Family reunification in Poland: residence permits for a spouse and children

The answer to "Can I bring my spouse and child to Poland?" depends less on the person you want to bring than on your own status. The family reunification residence permit (zezwolenie na pobyt czasowy w celu połączenia się z rodziną) is granted to the family of a foreigner living in Poland on a specific basis; without that basis no document list helps. We covered this route briefly in four ways to move to Poland; this article is the detail.

Short answer: To sponsor, you need a status in Poland such as permanent residence, EU long-term resident status, refugee or subsidiary protection status, an EU Blue Card, or at least two years of uninterrupted temporary residence (with the last permit issued for at least one year). The spouse and minor children are covered. Requirements: health insurance, a regular income above PLN 823 per person, and accommodation. If the family member is in Poland, they apply themselves via MOS; if abroad, the sponsor files on paper. Marriage to a Polish citizen is a separate route. The voivode decides.

Who can sponsor

Art. 159(1) of the Act on Foreigners (ustawa o cudzoziemcach) requires the family member living in Poland (the sponsor) to hold one of these bases:

• a permanent residence permit (pobyt stały);
• an EU long-term resident permit (rezydent długoterminowy UE);
• refugee status or subsidiary protection;
• a humanitarian stay permit;
• living in Poland for at least two years on consecutive temporary residence permits, with the permit held immediately before the application issued for at least one year;
• temporary residence for highly qualified work (EU Blue Card) or long-term mobility linked to a Blue Card;
• residence for scientific research, intra-corporate transfer and a few other special statuses listed in the act.

In practice the situation we see most often is this: someone who came to Poland on a work permit and has not yet completed two years. For that person family reunification does not run under this article; until the two-year history and a last permit of at least one year are in place, the family coming on another basis is considered. The calendar has to be built around this from the start.

Which family members are covered

The act defines family member narrowly (art. 159(3)):

• Spouse: The marriage must be recognised under Polish law. According to MOS, this means a marriage of two people of different sexes, registered in accordance with the law, not polygamous and not of a purely religious nature. A religious-only (imam) marriage is not enough.
• Minor children: The common child of the sponsor and the spouse, including an adopted child; also a child of the sponsor or of the spouse who is dependent on them and over whom they actually exercise parental authority. Whether the child is a minor is assessed on the date of the application (art. 159(3a)).

Adult children and parents are not within the general scope of this article; the act lists them only in special cases such as holders of protection status.

Requirements: insurance, income, accommodation

The family member (the applicant) must meet three requirements (art. 159(1)):

• Health insurance: Insurance within the Polish public health system (NFZ) or an insurer's policy covering treatment costs in Poland.
• Regular and sufficient income: A stable source covering the living costs of the applicant and the family members they support. Monthly income must be above the threshold in the social assistance act (art. 163 and 140(2)). Since 1 January 2025 this threshold is PLN 1,010 for a person living alone and PLN 823 per person in a family (Council of Ministers regulation, 12 July 2024). The MOS formula: PLN 823 for yourself plus PLN 823 for each family member you support; for example, for a sponsor, spouse and one child at least 3 × 823 = PLN 2,469 per month. If the applicant's living costs are covered by a family member living in Poland who is obliged to support them (for example the spouse), the requirement is deemed met (art. 163(2)).
• Accommodation: The right to use a specific home in Poland where one can actually live, shown with a document such as a lease, a title deed or the owner's declaration.

The voivode also examines whether the marriage is genuine (art. 169): whether the spouses live together, whether they speak a common language, whether what they know about each other is consistent, and so on. Photos together, correspondence and children's birth certificates are therefore part of the file.

Applying: where is the family member?

If the family member is legally in Poland, they apply themselves. Since 27 April 2026 temporary residence applications are filed only via MOS (Moduł Obsługi Spraw) with an electronic signature; the application must be signed and submitted no later than the last day of legal stay. The voivode then calls the applicant to an appointment for fingerprints and the original passport. We covered the details in our residence card article.

If the family member is abroad, the application cannot be filed via MOS (Zielona Linia). The sponsor in Poland files it on a paper form with the voivode for the place where the sponsor lives; the written consent of the spouse in Turkey, given on a special form, is a mandatory attachment and makes the sponsor their representative for this procedure (art. 168). If the permit is granted, the family member applies for a visa based on it, comes to Poland on that visa and completes the steps for the residence card; fingerprints are taken at that stage.

