Poland’s long-awaited MOS 2.0 (Moduł Obsługi Spraw) platform will go live nationwide on Monday, 27 April 2026, ending the era of paper-based residence-permit applications. From that date every request for a temporary or permanent residence permit, or for long-term EU-resident status, must be lodged electronically through mos.cudzoziemcy.gov.pl. Applications delivered on paper after 26 April will be rejected outright. The digital shift fundamentally changes employers’ obligations. Although companies are not required to open MOS accounts, each time a foreign employee files an application the system emails the firm a unique link to “Annex 1”, a form that records salary, contract length and working conditions. The employer must complete and e-sign the annex within 30 days, otherwise the immigration case is automatically suspended. Only trusted-profile or qualified electronic signatures will be accepted; scanned PDFs are no longer valid. Face-to-face visits to the voivodeship office are still necessary for biometrics and passport checks, but the overall volume of in-person traffic is expected to fall sharply.
![Poland moves all residence-permit filings online and unveils new “CUKR” card for Ukrainians]()
For organisations and individuals that need help navigating these new digital rules, VisaHQ offers end-to-end assistance with Poland’s immigration procedures. Through our platform you can generate MOS-ready documents, secure qualified electronic signatures and track application progress in one place, while HR departments can manage Annex 1 forms for multiple employees simultaneously. Explore our Poland services at https://www.visahq.com/poland/
The Ministry of the Interior argues that MOS 2.0 will cut average case-processing times from today’s nine months to “no more than 90 days”, though practitioners caution that the learning curve – for applicants, employers and officials – could generate short-term delays. Alongside MOS 2.0, Warsaw is introducing a brand-new legal pathway for refugees from Ukraine. From 4 May 2026 eligible Ukrainians may apply for the CUKR card (Karta CUKR – “Earlier under temporary protection”), which grants a three-year right of stay, unrestricted access to the labour market, the ability to run a business and visa-free travel within Schengen for up to 90/180 days. Time spent under CUKR will count towards the five-year residency requirement for long-term EU-resident status. Practically, HR teams should audit all foreign staff whose legal stay expires in the next three months and ensure that MOS log-in credentials, employer email addresses and e-signature tools are ready before 27 April. Companies that outsource immigration processing will need to update powers-of-attorney because MOS 2.0 accepts only electronic proxies signed with a qualified certificate. Failure to adapt could leave key talent undocumented – and, under Poland’s strict sanctions regime, employers face fines of up to PLN 30,000 (€6,600) per irregular worker.
For organisations and individuals that need help navigating these new digital rules, VisaHQ offers end-to-end assistance with Poland’s immigration procedures. Through our platform you can generate MOS-ready documents, secure qualified electronic signatures and track application progress in one place, while HR departments can manage Annex 1 forms for multiple employees simultaneously. Explore our Poland services at https://www.visahq.com/poland/
The Ministry of the Interior argues that MOS 2.0 will cut average case-processing times from today’s nine months to “no more than 90 days”, though practitioners caution that the learning curve – for applicants, employers and officials – could generate short-term delays. Alongside MOS 2.0, Warsaw is introducing a brand-new legal pathway for refugees from Ukraine. From 4 May 2026 eligible Ukrainians may apply for the CUKR card (Karta CUKR – “Earlier under temporary protection”), which grants a three-year right of stay, unrestricted access to the labour market, the ability to run a business and visa-free travel within Schengen for up to 90/180 days. Time spent under CUKR will count towards the five-year residency requirement for long-term EU-resident status. Practically, HR teams should audit all foreign staff whose legal stay expires in the next three months and ensure that MOS log-in credentials, employer email addresses and e-signature tools are ready before 27 April. Companies that outsource immigration processing will need to update powers-of-attorney because MOS 2.0 accepts only electronic proxies signed with a qualified certificate. Failure to adapt could leave key talent undocumented – and, under Poland’s strict sanctions regime, employers face fines of up to PLN 30,000 (€6,600) per irregular worker.
