Residence Permit Card: Which Regions of Poland Have the Longest Queues?

According to Polski Instytut Językowy, in 2025 the situation with waiting times for temporary residence permits in Poland remains difficult and has even worsened in many voivodeships. The latest data, collected on the basis of decisions issued between January and April 2025, reveals record-long processing times in several regions.

Worst Results: Over 600 Days of Waiting

Foreigners face the longest wait times for decisions in the following voivodeships: 📍 Silesian — 651 days, 📍 Kuyavian-Pomeranian — 621 days, 📍 Opole — 619 days, 📍 Pomeranian — 475 days.

This means that in some regions the wait exceeds one and a half years, effectively blocking the mobility and professional development of foreigners who cannot legally work or fully integrate into Polish society.

Positive Changes: Best Results in Wrocław

On the other hand, Lower Silesian Voivodeship (Wrocław) saw the most significant improvement — the average waiting time decreased by 201 days, coming down to 284 days in 2025 (compared to 485 days in 2024). That is still a long time, but the region has dropped out of the ranks of the worst performers. Another voivodeship that improved is Lublin, where the wait time was reduced by 21 days (to 188 days).

Overall Trends: 14 out of 16 Regions in the Red

According to the analysis by Polski Instytut Językowy, waiting times have only increased in 14 voivodeships: 📍 The biggest increase — in Silesian (+168 days), 📍 in Kuyavian-Pomeranian (+104 days), 📍 in Pomeranian (+92 days), 📍 in Lubusz (+63 days).

This means that only two voivodeships managed to improve the efficiency of the relevant authorities, while the rest moved in the opposite direction.

What Does This Mean for Foreigners?

Long waiting times are not just an inconvenience — they have serious consequences: ✅ restrictions on mobility (inability to travel abroad), ✅ problems with legal employment, ✅ lack of access to banking, social, and medical services.

A temporary residence permit is the fundamental document required for legal residency, work, and life in Poland. Prolonged processing times threaten the rights and stability of hundreds of thousands of people.

Polski Instytut Językowy emphasises that monitoring such data is the key to transparency and, consequently, to systemic change. The situation with residence permit cards is not merely administrative statistics — it reflects real living conditions.

📊 Infographics with data for January–April 2025 are available in the publication above. Source: Urząd do Spraw Cudzoziemców / Polski Instytut Językowy