Foreign nationals seeking to live or work in Poland will soon have only one filing channel: the government’s Moduł Obsługi Spraw (MOS) portal. In guidance published on 21 April 2026, the Ministry of the Interior confirmed that, from 27 April, all applications for temporary residence permits, permanent residence permits and EU long-term-resident permits must be lodged electronically. Paper forms delivered after 26 April "will be left without consideration," meaning they will be treated as never filed.
![Poland Announces Mandatory E-Filing of Residence Permits via MOS Portal from 27 April 2026]()
For applicants who would prefer to outsource the mechanics of the new system, VisaHQ’s Poland desk can step in with end-to-end support—setting up Trusted Profiles, converting files to PDF/A, and lodging MOS applications on your behalf. Learn more at https://www.visahq.com/poland/
The move finalises an 18-month digital-transformation programme that has already seen most Polish voivodeship offices phase out in-person queuing systems in favour of online appointment slots. For employers, the biggest operational change is the disappearance of the traditional ‘print-sign-queue’ workflow. Company HR teams will need to obtain a Trusted Profile (Profil Zaufany) for each applicant, convert supporting documents into the required PDF/A standard and pay fees electronically. Firms that miss the cut-off will have to restart their cases in MOS, risking gaps in work authorisation. The ministry’s notice also confirms that, from 4 May, foreigners exiting temporary protection under the Ukrainian Special Act can submit applications for the new CUKR residence card exclusively through MOS. This adds pressure on thousands of Ukrainian professionals whose PESEL-UKR status ends on 1 September 2026 to familiarise themselves quickly with the e-portal. NGOs providing pro-bono immigration support warn that smaller employers and self-sponsored applicants may struggle with file-formatting rules and are urging the government to publish English- and Ukrainian-language tutorials before launch day. Legal practitioners broadly welcome the change, citing faster case tracking and reduced risk of lost paperwork. However, they caution that MOS still lacks a bulk-upload function, meaning companies filing multiple applications must enter data manually for each employee. While a back-office API is reportedly in development, it is not expected before 2027. Practical tips for HR: test the portal with a dummy profile this week, ensure every applicant has a functioning Trusted Profile, and scan passports at 300 dpi colour to minimise rejections. Companies with time-sensitive assignments should consider couriering any final paper packages to arrive no later than 25 April to guarantee acceptance under the old rules.
For applicants who would prefer to outsource the mechanics of the new system, VisaHQ’s Poland desk can step in with end-to-end support—setting up Trusted Profiles, converting files to PDF/A, and lodging MOS applications on your behalf. Learn more at https://www.visahq.com/poland/
The move finalises an 18-month digital-transformation programme that has already seen most Polish voivodeship offices phase out in-person queuing systems in favour of online appointment slots. For employers, the biggest operational change is the disappearance of the traditional ‘print-sign-queue’ workflow. Company HR teams will need to obtain a Trusted Profile (Profil Zaufany) for each applicant, convert supporting documents into the required PDF/A standard and pay fees electronically. Firms that miss the cut-off will have to restart their cases in MOS, risking gaps in work authorisation. The ministry’s notice also confirms that, from 4 May, foreigners exiting temporary protection under the Ukrainian Special Act can submit applications for the new CUKR residence card exclusively through MOS. This adds pressure on thousands of Ukrainian professionals whose PESEL-UKR status ends on 1 September 2026 to familiarise themselves quickly with the e-portal. NGOs providing pro-bono immigration support warn that smaller employers and self-sponsored applicants may struggle with file-formatting rules and are urging the government to publish English- and Ukrainian-language tutorials before launch day. Legal practitioners broadly welcome the change, citing faster case tracking and reduced risk of lost paperwork. However, they caution that MOS still lacks a bulk-upload function, meaning companies filing multiple applications must enter data manually for each employee. While a back-office API is reportedly in development, it is not expected before 2027. Practical tips for HR: test the portal with a dummy profile this week, ensure every applicant has a functioning Trusted Profile, and scan passports at 300 dpi colour to minimise rejections. Companies with time-sensitive assignments should consider couriering any final paper packages to arrive no later than 25 April to guarantee acceptance under the old rules.
