Since April 27, 2026, a passport stamp is generally no longer applied; it has been replaced by an electronic certificate from the MOS portal (Moduł Obsługi Spraw, Case Handling Module). It serves the same function: it confirms that a temporary residence application was filed and that stay is legal until the day of the final decision.

Passport stamp: what confirms legal stay from 2026

The MOS portal is the government system where residence applications are now filed and from which a certificate of filing can be downloaded. A temporary residence permit application must be filed no later than the last day of legal stay. If the application is complete and free of formal deficiencies, or the deficiencies were corrected on time, the system, after verification, makes an electronic certificate of filing available to download and print. The document confirms to the authorities checking the legality of stay, including the Border Guard (Straż Graniczna), that the application was filed and that stay remains legal from the day of filing until the day the decision becomes final. It is not a permit and not a promise of one: the case may end in refusal, and the certificate was still valid throughout the proceedings.

What changed is the medium, not the rule. Residence applications are now filed mainly through the portal, and the voivodeship office (urząd wojewódzki) handling the case confirms the current transitional rules. The old passport stamp and today's certificate serve the same function; only the form differs. The full context of the procedure is covered in the article on legalizing a foreigner's stay in Poland.

Who still files a paper application

A few categories of cases still follow the previous, paper-based rules:

  • intra-corporate transfer (ICT)
  • family reunification for people staying abroad
  • cases of family members of UK citizens

For these cases, the pre-change procedure applies, including the previous form of confirming the filing. All other temporary residence applications are, as a rule, filed through the electronic system, and in case of doubt the voivodeship office confirms the form of filing.

What the certificate does not give

Above all, it is not a travel document, just like the stamp before it. It does not allow entry into Poland after traveling abroad, nor free movement within the Schengen area. This is the most common and most costly mistake: someone travels to visit family and cannot return, because the previous visa has already expired and the new document does not yet exist.

Second, the certificate does not create the right to work. Legal stay and legal work are two separate matters; the difference between them is explained in the article on legalizing stay vs. legalizing work.

If you must travel during the proceedings, explain the situation at the office before leaving. Returning to Poland usually requires a separate document, and obtaining one from abroad takes longer than from Poland.

Working while waiting for a decision

The right to work during the waiting period depends on whether there is a separate basis for it: a work permit, a declaration of entrusting work performance, or an exemption under the regulations. If the previous work permit is still valid, work can continue on that basis, within its conditions. If it expired together with the previous residence title, the certificate of filing alone does not replace it, and whether the regulations allow work to continue until the decision is confirmed by the office handling the case.

With a single permit combining residence and work, the distinction can be more subtle; it is broken down in the article on temporary residence card vs. work.

What to tell the employer

Directly: that the case is pending, that stay is legal on the basis of the portal certificate, and what the right to work is based on. That third piece of information is the one the employer actually needs.

Frequently asked questions

Is the passport stamp still valid in 2026?

Generally, no. Since April 27, 2026, the stamp is no longer applied; it has been replaced by an electronic certificate from the portal, issued after a temporary residence application is filed.

What replaced the passport stamp?

An electronic certificate of filing, available to download and print after the application is verified in the system. It serves the same function as the old stamp: it confirms legal stay until the day of the final decision.

What about a stamp placed before April 27, 2026?

Cases filed before the change continue under the previous rules. What confirms legal stay in these cases is determined by the office handling the proceedings (the voivode).

Does the certificate of filing grant the right to work?

No. The certificate alone confirms legal stay, not the right to work. The right to work during the waiting period depends on a separate basis or on the regulations for the specific type of application, so it is worth confirming with the office handling the case.

The rules on residence and employment of foreign nationals change often, and much depends on citizenship, the basis of stay and the situation of the particular person. This text describes the general course of the procedure. Before filing documents, confirm the current state of affairs at the voivodeship office.