Invitation to Poland
Poland attracts foreigners not only as an interesting tourist destination, but also as a great opportunity to study, work and do business. However, before packing their bags, most visitors from abroad need to obtain a Polish visa. And the first step on this path is to issue an official invitation.
In this article we will go step-by-step through the process of preparing documents for an invitation to Poland. What are the requirements for the receiving party? How to fill in the application form correctly? What to do if the purpose of the trip is to visit close relatives? You will find detailed answers to these and other important questions. Following our recommendations, you will be able to avoid common mistakes and issue an invitation to Poland from the first time.
What is an invitation to Poland and who may need it?
An official invitation ("zaproszenia" in Polish) is the key to obtaining a visitor visa to Poland. In fact, it is a legally binding document in which the inviting party guarantees to take care of the invited person for the duration of his/her stay in the country, providing accommodation, food, travel expenses, etc.
The focus of this article is on invitations to visit relatives, but it is important to mention that the invitation document can also be issued to other persons, whether they are friends or business colleagues. And the inviting party can be either an individual or an organization.
Visitor visas to Poland are of the Schengen type. In order to obtain such a visa, the applicant must, among other things, prove the existence of a place of residence in Poland, as well as sufficient funds to stay there and return home. The inviter can take these expenses on himself, having previously confirmed his financial solvency when requesting the invitation. Then the invitee will not need to provide additional evidence, the invitation will be sufficient.
The scope of invitations is not limited to family visits. Here are a few more uses:
- trips to visit friends;
- Study visits (e.g., to an open day at a university or a project presentation);
- primary entry for persons who have grounds to obtain a residence permit for other reasons (e.g. family members of labor migrants), when it is problematic or too long to obtain another type of visa.
In the latter case, legally staying in Poland on a visitor's visa, you can apply for a residence permit.
Who can issue an invitation for relatives?
According to Polish migration law, the circle of people who can invite their relatives to Poland is strictly limited. Here is who is included in this list:
Polish citizens permanently residing in Poland. They have an unconditional right to call family members from abroad to join them.
EU, EFTA, EEA and Swiss nationals. These categories of foreigners are close to Poles in their legal status, so they are also free to issue invitations.
British subjects of certain categories, who are specified in the Brexit Agreement and reside in Poland. Special conditions apply to them after the UK leaves the EU.
Foreigners with a permanent residence permit in Poland or a residence permit of a long-term EU resident. They must have been in the country legally and continuously for at least 5 years before applying.
Polish legal entities and unincorporated organizations. Firms and enterprises also have the right to invite foreign nationals.
The strictest requirements apply to citizens of non-EU and EFTA states. In addition to having a permanent residence permit, they are subject to a residency requirement. 5 years of legal residence in Poland without long breaks.
Similarly to the conditions of permanent residence, the total amount of absences from the country must not exceed 6 months of the year, and the maximum length of a single absence - 3 months. Only then will the stay be considered continuous.
Not only Polish citizens and representatives of some other countries can issue an invitation to Poland for their relatives, but also certain categories of foreigners, provided that they comply with a number of conditions specified in the legislation.
What should be on the invitation?
The invitation document becomes legally valid only after its registration in a special state register. In order to carry out this procedure, the inviting party is obliged to submit a corresponding application. In fact, it is a request to enter the invitation into the official database. The full name of this document in Polish is "Wniosek o wpisanie zaproszenia do ewidencji zaproszeń", which can be translated as "Petition for inclusion of the invitation in the invitation register".
There are a number of rules to follow when filling out the application form:
- All information must be entered in clear, legible handwriting in printed characters in the designated fields.
- It is unacceptable to leave mandatory boxes blank.
- The application must contain the personal signature of the applicant or his authorized representative.
- If the required information or autograph is missing, the application may be dismissed without consideration of the merits.
The unified application form is approved by the Polish Ministry of the Interior regulation mentioned in the preamble of this article. The current version of the form is available here.
Who can apply for an invitation?
The legislation of the Republic of Poland establishes an exhaustive list of subjects authorized to initiate the procedure of entering the invitation of a foreigner in the State Register.
