Poland · Business / Startup

Poland Business activity permit

Income needed: from PLN 86k a year ≈ $22k

Temporary residence permit for conducting business activity

Checked against official sources on 12 Oct 2026Record corrected 12 Oct 2026 Change log

Key facts

Business activity permit is a business / startup route for Poland. Applicants need income from PLN 86k a year ≈ $22k. You can stay 3 yrs. Checked 2026-10-12 against the official source.

Money needed: from PLN 86k a year ≈ $22k
Government fees: PLN 440 ≈ $110
Processing: Up to 60 days
First stay: 3 yrs

Cost, time and long term

To apply: government fee PLN 440 ≈ $110; income to show from PLN 86k/yr ≈ $22k; decision: up to 60 days. No lawyer or agent fee is included.

Government feesPLN 440 ≈ $110

PLN 440 (≈ $110)Stamp duty for the temporary residence permit application, paid online.

Shown, not spentPLN 86k+/yr ≈ $22k · +2 more

PLN 85,606.8 a year (≈ $21,800)Company income in the preceding tax year of at least 12 times the regional average gross monthly wage: 12 x PLN 7,133.90 (≈ $1,820) (warmińsko-mazurskie, lowest region, 2024 average, announced by Statistics Poland on 19 November 2025, the latest regional table). Alternative: employing 2 people permanently.
PLN 113,867.28 a year (≈ $29,000)Same test in the highest-wage region: 12 x PLN 9,488.94 (≈ $2,420) (mazowieckie, 2024 average).
PLN 1,010 a month (≈ $260)The applicant's own stable and regular income. Net monthly income of at least PLN 1,010 (≈ $260) for a person living alone, or PLN 823 (≈ $210) per person in a family: the social-assistance income criteria from 1 January 2025, as given by the voivodeship office in Poznan (page read 12 October 2026).

RenewalRenewable

Temporary permits are extended by administrative decision for up to 3 years at a time.

Legality of residence

Permanent residenceAfter 5 years of residence

Long-term EU resident permit after 5 years of uninterrupted residence, with Polish B1 and stable income. Most temporary permits count; study time counts at 50%.

Official migration authority

CitizenshipAfter 3 years as a permanent resident

Citizenship by recognition needs 3 years of uninterrupted residence on a permanent or long-term EU resident permit, plus stable income, housing and Polish language proof.

Dolnoslaski Voivodeship Office, Wroclaw

ProcessingUp to 60 days

Decisions on temporary residence permits are due within 60 days of a complete file and, where required, the fingerprint visit.

Voivodeship Office

Where to applyInside the country

Applied for online in the MOS portal, no later than the last day of legal stay in Poland.

Office of Wielkopolska Province in Poznan

Presence rulesAbsence limits

For permanent or long-term status, absences must stay under 6 months at a time and 10 months in total over the qualifying period.

Official migration authority

Why this route may not fit

Check this before you apply.

Not open to EU, EEA or Swiss passports

What you'll need

Who can apply1

The main purpose of stay is business activity, shown as a board member holding shares, a general partner or a proxy.

What you must show5

The company earned income in the preceding tax year of at least 12 times the regional average monthly wage (PLN 85,606.80 (≈ $21,800) to 113,867.28).
Otherwise the company employed at least 2 people entitled to work in Poland for at least a year, or shows it can meet these conditions later.
The applicant shows a stable and regular source of income, health insurance and accommodation in Poland.
Stable income means at least PLN 1,010 (≈ $260) net a month for a person living alone or PLN 823 (≈ $210) per person in a family, as given by the voivodeship office in Poznan for the period from 1 January 2025.
The stamp duty is PLN 440 (≈ $110).

Documents2

Company tax returns, ZUS and tax office certificates of no arrears, and for new companies a business plan, accounts and bank statements.
Annex No. 1 for each company function, signed by a person authorised to represent the company in the KRS.

Steps1

Apply only online through the MOS portal, no later than the last day of legal stay, then give fingerprints at an appointment.

After you arrive1

Report the end of the business activity to the voivode within 15 days.

What happens at day 183

How Poland decides tax residence and treats foreign-source income, from its tax records.

Stay on this route: Up to 3 years at first, renewable
Tax residence: More than 183 days in a tax yearStaying in Poland more than 183 days in the tax year makes the person a Polish tax resident.
Foreign-source income: Persons resident in Poland for tax purposes have unlimited tax liability and settle all income in Poland, earned both in Poland and abroad, using the treaty exemption or credit method for foreign-source income.

