Just a fortnight before the year-end, Poland has published the last ordinance in its sweeping 2025 immigration overhaul, confirming that—effective 1 January 2026—every temporary-stay (residence) permit must be filed exclusively through the Moduł Obsługi Spraw (MOS) e-portal. Paper applications delivered to voivodeship offices will be rejected outright, and applicants must attach full passport scans and sign with a qualified electronic signature.
The same regulation sends government fees into the stratosphere: the standard residence-permit charge jumps from PLN 100 to PLN 400; posted-worker permits leap to PLN 800; national (D-type) visa fees climb from €135 to €200; and Schengen (C-type) visas edge up to €90. The Interior Ministry argues digitisation will cut processing times by 30 percent and curb fraud, but HR teams worry that the MOS platform—already prone to time-outs—may simply move queues online.
VisaHQ’s Warsaw-based specialists are already stress-testing MOS and can shoulder much of this administrative burden. Through the company’s portal (https://www.visahq.com/poland/), employers can delegate everything from securing Trusted Profiles and qualified e-signatures to uploading passport scans that meet new technical specs. The tool also models the imminent fee hikes and tracks case status in real time, giving mobility managers a clearer view of budgets and deadlines amid the 2026 transition.
![Poland Finalises Digital-Only MOS Portal & Quadruples Immigration Fees From 1 January 2026]()
For multinational employers the two-week window is brutal. Companies must now: 1) obtain Trusted-Profile log-ins or EU eID certificates for every foreign assignee; 2) purchase qualified e-signatures; 3) train staff on MOS navigation; and 4) re-cost 2026 relocation budgets. VisaHQ estimates that government fees alone for a family of four on an intra-company transfer will rise from PLN 800 to PLN 3,200. Larger corporates are scrambling to front-load any remaining paper dossiers before New Year’s Eve.
Practical compliance tips include taking screen-shots of each MOS step (the only proof of timely submission), scheduling buffer days for server outages, and flagging the new 20-hour weekly limit on student work unless a separate permit is secured. Advisers also warn that MOS will soon link to tax and social-security databases, enabling real-time cross-checks: payroll mismatches could trigger automatic revocation of permits.
The Polish model is being watched carefully in Brussels as the EU rolls out its Digitalisation of Visa Procedures Regulation. If successful, MOS could become a blueprint for other member states—promising faster decisions but also higher costs and stricter data-sharing. Until the kinks are ironed out, however, mobility managers face a challenging first quarter.
The same regulation sends government fees into the stratosphere: the standard residence-permit charge jumps from PLN 100 to PLN 400; posted-worker permits leap to PLN 800; national (D-type) visa fees climb from €135 to €200; and Schengen (C-type) visas edge up to €90. The Interior Ministry argues digitisation will cut processing times by 30 percent and curb fraud, but HR teams worry that the MOS platform—already prone to time-outs—may simply move queues online.
VisaHQ’s Warsaw-based specialists are already stress-testing MOS and can shoulder much of this administrative burden. Through the company’s portal (https://www.visahq.com/poland/), employers can delegate everything from securing Trusted Profiles and qualified e-signatures to uploading passport scans that meet new technical specs. The tool also models the imminent fee hikes and tracks case status in real time, giving mobility managers a clearer view of budgets and deadlines amid the 2026 transition.
For multinational employers the two-week window is brutal. Companies must now: 1) obtain Trusted-Profile log-ins or EU eID certificates for every foreign assignee; 2) purchase qualified e-signatures; 3) train staff on MOS navigation; and 4) re-cost 2026 relocation budgets. VisaHQ estimates that government fees alone for a family of four on an intra-company transfer will rise from PLN 800 to PLN 3,200. Larger corporates are scrambling to front-load any remaining paper dossiers before New Year’s Eve.
Practical compliance tips include taking screen-shots of each MOS step (the only proof of timely submission), scheduling buffer days for server outages, and flagging the new 20-hour weekly limit on student work unless a separate permit is secured. Advisers also warn that MOS will soon link to tax and social-security databases, enabling real-time cross-checks: payroll mismatches could trigger automatic revocation of permits.
The Polish model is being watched carefully in Brussels as the EU rolls out its Digitalisation of Visa Procedures Regulation. If successful, MOS could become a blueprint for other member states—promising faster decisions but also higher costs and stricter data-sharing. Until the kinks are ironed out, however, mobility managers face a challenging first quarter.
