixed (e.g. monthly salary), it is extremely helpful to specify the annual remuneration amount, at least for reference — this will quickly give the inspector information that you will earn 12 salaries.
  • Has a wet signature — a handwritten signature, not a copy. They really dislike copies of contracts; if you can get an original — try to get one.
  • A specific contract term of more than 12 months. It is better to specify, for example, 5 years rather than an unlimited term.

• Issued invoices.

  Invoices must be in Polish and be signed by hand on your side. Attach a payment receipt confirmation to each invoice — this will make reviewing this section faster and clearer for the inspector.

• Bank account statement (business account and/or those related to your activity — a regular statement from online banking is sufficient).

• Information about employed workers.
• Employee contracts together with ZUS RCA declarations.
• ZUS DRA declarations together with sending confirmations — UPP, or signed by the entrepreneur.
• Monthly VAT, PIT tax declarations (if applicable).
• Certificate of no outstanding debt to ZUS, valid 30 days from the date of receipt + UPD (Urzędowe Poświadczenie Doręczenia). Instructions on how to get the certificate.
• Certificate of no outstanding tax debt, valid 30 days from the date of receipt + UPD. Instructions on how to get the certificate.
• PIT-37, PIT-36, PIT-36L, PIT-38, PIT-28 — for the previous calendar year, if applicable.
• Documents related to your business (other documents not listed above).
• Oświadczenie ob utrzymaniu. You can download the oświadczenie form (DOC)

• Załącznik #1.

  Not required for sole proprietors (definitely not needed in Krakow and Warsaw), but may be requested in other voivodeships. Fill it out for yourself. There is an example of how to fill it out with related information. Blank form in pdf.

3. Confirmation of 3 key residency requirements¶

3.1. Health Insurance¶

According to the law on publicly funded healthcare services (art. 66, ust. 1, pkt. 1, lit. c), if you run a JDG, you are obliged to pay health insurance — except when the JDG activity is suspended (zawieszona).

When you register a JDG, the system automatically sends a ZUS ZUA/ZZA to ZUS for registration, i.e. you have health insurance. Check the sent ZUA (health insurance + social insurance) or ZZA (health insurance only, in the case of Ulga na start) declarations on the ZUS.pl portal in the sent documents section.

If you have family members who do not have their own health insurance, you can attach them to your health insurance by sending a ZCNA declaration — this way your family members will also have health insurance and the legalization requirement will be met.

What the declarations mean:

• ZUA — Zgłoszenie do ubezpieczeń/zgłoszenie zmiany danych osoby ubezpieczonej — i.e., in particular, registration for health insurance and social insurance.
• ZCNA — Zgłoszenie danych o członkach rodziny dla celów ubezpieczenia zdrowotnego — registration of family members for health insurance.
• DRA — Deklaracja rozliczeniowa — the declaration submitted every month, based on which ZUS calculates the contributions for the month.
• ZZA — Zgłoszenie do ubezpieczenia zdrowotnego/zgłoszenie zmiany danych — the same as ZUA, but without social insurance. Applicable when using Ulga na start, when social insurance does not apply.
• ZWUA — Wyrejestrowanie z ubezpieczeń — deregistration of a ZUA. Used when the JDG activity is closed, or when changing the registration code in ZUS. For example, when you leave the ZUS Preferencyjny "plan" and switch to ZUS Pełny, you fill out a ZWUA followed by a ZUA to register with the new code.
• RCA — Imienny raport miesięczny o należnych składkach i wypłaconych świadczeniach — submitted for the employees you have hired.

According to the Act on Foreigners (art. 142, ust. 1, pkt. 1, lit. a), one of the conditions for obtaining a residence permit (zezwolenie na pobyt) is that the foreigner has health insurance.

To confirm health insurance, you can get a certificate with an electronic signature on the zus.pl portal.

Instructions on how to get the health insurance certificate.

OR

• Private insurance policy for an amount of at least 30,000 EUR

3.2. Place of residence¶

A document confirming that you have a place of residence:

• Rental agreement. On the day of document submission — at least six months remaining until the end of the agreement.

OR

• Documents confirming property ownership.

OR

• Other documents confirming the right to use the housing.

