Poland has put the last legislative piece in place for its 2025 immigration overhaul. A secondary regulation published on 16 December requires every temporary-stay (residence) permit – from EU Blue Card to intra-company transfer and family-reunification cases – to be filed exclusively through the Moduł Obsługi Spraw (MOS) e-portal from 1 January 2026. Paper dossiers delivered to voivodeship offices will be rejected outright, and applicants must attach full passport scans and sign with a qualified electronic signature.
For mobility managers the bigger shock is financial. Government fees leap four-fold: the standard residence-permit charge rises from PLN 100 to PLN 400, posted-worker permits to PLN 800, while consular fees jump to €200 for national (D-type) visas and €90 for Schengen (C-type) visas. The Interior Ministry argues that digitisation will cut average processing times by 30 percent and curb fraud, but HR teams worry that the MOS platform – already prone to time-outs – may simply move queues online.
![Poland finalises MOS e-portal mandate and quadruples immigration fees for 2026]()
The two-week window before 1 January leaves scant time to act. Companies must secure Trusted-Profile log-ins or EU eID certificates for assignees, obtain qualified e-signatures, and train staff on MOS navigation. Budget owners meanwhile need to re-cost 2026 relocation packages; a family of four on an intra-company transfer will now pay PLN 3,200 in government fees versus PLN 800 today.
Advisers recommend submitting any lingering paper applications by 31 December, backing up every e-portal step with screenshots, and building contingency time into Q1 mobility schedules. They also urge employers that rely on student workers to note a new 20-hour weekly work cap unless a separate work permit is secured. Looking further ahead, officials say MOS will integrate with tax and social-security databases, allowing real-time cross-checks of payroll and residency status. If successful, the system could become a model for other EU states modernising analogue permit regimes.
For international businesses the message is clear: Poland remains open to foreign talent but on digital – and more expensive – terms from New Year’s Day.
For mobility managers the bigger shock is financial. Government fees leap four-fold: the standard residence-permit charge rises from PLN 100 to PLN 400, posted-worker permits to PLN 800, while consular fees jump to €200 for national (D-type) visas and €90 for Schengen (C-type) visas. The Interior Ministry argues that digitisation will cut average processing times by 30 percent and curb fraud, but HR teams worry that the MOS platform – already prone to time-outs – may simply move queues online.
The two-week window before 1 January leaves scant time to act. Companies must secure Trusted-Profile log-ins or EU eID certificates for assignees, obtain qualified e-signatures, and train staff on MOS navigation. Budget owners meanwhile need to re-cost 2026 relocation packages; a family of four on an intra-company transfer will now pay PLN 3,200 in government fees versus PLN 800 today.
Advisers recommend submitting any lingering paper applications by 31 December, backing up every e-portal step with screenshots, and building contingency time into Q1 mobility schedules. They also urge employers that rely on student workers to note a new 20-hour weekly work cap unless a separate work permit is secured. Looking further ahead, officials say MOS will integrate with tax and social-security databases, allowing real-time cross-checks of payroll and residency status. If successful, the system could become a model for other EU states modernising analogue permit regimes.
For international businesses the message is clear: Poland remains open to foreign talent but on digital – and more expensive – terms from New Year’s Day.
Source: VisaHQ Global Mobility News
