EU Blue Card - Krakow
- Satya Mandavalli
- Nov 8, 2025
- 6 min read
EU Blue Card Application Submission required documents:
| DOCUMENTS | Remarks |
1 | Passport of applicant |
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Scan of the whole passport (actual), even the empty pages, just before the meeting, and the original will be required on the day of submitting the application. | ||
2 | 4 biometric passport picture of applicant- | Photo Specifications are important. |
Color biometric photographs about dimensions 35 x of 45 mm, against the uniform bright background, having the good sharpness and showing eyes and the face clearly from the top of the head to the top of bars, this way so that the face takes 70 - 80 % photographs; photographs are supposed to introduce a bareheaded person and of glasses with dark piece of broken glasses, looking directly opposite with opened eyes, not-obscured with hair, with the natural facial expression and the closed mouth; | ||
3 | List of travels within 5 years, including country name and in/out dates (stated: month and year). |
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Previous visits to Poland (with the corresponding description: month/year for in and out) |
| |
4 | The last date of crossing the Polish border |
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Rental Agreement - copy first and original on the day of submitting the application; | Address Registration is not required. If we submit it, it means the address should be printed on the card, which is not suggested. | |
5 | ZUS-RMUA for the last 3 months, please ask your employer for it; |
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PESEL number- if applicable |
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6 | Your diploma/s with supplements - copy first and original on the day of submitting the application; | Highest degree consolidated marks sheet, certificates, apostille required. |
Your employment certificates confirming work experience (if applicable) - copy first and original on the day of submitting the application; | It's better to get Role and Responsibilities experience certificates. If not available, not a problem. | |
7 | Your current employment contract - copy first and original on the day of submitting the application; |
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Your work permit - copy first and original on the day of submitting the application; |
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APPLICATION
From 2025 onwards, online application filling has started. The application has to be filled in Polish only.
The below PDF or the new Website online application:
Some of the information is still valid for the EU Blue card as well:
How to check case status
The status of the case can be checked through the Information and Hotline (Info.opt) operating in the Małopolska Voivodship Office in the Department for Foreigners. The hotline provides information in the form of:
● e-mail ( info.opt@muw.pl ),
● by phone (12 210 20 20) and
● directly at the seat of the Office (ul. Przy Rondzie 6).
After your biometrics are done on the appointment date, after one week,
Send an email to the above email ID and request your Case ID and Case Office Email ID.
You will receive your case ID and case officer email ID. Now send an email to your case office to request that further communication be via email.
Timelines:
Usually, companies initiate the process at least six months prior to the expiration of the visa or the existing Blue Card. From that point onward, it typically takes a minimum of one month to appoint a vendor agent to your application. During this period, they will send an email on your behalf. Securing an appointment thereafter generally requires at least five months.
Therefore, I recommend that we send the email ourselves at least eight months in advance. We can coordinate with the vendor to set the appointment date concurrently.
Process | Time |
After sending an email to Urzad to get an Appointment | 5 months |
On the appointment date after application submission, the Decision Letter will be received | 3 Months |
Decision Letter to Physical card | 2 months |
If your Visa or EU Blue Card expired before receiving the new EU Blue Card, you are not permitted to cross the border into Poland. That is, you cannot travel to India or any other EU country without a valid Visa or Residence permit.
In the event of an emergency, if you travel to Poland to enter, a visa is required.
Every document should be in Polish.
1. Educational certificates along with Consolidated Marks Sheet – Translation required from a Sworn Translator.
2. Experience Letters
3. Marriage Certificate – Apostille and Translation
4. Birth Certificate - – Apostille and Translation
Sometimes the Urzad office will ask
1. ZUS latest certificate
2. Wet and Digital Employment contract.
From January 2026 onwards Krakow TRC and EU Blue card appointment process has been changed. The new process (as of 12-Jan-2026) is yet to published. So, No New appointments for now.
Question:
I have recently become aware of modifications to the TRC appointment procedure. Previously, the protocol involved sending an email to the foreign office in Kraków; however, I understand that the process has now been revised to obtain an appointment.
I kindly request that you provide the most recent procedures for the 2026 TRC appointment.
Answer:
We would like to inform you that due to the planned electronic processing of proceedings, reservations via email have been suspended. We recommend sending the application by Polish Post to the office's address.
For any document we are submitting for the TRC or the EU Blue card, the Xerox and the original should be the same. Else they won't take it.
For example, ZUS Digital signed, printed, and Wet signed the original I submitted, and they rejected it. Then I took a Xerox copy of the wet-signed documents.
Another Example: Academic certificates. The back side has some stamps. In my xerox, I took one side; they rejected it. Later, I took both sides xerox.
After our biometrics, 3 months later, usually the case officer will ask for the following documents one more time.
ZUS's last 3 months (latest)
Last decision letter
Employment Contract Annexure.
EU Blue Card Work permit requirement: when it is required, when it is not required.
- Before completing two years with a blue card, every employee is required to have a work permit. Once two years are completed with an EU Blue card in Poland, no work permit is required.
- Blue card holder's “spouse with dependent TRC” does not require a work permit.
- Students who have completed bachelor's, master's, or PhD degrees in Poland do not require a work permit.
There is a specific situation:
- If you have completed three years with your first blue card, applied for a second (renewal) blue card, and your first blue card has expired, but you have not yet received the decision for the renewal:
- During this period, if you are searching for a job and receive an offer letter, you need a work permit.
- Your blue card must be valid, and you should have completed two years with it. The two-year period is calculated based on the decision letter date.
Example:
- If your first blue card expires on January 31st, 2026, and you give biometrics for renewal on December 1st, it may take six months to get the decision letter (possibly in May or June).
- From January 31st until the decision letter date (let's say June 1st), if you receive an offer letter and want to change employment, you need a work permit.
- Even if you have completed two years with your first blue card, if you do not have a valid blue card (only a red stamp in your passport for legal stay), you need a work permit to change employment during this period.
If the decision is made before June 2025, 2 years condition applies as it is.
After June 2025, no two-year condition.
info.opt@muw.pl -- Urzad Krakow (Govt)
punkt@open.krakow.pl --Information Point for Foreigners in Krakow (NGO)
Decision earlier than 2025 June, and if 2 years are completed, no work permit needed
If the decision is after June 2025, no 2-year limit
If the decision is in progress and your blue card has already expired, a work permit is needed.
If changing jobs within the blue card validity and after 2 years No wp needed.
Decision Date | Work Permit Needed |
Before June 2025 | No, if 2 years are completed |
After June 2025 | No, no 2-year limit |
Decision in progress, blue card expired | Yes |
Changing jobs within the blue card validity, after 2 years | No |
Changing jobs or employers based on the Blue card
You always need to submit the change-of-employer form shared by Swapnil above within 15 days of your last working day.
If your blue card was issued before June 2025, the 2-year rule applies. You need a work permit to switch employers within 2 years. After 2 years, no sponsorship is needed.
If the decision was issued after June 2025, it's not linked to the employer, so you can freely change employers without sponsorship.
Those with a blue card have lost their job; they must secure a new job within 6 months without a work permit. After 6 months, a work permit is required. Also, for blue cards issued before June 2025 that have been completed for 2 years, the stay is 6 months.
For TRC holders, no change. Still, the 30-day rule.
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