Poland’s long-planned digital immigration overhaul has now gone live. Since 00:00 on 1 January 2026, every temporary-stay (residence) permit application must be submitted exclusively through the Moduł Obsługi Spraw (MOS) e-portal and signed with a qualified electronic signature that is validated via the applicant’s Trusted Profile (Profil Zaufany) or an EU e-ID. Paper dossiers delivered to any of the 16 voivodeship offices are legally deemed “not filed,” leaving employers, relocation providers and foreign assignees no choice but to move online.
The financial impact is as dramatic as the technological shift. Standard residence-permit charges have jumped from PLN 100 to PLN 400, while posted-worker permits now cost PLN 800. At the same time, Polish consulates began charging €200 for national (D-type) visas and €90 for Schengen (C-type) visas. Authorities argue that the higher fees will fund cybersecurity upgrades and ultimately shorten queues, but HR teams must adjust 2026 budgets immediately.
![Poland Activates Mandatory MOS E-Portal and Quadruples Residence-Permit Fees]()
For global mobility managers the change creates an urgent compliance checklist: secure Trusted-Profile log-ins or EU e-ID certificates for every foreign assignee, purchase qualified e-signatures, train staff on MOS navigation and re-cost all pending moves. Employers that continue to mail in applications risk having staff fall out of status and losing payroll tax compliance.
The digital-only pipeline also ends several time-honoured work-arounds. The so-called “90-day mail trick”—posting a paper application on the last day of legal stay to obtain a grace period—is now impossible. Officials can also request supplementary evidence at any stage and will automatically refuse files lacking full-page passport scans.
Practically, MOS promises faster processing once applicants clear the steep on-boarding curve. The system performs automatic data cross-checks with labour-office and tax databases, flagging inconsistencies early and reducing the need for in-person hearings. Over time, the Interior Ministry expects a 30 % cut in backlogs, but for January assignees the immediate challenge is simply getting onto the portal without triggering error messages during peak traffic.
The financial impact is as dramatic as the technological shift. Standard residence-permit charges have jumped from PLN 100 to PLN 400, while posted-worker permits now cost PLN 800. At the same time, Polish consulates began charging €200 for national (D-type) visas and €90 for Schengen (C-type) visas. Authorities argue that the higher fees will fund cybersecurity upgrades and ultimately shorten queues, but HR teams must adjust 2026 budgets immediately.
For global mobility managers the change creates an urgent compliance checklist: secure Trusted-Profile log-ins or EU e-ID certificates for every foreign assignee, purchase qualified e-signatures, train staff on MOS navigation and re-cost all pending moves. Employers that continue to mail in applications risk having staff fall out of status and losing payroll tax compliance.
The digital-only pipeline also ends several time-honoured work-arounds. The so-called “90-day mail trick”—posting a paper application on the last day of legal stay to obtain a grace period—is now impossible. Officials can also request supplementary evidence at any stage and will automatically refuse files lacking full-page passport scans.
Practically, MOS promises faster processing once applicants clear the steep on-boarding curve. The system performs automatic data cross-checks with labour-office and tax databases, flagging inconsistencies early and reducing the need for in-person hearings. Over time, the Interior Ministry expects a 30 % cut in backlogs, but for January assignees the immediate challenge is simply getting onto the portal without triggering error messages during peak traffic.
Source: VisaHQ Global Mobility News