First of all, Polish citizens with a permanent place of residence within the Polish jurisdiction have this right. The manner of acquisition of citizenship (by birth, naturalization or on other grounds provided for by law) is of no fundamental importance.
Certain categories of foreign nationals may also apply for registration of the invitation. These include persons who have been legally and continuously residing on the territory of the Polish state for at least 5 years immediately preceding the date of application, in possession of a valid permanent residence permit (the so-called "stalego pobytu card") or a document confirming the status of a long-term resident of the European Union.
Foreigners who have only temporary grounds for staying in the country (e.g. an hourly residence card or visa) are not entitled to invite their relatives on their own, if the period of their legal and uninterrupted residence in Poland at the time of initiation of the procedure has not reached the 5-year threshold.
In addition to natural persons, the inviting party may be legal entities (e.g. business structures or non-governmental organizations) or institutional entities without legal personality (including individual state institutions) duly registered on Polish territory in full compliance with the applicable legal regulations. In such situations, the application is signed by a person authorized to act on behalf of the respective organization on the basis of a power of attorney or other document legitimizing his/her authority.
It should be borne in mind that a citizen has the right to apply for the registration of an invitation solely on his or her own behalf. Violation of the regulated procedure, attempts to initiate the procedure by unauthorized subjects, as well as the provision of false personal data, are fraught not only with the issuance of a rejected decision on the merits of the application, but also with the onset of more serious legal consequences, including administrative or even criminal liability.
Where to apply?
Application for an invitation to be entered in the official register must be made to the voivodeship office (Wojewódzki Urząd) at the place of permanent residence of the applicant. This applies to both Polish citizens and foreigners legally residing in the country and authorized to act as an inviting party:
For legal entities and organizational units without legal personality, the place of application will be the voivodeship office where their head office is located or the main unit on the territory of Poland.
You can apply in person, by mail or through an authorized representative (e.g. a lawyer or other authorized person). In the latter case, a power of attorney confirming the representative's authority must be attached to the application.
Please note that you can apply directly to the Office for Foreigners (Urząd do Spraw Cudzoziemców) in Warsaw not provided forexcept for certain special categories of invitees, such as members of international organizations or diplomatic missions.
What documents should I submit?
To successfully apply for the invitation to be entered into the official registry, the inviting party needs to prepare the following documents:
- A completed application form of the prescribed format for the inclusion of the invitation in the invitation register. This is a key document without which the process cannot begin.
- Original valid passport of the inviting person or other document certifying his/her identity and confirming the legality of stay on the territory of the Republic of Belarus
- Poland. The document is provided for review and returned to the owner.
- Proof of the financial solvency of the inviting party, sufficient to cover the costs of maintenance of the invited foreigner during the entire period of his/her stay in Poland. This can be income certificates, bank statements, documents on the ownership of real estate or other assets.
- Evidence of a place of residence for the invitee for the duration of his/her stay in Poland. For example, a rental agreement, real estate ownership certificate or the owner's consent to provide accommodation to the guest.
- A copy of the page with personal data from the valid passport of the invited foreigner. This document is necessary to identify the identity of the guest and to verify the legality of his/her travel abroad.
- In case of inviting close relatives - documentary proof of kinship, such as birth certificates, marriage certificates, official extracts from civil status acts, etc.
- A receipt for the payment of stamp duty in the amount of PLN 27. If the application is submitted through an authorized representative with a power of attorney, the amount of the fee increases to PLN 44 (27 + 17).
Important: All documents submitted in languages other than Polish must be accompanied by a sworn translation into Polish. Lack of translation may be grounds for refusal to accept the documents.
How long to wait for a decision?
Once the application for an invitation for a visitor visa has been submitted, the voivode is obliged to enter it into the invitation register:
- during 1 month for standard cases;
- up to 2 months for particularly difficult cases.
If the review is delayed, the applicant must be notified of the extension of time.
The maximum period for which an invitation may be issued is as follows 1 year. However, the inviting party may initially request a document for a shorter period at its discretion.
Appeal procedure
If the voivode has issued a negative decision on the application to enter the invitation into the register, the applicant has the right to file an appeal. The appeal shall be sent to the Head of the Office for Foreigners (Warsaw).