In both cases the application fee is PLN 340 and the card fee PLN 100 (Lubuskie Voivodeship); the fee is not refunded if the permit is refused. MOS gives the statutory processing time as 60 days from a complete file; in practice it can take longer. The permit is granted until the date the sponsor's temporary residence expires, or for up to 3 years if the sponsor holds permanent residence, EU long-term resident status or protection status (art. 162).

If you are married to a Polish citizen: a separate route

If your spouse is a Polish citizen, it is not the family reunification article but art. 158 that applies: "temporary residence for a family member of a Polish citizen". This article does not list the income, insurance and accommodation requirements of art. 159; what matters is that the marriage is recognised under Polish law and genuine. The voivode carries out the sham-marriage check here too; some voivodeships ask for documents showing a shared life and proof of insurance (Lubuskie Voivodeship). The application is again filed via MOS; the permit is granted for up to 3 years.

This route has one more advantage: a person married to a Polish citizen for at least 3 years who, immediately before applying, has lived in Poland without interruption for at least 2 years on this permit can apply for permanent residence (art. 195(1)(4)).

After the permit: work, business, school

• Work: A holder of the family reunification permit can work without a work permit (Act on employing foreigners, art. 3(1)(17)); the spouse of a Polish citizen has the same right with the marriage-based permit (point 15).
• Business: Both statuses give the right to set up a sole proprietorship (JDG) (biznes.gov.pl). Why this route, generally closed to someone newly arrived from Turkey, is open here is explained in JDG or Sp. z o.o.
• School: Children who are not Polish citizens attend public schools on the same terms as Poles during compulsory schooling; a pupil whose Polish is insufficient has the right to up to 24 months of free additional Polish lessons, and the municipality may open a preparatory class (Education Law, art. 165). For enrolment you contact the municipality running the school and the school's head office.
• Notification: If the purpose of the permit ceases (for example divorce), written notice to the voivode is required within 15 working days.

How to build the family budget around the income requirement is covered in our cost of living article.

Related reading: School enrolment in Poland: preschool and Polish · PESEL, meldunek and a bank account: week one

Frequently asked

I've been in Poland on a work permit for a year. Can I bring my spouse now?

Not yet under the family reunification article: at least two years of uninterrupted temporary residence and a last permit of at least one year are required. Until then, your spouse coming on their own basis (work, study) or a visit visa is considered. We put the date when the two years are complete and the documents on the calendar now.

Can my spouse's income count towards the income requirement?

The act deems it sufficient if the applicant's living costs are covered by a family member living in Poland who is obliged to support them. Which income documents will be accepted and how the calculation applies to your file is assessed by our immigration partner; the voivode decides.

We only have a religious marriage. Can we apply?

No. The marriage must be recognised under Polish law; a purely religious marriage does not meet this requirement. You first need a civil marriage and its certificate with an apostille and sworn translation.

How we work

First we clarify the sponsor's status and timeline: is family reunification possible now, and if not, when. Then we draw up the document list, sequence the apostille and translation of documents coming from Turkey, and check the income and accommodation documents. We prepare the application with our immigration partner; we are not legal representation, the application is signed by you or the sponsor, and the voivode decides. We don't find housing; we refer you to a real-estate partner. In-person accompaniment to voivodeship appointments is currently available only in Szczecin; in other cities we run the process remotely.

Sources

• Act on Foreigners (ustawa o cudzoziemcach), art. 158–169 — ISAP, Sejm
• Family reunification: spouse of a foreigner — MOS, Office for Foreigners (UdSC)
• Temporary residence for family reunification — Lubuskie Voivodeship Office
• MOS electronic residence applications and exceptions — Zielona Linia
• Act on employing foreigners (20 March 2025) — ISAP, Sejm
• What business a foreigner may run — biznes.gov.pl

Last checked: 26 September 2026. This article is general information; your own case needs assessment by a licensed partner.

Tell us the sponsor's status and where your family is; we'll clarify together whether family reunification is possible now or when. Tell us your situation or see the Coming to Poland page.

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This article is for information only; it is not legal advice. Basis: Act on Foreigners (art. 158–169, 195), Act on employing foreigners (20 March 2025), Education Law (art. 165), social assistance income threshold regulation (12 July 2024), official information from the Office for Foreigners (MOS) and voivodeship offices, as of September 2026. For your own case the final word lies with the immigration and lawyer partners.