B1 bez stresu · All guides

B1 Polish for the EU long-term resident card

As of 25 October 2026

Yes. Without proof that you know Polish, you will not get a zezwolenie na pobyt rezydenta długoterminowego UE (EU long-term resident permit). Most people prove it with a certificate at level B1 or higher, but this is not the only document the office accepts. Below we explain where this requirement comes from, what counts and what has changed in recent years.

Why the office requires Polish

The rules for granting the EU long-term resident permit are set out in art. 211 of the ustawa o cudzoziemcach (Act on Foreigners). You must have lived in Poland legally and without a break for at least 5 years directly before you apply. You must also meet all three of these conditions:

• have a stable and regular source of income that is enough to support yourself and the family members who depend on you,
• have health insurance,
• have proof that you know Polish.

So knowing Polish is a full condition, not an extra. The only people exempt from it are children who were under 16 on the day the application was submitted.

Which documents prove that you know Polish

Since 24 June 2023, a regulation of the MSWiA (Ministerstwo Spraw Wewnętrznych i Administracji, the Ministry of the Interior and Administration) of 31 May 2023 has been in force. It lists the documents that the office accepts. Each of them must confirm at least level B1:

• the state certificate of proficiency in Polish (from the certificate exam),
• an ECL certificate,
• a TELC certificate,
• a certificate from a university, issued after you complete classes in Polish as a foreign language - the university must meet the conditions set out in the law,
• a certificate of qualification as a sworn translator, or a certificate of entry on the list of sworn translators.

Instead of such a document, you can show a school certificate or a university diploma where Polish was the language of instruction, obtained in Poland or abroad. However, since 1 July 2025 this no longer applies to a szkoła policealna (post-secondary school).

What has changed since 1 July 2025

The act of 4 April 2025 (Dz.U. 2025 poz. 622 - Journal of Laws of 2025, item 622) changed art. 211 section 3 points 2 and 3. Since 1 July 2025, a certificate from a post-secondary school, Polish or foreign, is no longer proof of language skills. However, the act included transitional rules:

If your only document is a post-secondary school certificate and you are applying now, you need another document from the list, for example a B1 certificate.

People from Ukraine after the special act ends

On 5 March 2026, the act of 23 January 2026 that phases out the rules of the specustawa (the special act for citizens of Ukraine) came into force. According to the urzędy wojewódzkie (voivodeship offices), the legal stay of people with a PESEL UKR number has been extended until 4 March 2027. Check the details of your own situation on the website of the UdSC (Urząd do Spraw Cudzoziemców, the Office for Foreigners) or at your voivodeship office. The validity of some national visas, temporary residence permits and residence cards has also been extended until that date.

People with UKR status who meet the conditions can get a CUKR residence card. It is a document that confirms a temporary residence permit, and it is issued for 3 years. You cannot get it without a valid PESEL UKR number. The Office for Foreigners explains that:

• a stay based on a CUKR card counts towards the period required for the EU long-term resident permit,
• this period starts on the day you collect the CUKR card,
• a stay based only on UKR status does not count towards it,
• when you collect the CUKR card, you are no longer under temporary protection (UKR status).

The websites of the UdSC and the voivodeship offices that describe this permit do not mention any separate exemption from the Polish language requirement for citizens of Ukraine. The same list of documents applies to everyone.

What to do now

1. Check whether you already have a document from the list, for example a diploma from studies in Poland taught in Polish.
2. If not, choose a date for the certificate exam. The Państwowa Komisja (State Commission for the Certification of Proficiency in Polish as a Foreign Language) publishes session dates and lists of exam centres on certyfikatpolski.pl.
3. Practise the exam format, ideally with a time limit. You can find a timed mock exam in the B1 bez stresu app.
4. Before you apply, ask your voivodeship office whether your document will be accepted.

This text gives information based on the law as of 25 October 2026. It is not legal advice. The voivodeship office confirms the requirements in your case.