3.3. Sufficient funds for living¶

As of 2026, the income after deducting housing costs (for citizens of Belarus — without the deduction, see section 3.2) must exceed 823 zł netto per month per family member, or 1010 zł netto for a person living alone (the income criteria are published by the office).

Documents confirming stable and regular income from your JDG:

• CEIDG — printout of your JDG registration confirmation.
• Income and expense book + tax declarations + invoices for services rendered.
• Certificate of no outstanding tax debt.

• Additionally, you can attach a bank account statement showing the available balance. However, this alone is not sufficient proof.

• Declaration of the number of dependents (download the form). The declaration is filled out by the main applicant. Adult family members also fill out such a document.

• Declaration of employment (download the form). Filled out by the main applicant.

4. Additional documents¶

• School/kindergarten certificates for children.
• If the spouse is taking courses or studying (for example, in a policealna school) — attach an enrollment certificate.
• Other documents confirming the presence of a family member on the territory of Poland and shared life. For example, photographs, joint bills, etc.

5. Power of attorney (form)¶

If you want someone to represent your interests — you need to fill out and attach a power of attorney. A fee of 17 zł must be paid for establishing an authorized representative; attach the receipt to the power of attorney letter (Pełnomocnictwo). If the authorized person is a close relative (spouse, children, parents), then no payment is needed, but you must confirm the family relationship with the appropriate document.

6. Translations¶

Documents in a foreign language (not Polish) must be translated by a sworn translator (tłumacz przysięgły). A list of all sworn translators in Poland is available in the Ministry of Justice register of sworn translators.

Checklist for the entrepreneur's family members¶

1. Basic package¶

The basic package is a set of documents you need to provide for your application to be accepted and reviewed. If anything from the list below is missing, your application will be left without consideration.

• Wniosek o pobyt czasowy (application). Usually two copies are needed; for children under 13 — one. Children starting from age 6 must be present at submission — their fingerprints will be taken. The application is signed by one of the parents — the main applicant.

• 4 photos (3.5x4.5, standard document photo).

• A copy (scans or good quality photos) of all filled pages of the passport. If a spread has stamps, stickers, visa labels, or other information — make a copy; if the spread is empty — you can skip it.

  Some voivodeships require a copy of the entire passport, including empty pages, for example Lubelskie and Pomorskie.

  Also, the number and format of copies differ by voivodeship: for example, in Masovian they ask for one copy for Warsaw and two if you live outside Warsaw, in Pomorskie they ask for one copy + two copies of the last page (with passport data in Latin script and photo), in Lower Silesian — three copies.

• Opłata skarbowa — stamp duty for issuing the decision (in this case — 340 zł).

2. Proof of purpose of stay¶

Birth certificate (for children) / marriage certificate (for the spouse).

3. Confirmation of 3 key residency requirements¶

The requirements and documents are exactly the same as in sections 3.1–3.3 of the entrepreneur's checklist: health insurance (family members can be attached to your ZUS insurance with a ZCNA declaration), place of residence, and sufficient funds. Additionally:

• Declaration of the number of dependents (download the form) — filled out by the main applicant; adult family members also fill out such a document.

4. Additional documents¶

• School/kindergarten certificates for children.
• If the spouse is taking courses or studying (for example, in a policealna school) — attach an enrollment certificate.
• Other documents confirming the presence of a family member on the territory of Poland and shared life. For example, photographs, joint bills, etc.
• Confirmation of PESEL number assignment.
• This item is for Lodz only. If a family member of the entrepreneur is applying, and ZUS is used as insurance, then you need to bring a certificate from ZUS confirming that the person has insurance. Nothing from what is listed in section 3.1 is of interest to them. You can get it near the office at the ZUS itself in 10 minutes for free.

5. Power of attorney (form)¶

If you want someone to represent your interests, you need to fill out and attach a power of attorney. A fee of 17 zł must be paid for establishing an authorized representative; attach the receipt to the power of attorney letter (Pełnomocnictwo).

If the authorized person is a close relative (spouse, children, parents), then no payment is needed, but you must confirm the family relationship with the appropriate document.

6. Document translations into Polish¶

The requirements are the same as for the entrepreneur: translation by a sworn translator (tłumacz przysięgły), see General tips for preparing documents.

Notes¶

• There is a separate convenient website with a checklist for submission https://justandrei.github.io/jdg-tools/checklist/ — it is also embedded in the guide on applying via MOS.