A residence card and an EU residence card. What is the difference?
What is the difference between a permanent residence permit (residence permit) and a long-term residence permit of an EU resident? Let’s break it down in detail in this article.
A lot of people do not understand the difference between the concepts of a residence card and an EU Resident Card.
EU Resident Card.
An EU residence card is issued to every foreigner if:
- his stay in Poland was five years.
- he can prove a source of regular income for the last 3 years
- health insurance
- there is a proof of knowledge of Polish at the level B1
The period of continuous residence is considered uninterrupted if none of the interruptions in it exceeded 6 months and all the interruptions did not exceed a total of 10 months in the period which is the basis for issuance of the EU Resident Card.
There are exceptions, namely:
- performance of professional duties or work outside the territory of Poland on the basis of a contract concluded with an employer whose registered office is in Poland, or
- if the foreign citizen referred to in paragraph 1 is accompanied by a spouse or a minor child. or
- a difficult life situation that requires the personal presence of the foreigner outside the territory of Poland and lasted no longer than 6 months, or
- trips outside the territory of Poland were caused by internships or participation in activities envisaged during studies at a Polish university
Students are counted only half of the period of stay, in other words, if you have been in Poland for 6 years on the basis of your studies, you are counted only for 3 years.
But students can get a “Graduate Card” for a year to find a job in Poland.
You can verify “uninterrupted” on the basis of stamps in your passport or by asking border guards for information.
Stalwart Pobyt.
Stały Pobyt is mainly received by foreigners who have Polish roots or a Pole Card, as well as according to art.195. Ustawy o Cudzoziemcach:
- Minor child of a Polish Citizen who remains under his/her parental care on the territory of Poland
- Children born while their parents have a Temporary Resident Card, EU Resident Card, or Staly Pobyt.
- The Polish spouse has been married for at least 3 years before the date of application and immediately before the application he/she has been permanently residing in Poland for at least 2 years on the basis of a temporary residence permit.
- In connection with obtaining refugee status (in no way to be confused with UKR status), subsidiary protection or residence permit for humanitarian reasons and stayed in Poland for more than 5 years.
- Permanently residing on the territory of Poland on the basis of zgody na podyt tolerowany, issued on the basis of art.351 pkt 1 lub 3 Ustawy o Cudzoziemcach.
Staly Pobyt does not require proof of Polish language proficiency at level B1
EU Resident Card and Stalegovogo vystaveta card in Poland.
Both permits are issued for an indefinite period of time, but the validity of the cards (the plastic itself) – EU Resident Card – 5 years; Stalego Visitor Card – 10 years.
All rights are the same for the holders of these cards. You can work without being tied to an employer (without a work permit), open all kinds of entrepreneurial activities, etc.