All tax rules for Poland Tax records checked 10 Oct 2026

Official site

What you need to arrange

Health insurance
The applicant shows a stable and regular source of income, health insurance and accommodation in Poland
Accommodation
The applicant shows a stable and regular source of income, health insurance and accommodation in Poland

Taken from this route's requirements above. The authority's own list is the one that counts.

Full official text

Temporary residence permit for foreigners whose main purpose of stay is running a business as a board member of a company they founded or hold shares in, a general partner of a limited partnership or limited joint-stock partnership, or a proxy; the business must meet income or employment conditions. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

What you must show and pay

Income of at least PLN 85,606.8 a year (≈ $21,800) · Company income in the preceding tax year of at least 12 times the regional average gross monthly wage: 12 x PLN 7,133.90 (≈ $1,820) (warmińsko-mazurskie, lowest region, 2024 average, announced by Statistics Poland on 19 November 2025, the latest regional table). Alternative: employing 2 people permanently. ^{3 5 1}
Income of at least PLN 113,867.28 a year (≈ $29,000) · Same test in the highest-wage region: 12 x PLN 9,488.94 (≈ $2,420) (mazowieckie, 2024 average). ^{3 5}
A fee of PLN 440 (≈ $110) · Stamp duty for the temporary residence permit application, paid online. ¹
Income of at least PLN 1,010 a month (≈ $260) · The applicant's own stable and regular income. Net monthly income of at least PLN 1,010 (≈ $260) for a person living alone, or PLN 823 (≈ $210) per person in a family: the social-assistance income criteria from 1 January 2025, as given by the voivodeship office in Poznan (page read 12 October 2026). ⁴

Requirements

The main purpose of stay is business activity, shown as a board member holding shares, a general partner or a proxy. ¹
The company earned income in the preceding tax year of at least 12 times the regional average monthly wage (PLN 85,606.80 (≈ $21,800) to 113,867.28). ^{3 5 1}
Otherwise the company employed at least 2 people entitled to work in Poland for at least a year, or shows it can meet these conditions later. ¹
The applicant shows a stable and regular source of income, health insurance and accommodation in Poland. ¹
Stable income means at least PLN 1,010 (≈ $260) net a month for a person living alone or PLN 823 (≈ $210) per person in a family, as given by the voivodeship office in Poznan for the period from 1 January 2025. ⁴
The stamp duty is PLN 440 (≈ $110). ¹
Company tax returns, ZUS and tax office certificates of no arrears, and for new companies a business plan, accounts and bank statements. ¹
Annex No. 1 for each company function, signed by a person authorised to represent the company in the KRS. ¹
Apply only online through the MOS portal, no later than the last day of legal stay, then give fingerprints at an appointment. ¹
Report the end of the business activity to the voivode within 15 days. ¹

Stay

The temporary residence permit is granted for the period needed to achieve the purpose of stay, for no more than 3 years.
First stay: up to 36 months, decided case by case.

Nationality

Non-EU/EEA/Swiss nationals. Not open to: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Switzerland, Cyprus, Czechia, Germany, Denmark, Estonia, Spain, Finland, France, Greece, Croatia, Hungary, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Latvia, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, Slovenia, Slovakia.

Work

The permit covers running the business and the board or proxy function named in the application.

Checked 2026-10-12

Official sources

Business activity: temporary residence permit procedure (Poznan Voivodeship Office) · Office of Wielkopolska Province in Poznan · checked 2026-10-11
What types of business activities can foreign nationals conduct in Poland · Business portal (biznes.gov.pl) · checked 2026-10-10
Act of 12 December 2013 on Foreigners, consolidated text, Art. 142 (temporary residence for business activity) · Sejm of the Republic of Poland (ISAP) · checked 2026-10-11 · published 2026-04-07
Stable and regular source of income (dictionary entry of the Department for Foreigners) · Wielkopolska Voivodeship Office in Poznan · checked 2026-10-12
GUS announcement of 19 November 2025: average monthly gross wage in the national economy by voivodeship in 2024 · Statistics Poland (GUS) · checked 2026-10-11 · published 2025-11-19
Legality of residence — Office for Foreigners · Legality of residence · checked 2026-10-10
Permit for residence of a long-term EU resident · Official migration authority · checked 2026-10-10
Uznanie za obywatela polskiego (service card approved 28 May 2026) · Dolnoslaski Voivodeship Office, Wroclaw · checked 2026-10-11
Zezwolenie na pobyt czasowy i prace - Karta informacyjna (decision within 60 days) · Voivodeship Office (gov.pl information card) · checked 2026-10-11

