Registering a foreigner's address in Poland: deadline

A foreigner from outside the EU, EEA and Switzerland whose stay in Poland exceeds 30 days must register (zameldowanie) at the given address no later than the 4th day after arrival. A citizen of the EU, EEA or Switzerland has 30 days, but only once the stay exceeds 3 months.

How many days does a foreigner have to register an address

The deadline depends on citizenship and counts from the day of arrival at the indicated address, not from the day the residence application was filed.

Below the thresholds listed in the table, the registration obligation does not arise.

What documents are needed to register an address

The registration is filed at the commune or city office (urząd gminy) responsible for the address of residence. A temporary-stay registration requires: a valid travel document, a visa (or another document authorizing stay, if visa-free travel applies), a completed temporary-stay registration form, and a document confirming legal title to the premises, for example a lease agreement.

The registration form must also be confirmed with a legible signature by the owner or another person with legal title to the premises. This is a confirmation of legal title to the premises, not a registration decision. When this confirmation is missing, the commune office explains the next steps. A good moment for this confirmation is signing a written lease agreement, since the same document will also serve for registration.

Registration and housing: what it gives, and what it does not

Registration (zameldowanie) is a registration act, not a legal title to the premises. It grants the registered person no rights to the housing and does not limit the owner in recovering it once the lease ends.

Why the address decides whether a decision from the office is received

This is the most important practical consequence. In administrative proceedings, including a residence card case, the party must notify the authority of every change of address. If they fail to do so, a letter sent to the previous address is deemed effectively delivered, even though it never reached them; the basis is Article 41 of the Code of Administrative Procedure (Kodeks postępowania administracyjnego).

Deadlines for completing missing documents, responding to a request, or appealing a decision run from such a delivery. A neglected address does not stop the case; the reader simply loses a deadline they never learned about.

After every move, update the address in two places: at the commune office (registration) and in your residence case file (written notification). These are two separate obligations: fulfilling one does not exempt you from the other.

The address given at registration also appears in the residence card application, whose full set of documents is described in the article on documents for a residence card application.

Correspondence address in a residence case

Regardless of registration, the authority handling the residence case must know the current correspondence address, so any change to it is reported in writing in the case file.

People still looking for employment and housing will find current listings in our job offers, and it is worth asking about accommodation for the specific offer.

Frequently asked questions

How many days does a foreigner in Poland have to register an address?

A citizen from outside the EU, EEA and Switzerland has 4 days from arrival, if the stay exceeds 30 days. A citizen of the EU, EEA or Switzerland has 30 days, for a stay longer than 3 months.

Where is a foreigner's address registered?

At the commune or city office (urząd gminy) responsible for the address of residence. It requires a valid travel document, a visa or another document authorizing stay, a completed temporary-stay registration form, and a document confirming legal title to the premises, for example a lease agreement.

What role does the property owner have in registration?

The owner confirms the tenant's legal title to the premises with a signature on the form, for example a lease agreement, and registration does not grant the tenant additional rights to the housing. When this confirmation is missing, the commune office explains the next steps.

Does registration grant a right to the housing?

No. It is a registration act that does not limit the owner in recovering the premises and does not create additional rights for the tenant beyond those arising from the lease agreement.

What happens if I do not report an address change in a residence card case?

A letter from the office sent to the address known from the case file is deemed delivered, even if it was never collected. The deadline for a response or an appeal runs from that day.

This text describes the general rules. What you are entitled to depends on your type of contract: an employment contract (umowa o pracę) or a contract of mandate (umowa zlecenie). Your own contract and payslip are what count.