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Waiting for your residence card? Start here.
Almost everyone waits longer than they expected. These six steps show what your papers mean today, how long your office takes, and what to check before you travel or change anything.
Know what you hold right now
After you apply you get a confirmation, and later a stamp or a certificate. They are not the same thing, and each one lets you do different things.
See how long your office really takes
The wait depends mostly on the voivodeship office. Look at your office before you plan a job change, a trip or a move.
Check your status and know your options
Most offices let you check the case online. If nothing moves for months, there are formal ways to ask the office to act.
Check before you travel
A pending application is not a travel document. Whether you can leave and come back depends on your citizenship, your documents and your route.
When a bank or an office asks for a valid card
Banks and some offices ask for a valid residence document while yours is still in progress. There are papers you can show in the meantime.
Keep your other deadlines and decide if you need help
Other deadlines keep running while you wait. If your case is complicated, compare the kinds of help before you pay anyone.
General information, not legal advice. Your own case depends on your documents, your dates and your office. Found a mistake? Tell us and we fix it.