Business activity permit and its alternatives

Route	Money needed	Stay	Work
Business activity permit	Needs income from PLN 86k a year ≈ $22k	3 yr	–
Startup Visa Portugal	Needs savings of €6,446+ ≈ $7,200	2 yr, renewable	–
Entrepreneur visa Spain	–	3 yr, renewable	–
Startup Visa Italy	Needs savings of €50k+ ≈ $56k	1 yr, renewable	–
Business investor permit Greece	Needs an investment of €500k+ ≈ $559k	5 yr, renewable	–

Questions people ask

How much money do I need for the Business activity permit?

Income of at least PLN 85,606.8 a year (≈ $21,800). Company income in the preceding tax year of at least 12 times the regional average gross monthly wage: 12 x PLN 7,133.90 (≈ $1,820) (warmińsko-mazurskie, lowest region, 2024 average, announced by Statistics Poland on 19 November 2025, the latest regional table). Income of at least PLN 113,867.28 a year (≈ $29,000). Same test in the highest-wage region: 12 x PLN 9,488.94 (≈ $2,420) (mazowieckie, 2024 average). A fee of PLN 440 (≈ $110). Stamp duty for the temporary residence permit application, paid online. Income of at least PLN 1,010 a month (≈ $260). The applicant's own stable and regular income.

How long can I stay on the Business activity permit?

The temporary residence permit is granted for the period needed to achieve the purpose of stay, for no more than 3 years.

How long does the Business activity permit take to process?

Decisions on temporary residence permits are due within 60 days of a complete file and, where required, the fingerprint visit.

Can I work on the Business activity permit?

The permit covers running the business and the board or proxy function named in the application.

Who can apply for the Business activity permit?

Does the Business activity permit lead to permanent residence in Poland?

Time on the Business activity permit counts toward permanent residence in Poland, which the rules allow after 5 years of residence. Time on the Business activity permit counts toward citizenship, which the rules allow after 3 years as a permanent resident.

How are Business activity permit holders taxed in Poland?

No special regime in our records is tied to the Business activity permit. The standard rules apply: 12% on the tax base up to PLN 120,000 (≈ $30,600) and 32% on the excess; tax-reducing amount PLN 3,600 (≈ $920) (page updated 24 June 2026).

More in Poland

Work permit (single permit)Blue Card Student permit Polish citizenship confirmation Graduate job-search permit

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≈ USD figures are approximate: daily reference rates from ExchangeRate-API, dated 12 Oct 2026, refreshed when the site is updated.

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How this was checked

Checked on 2026-10-12 against 9 official sources. Status: verified against the official sources.

Every figure on this page comes from the official source it links to. The record was researched against these sources, then reviewed separately, with special attention to effective dates and amendments. Where a source does not state something, the page leaves it out.

Business activity: temporary residence permit procedure (Poznan Voivodeship Office) · Office of Wielkopolska Province in Poznan · checked 2026-10-11
What types of business activities can foreign nationals conduct in Poland · Business portal (biznes.gov.pl) · checked 2026-10-10
Act of 12 December 2013 on Foreigners, consolidated text, Art. 142 (temporary residence for business activity) · Sejm of the Republic of Poland (ISAP) · checked 2026-10-11
Stable and regular source of income (dictionary entry of the Department for Foreigners) · Wielkopolska Voivodeship Office in Poznan · checked 2026-10-12
GUS announcement of 19 November 2025: average monthly gross wage in the national economy by voivodeship in 2024 · Statistics Poland (GUS) · checked 2026-10-11
Legality of residence — Office for Foreigners · Legality of residence · checked 2026-10-10
Permit for residence of a long-term EU resident · Official migration authority · checked 2026-10-10
Uznanie za obywatela polskiego (service card approved 28 May 2026) · Dolnoslaski Voivodeship Office, Wroclaw · checked 2026-10-11
Zezwolenie na pobyt czasowy i prace - Karta informacyjna (decision within 60 days) · Voivodeship Office (gov.pl information card) · checked 2026-10-11

Tracked since 2026-10-10. Rule changes and corrections are listed on the changes page, and the methodology page explains how facts are checked. Found something out of date? Email contact@stayglobe.app with a link to the official source.