Do people really wait 544 days in Lower Silesia?
They did. In 2022.
The figure of 544 days is real and does relate to the Lower Silesian voivodeship. But it comes from the Ministry of the Interior's answer to a parliamentary interpellation, published by Dziennik Gazeta Prawna on 8 August 2022 and covering the period 2019–2022.
Those same numbers have been circulating around blogs for four years now, labelled variously "2024" or "2026". