On 12 December the Polish government published long-awaited secondary regulations that complete its 2025 immigration overhaul. Chief among the changes is a “digital-only” mandate: from January 2026 all temporary-stay (residence) permit applications must be lodged through the MOS e-portal using qualified electronic signatures. Paper filings at voivodeship offices will no longer be accepted.
At the same time, application fees jump sharply. Locally-hired employees will pay PLN 400 (up from PLN 100) and posted workers PLN 800. Consular fees rise on 1 January 2026 to €200 for national (type D) visas and €90 for Schengen (type C) visas. Employers must also attach full-passport scans and new compliance attestations; officials now have explicit power to request supplementary evidence at any stage.
For organisations or individuals that need hands-on guidance through Poland’s new digital immigration maze, VisaHQ can step in with end-to-end support. Its specialists help create trusted profiles, validate electronic signatures and lodge MOS applications, ensuring compliance while saving time and internal resources. Discover more at https://www.visahq.com/poland/.
![Poland Confirms Digital-Only Filing and Steep Fee Hikes in Sweeping Immigration Reform Package]()
The decree further narrows work-permit exemptions. Georgian nationals lose access to “special permission” status, and foreign university students are capped at 20 hours’ work per week unless they hold separate permits. Authorities say digitisation will cut back-office processing by 30 %, yet acknowledge that technical glitches could delay decisions well into 2027.
For corporate mobility teams the implications are immediate. HR portals and vendor workflows need updating to capture extra data points and route electronic signatures through trusted-profile services. Budget owners must factor higher government fees into 2026 cost forecasts, while recruiters should adjust salary offers to offset longer lead times.
Fragomen recommends submitting any pending paper files by 31 December 2025 and scheduling training for HR specialists unfamiliar with Poland’s ePUAP or trusted-profile systems.
At the same time, application fees jump sharply. Locally-hired employees will pay PLN 400 (up from PLN 100) and posted workers PLN 800. Consular fees rise on 1 January 2026 to €200 for national (type D) visas and €90 for Schengen (type C) visas. Employers must also attach full-passport scans and new compliance attestations; officials now have explicit power to request supplementary evidence at any stage.
For organisations or individuals that need hands-on guidance through Poland’s new digital immigration maze, VisaHQ can step in with end-to-end support. Its specialists help create trusted profiles, validate electronic signatures and lodge MOS applications, ensuring compliance while saving time and internal resources. Discover more at https://www.visahq.com/poland/.
The decree further narrows work-permit exemptions. Georgian nationals lose access to “special permission” status, and foreign university students are capped at 20 hours’ work per week unless they hold separate permits. Authorities say digitisation will cut back-office processing by 30 %, yet acknowledge that technical glitches could delay decisions well into 2027.
For corporate mobility teams the implications are immediate. HR portals and vendor workflows need updating to capture extra data points and route electronic signatures through trusted-profile services. Budget owners must factor higher government fees into 2026 cost forecasts, while recruiters should adjust salary offers to offset longer lead times.
Fragomen recommends submitting any pending paper files by 31 December 2025 and scheduling training for HR specialists unfamiliar with Poland’s ePUAP or trusted-profile systems.