Deadlines and procedures for filing an appeal:
- The time limit for appeal is. 14 days from the date of receipt of the Voivode's negative decision.
- An appeal shall be made to in writing through the voivodship office that rendered the judgment.
The complainant does not need to travel to Warsaw in person. The complaint is forwarded to the ODI by the Voivodeship Office itself.
Obtaining an invitation for a Polish visa is a complex process with many nuances. Entrust this task to us and we will help you issue an official invitation for any purpose of travel - be it a visitor, study, work or business.
We will save you from paperwork and communication with migration authorities. Our experts will prepare a full package of documents and supervise the entire process from application to receipt of the invitation.
Your confidence is our priority. We guarantee 100% results just in time. Start preparing for your trip to Poland today!
Feedback from our clients
Damien Vice
02/11/2025
Ставлю 1 звезду. Планировал начать сотрудничество через икнубатор. Отправил 3 письма, через мейл и форму на сайте, написал в инсте, сделал 2 звонка (без ответа). Потратил неделю на ожидание. Меня просто проигнорировали. Как можно доверять этому сервису, если фонд не в состоянии ответить на письмо и прислать документы для ознакомления. Жду объяснения
Andrii Melnychuk
26/08/2025
I highly recommend Łatwy Start! Thanks to them, my two kids and I received 3-year residence cards without any stress. Special thanks to manager Kristina — she was extremely helpful and even managed to speed up the process for my children. Excellent service, very satisfied!
Anton Mezhuiev
26/08/2025
Чудова робота, все відбулося швидко і дуже професійно, з чіткими інструкціями і нотатками про ті документи, що вимагалося надати з моєї сторони — і як саме їх правильно заповнювати. Запис на подачу і видача самої карти зайняла набагато меньше часу, ніж спочатку очікувалося (перше звернення у січні, подача документів і відбитків в березні — а в серпні вже отримав пластік).
Брав пакет з повним супроводом — ні разу не пожалкував, всім рекомендую — і дуже дякую всій компанії і зокрема менеджеру Кристині!
Anastasiya Balotnikava
26/08/2025
Недавно получила вторую карту с Łatwy Start, как и в первый раз – все было отлично, положительная децизия по итогу.
Благодарю менеджера Кристину за работу и своевременное напоминание про все нужные шаги, довольна совместной работой ✨
Inna
03/08/2025
3 раза членами семьи сотрудничали с компанией по получению карт побыта в разное время и работали с разными специалистами. До этого были попытки с другими компаниями , но именно высочайший уровень профессионализма Latwy Start сделал нас постоянными клиентами. Каждый раз самое благоприятное впечатление за высокий уровень профессиональной работы и моральную поддержку. Особая отдельная благодарность Ольге! Ольга очень помогла, всегда на связи по любым вопросам, отличные профессиональные советы на каждом этапе, начиная с первого общения еще до заключения договора и до успешного получения карты. Как ангел-хранитель «провела за ручку» через все сложные перепитиии, поддержала словом и делом. Огромная Благодарность Ольге и всей компании! Процветания вам и хоррших клиентов!
Oleksandr Drobyshev
15/07/2025
Все супер
Yevgeniy Postebailo
14/07/2025
Всё понравилось, везде сопроводили, всё обьяснили.
Была пара непонятных вещей, но не стесняйтесь спрашивать — всегда отвечают и консультируют.
Рекомендую обращаться.
Aliaksei Seniukovich
11/07/2025
Хочу выразить огромную благодарность Кристине из Łatwy Start за профессиональную помощь в получении вида на жительство в Польше. Благодаря её опыту, внимательности и доброжелательному отношению весь процесс прошёл легко и без лишнего стресса. Кристина всегда была на связи, подробно отвечала на все вопросы и помогала на каждом этапе оформления документов. Искренне рекомендую её услуги всем, кто ищет надёжную поддержку в решении миграционных вопросов в Польше!
Gennady Bakunovich
11/07/2025
I had a really positive experience with Łatwy Start. Manager Kristina was supportive and always ready to help with any questions. I got my temporary residence permit without any issues and with minimal effort on my part. I really appreciate their work and highly recommend them 🙌
