2026-04-12

Digitalisation of residence procedures for foreigners in Poland – what will MOS 2.0 change and when will the new system be launched?

The Polish system for legalising foreigners’ stay is undergoing one of the most significant changes in recent years. The enacted amendment to the Act on Foreigners introduces the full digitalisation of residence procedures through a new version of the MOS 2.0 IT system (Case Handling Module). In practice, this means moving away from paper applications and shifting most of the process to electronic channels.

When will the changes take effect?

The Act enabling digitalisation was passed by Parliament and signed by the President in December 2025. However, the launch of MOS 2.0 depends on the Minister of the Interior and Administration announcing the system’s readiness. According to official information, this announcement is expected to be made at least 14 days before the system is launched. Unofficial reports circulating in the public domain have pointed to May 2026; however, the absence of a formal announcement suggests a later date—likely the second half of 2026. The aim of the reform is to accelerate proceedings, ease the burden on voivodeship offices, and increase the transparency of procedures for foreigners and employers.

Scale and potential of the changes

The digitalisation of residence procedures affects a very large group of people:

• According to data from the Social Insurance Institution (ZUS), at the end of 2025 more than 1.29 million foreigners were registered in the social security system, of whom approximately 862,000 were Ukrainian citizens.
• In 2024, the Office for Foreigners issued approximately 397,000 residence decisions, of which 347,000 were positive—the largest group of beneficiaries were Ukrainian citizens, followed by Belarusians and Indians.
• As of 1 January 2026, there were over 718,000 pending applications at voivodeship offices, which may indicate an attempt by some foreigners to “beat the changes.”

What is MOS 2.0 and what will change?

In practice, MOS 2.0 is intended to transform the legalisation of stay into a fully end-to-end electronic procedure:

• Applications for temporary residence, permanent residence, and long-term EU resident status will be submitted exclusively online via the mos.cudzoziemcy.gov.pl portal.
• Submitting an electronic application will mark the formal initiation of the administrative procedure—without the need to print and submit paper documents to the office, as was the case with MOS 1.0.
• The substantive scope of the regulations remains unchanged—the conditions set forth in the Act on Foreigners still apply; however, the form, document workflows, and communication with the authorities will change fundamentally.

What will the process look like step by step?

According to information from the Office for Foreigners, the process in MOS 2.0 will include:

1. Creating a new account in the MOS system (accounts from MOS 1.0 will not be transferred).
2. Logging in via login.gov.pl and linking the account to an electronic identity.
3. Selecting the type of application and completing the new online form, including the updated attachments (e.g., the expanded Appendix No. 1 containing data of the foreigner and the employer).
4. Signing the application exclusively electronically—the following are accepted: trusted profile, qualified electronic signature, or personal signature.
5. Attaching the required documents in digital form (including photographs, passport scans, and documents from the employer or university).
6. Submitting the application and receiving the UPO (official confirmation of receipt).
7. Downloading from the system a certificate confirming submission of the application, which will replace the previous stamp in the passport.
8. A mandatory in-person visit to the voivodeship office to provide fingerprints and complete final identity verification.
9. Physical collection of the residence card, alongside ongoing electronic communication throughout the proceedings.

Electronic signature in MOS 2.0: a condition for submission and available forms

In MOS 2.0, an application can only be submitted once it has been electronically signed by the foreigner—without a signature, the system will not allow the form to be successfully submitted or a UPO to be issued. In practice, this means abandoning the “paper route” and situations in which printing and submitting documents at the office substituted for an electronic signature. At the same time, the legislator does not mandate a single method: trusted profile, qualified electronic signature, and personal signature (e-ID card) are all accepted. As a result, it is essential for the foreigner to have access to at least one of these forms of identification and signature before starting to complete the application. In practice, a qualified signature is often the “most universal” solution: it can also be obtained by individuals without Polish electronic identification tools (e.g. without a trusted profile) and works across many administrative systems and document workflows outside public administration. Additionally, for foreigners or employers making extensive use of electronic documents (contracts, statements, powers of attorney, correspondence with institutions), a qualified electronic signature may accelerate these processes and enable them to be carried out remotely.

Context of earlier changes and a side note

In 2025, an obligation to submit notifications of employing foreigners electronically was already introduced, also with three permitted forms of signature.

At the same time, voivodeship offices have tightened their stance toward foreign employers posting workers to Poland, increasingly requiring that declarations and statements (e.g. on a clean criminal record) be provided with an electronic signature.

MOS 2.0 introduces full digitalisation of residence procedures, eliminating paper-based document circulation and moving the process to an online system. A key change is the moment proceedings are initiated—now occurring upon submission of the electronic application. The implementation timeline remains uncertain; however, it should realistically be expected in the second half of 2026.