You may be a resident of Poland now since you have a residence card, a location to call home, and a job. However, if you are unable to travel home due to homesickness, why not ask your family to visit you in Poland or relocate there permanently? Read about multiple scenarios.

If you are a foreigner...

If you are a foreigner staying in Poland your family may visit you simply by getting a tourist visa. If however, they want to stay here for longer, you may have a right to family reunification. This process has a narrow family member definition, it is assigned only to your spouse, so a husband or wife (and your marriage has to be recognized by Polish law) or minor children (biological, adopted ones, and other children dependent on you). However, family reunification is not possible for all foreigners. In order to be allowed to initiate the process, you need to have:

• a long-term EU resident visa or a permanent residency permit, or,
• a temporary residence permit for at least 2 years (while your previous residence permit was issued for a stay of at least one year),
• refugee status, further protection, or a residence permit provided for humanitarian reasons, or
• scientific researchers are granted a temporary residency permit, or
• The EU Blue Card

If one of the above applies to you, you can initiate the process of family reunification and apply for a temporary residence card for your family member. You apply for it on their behalf to a Polish voivodeship office, in the same way, that you did for your own residence card. Once the decision is positive, your husband, wife, or child can apply for a visa in a Polish consulate in your home country.

The fee to initiate the process is PLN 340, while you pay PLN 50 upon receiving a residence card (always in person). If the decision issued by the voivodeship office was negative, you can appeal to the Office for Foreigners in Warsaw within 14 days.

If you are a Polish citizen...

Sometimes Polish citizens have foreign family members. These generally include either their spouses or their spouse's minor children from previous relationships. Such people can apply for a temporary residence card on regular grounds, filing an application to the Voivodeship Office.

There are also exceptions to these rules. Sometimes, a person staying with a Polish citizen in an informal relationship can also be considered a family member, although this requires more paperwork. The couple has to prove that they live in the same household and that the foreigner has health insurance and a stable source of income

Another exception is related to other family members who are not a husband, wife, or minor. These may include for instance parents or cousins who are somehow dependent on a Polish citizen, either financially or in some other way. Such individual cases may also require more paperwork and an individual approach.

If you are an EU citizen...

The most complicated situations concern non-Polish EU nationals who reside in Poland and their non-EU family members. Such people may enter Poland with a visa, if necessary, or a residency permit from another EU member state. However, if their visit will last more than three months, a family member who currently resides in Poland must submit an application for a long-term EU resident card to the appropriate Voivodeship Office.

EU Helpers Can Help You

You must be precise and comprehensive while submitting your application for the dependent visa for Poland. EU Helpers may assist you in obtaining the necessary paperwork to provide your initial application the best possible chance of being accepted. Our offerings comprise:

• helping you select the ideal immigration plan
• filling out the visa documentation checklist assistance in processing applications
• Updates and follow-up paperwork, forms, and application submission
• Polish relocation and landing support

You will be assigned a professional immigration adviser to assist you with your procedure once you sign up with EU Helpers. Contact us right now to learn more before visa and immigration regulations tighten up.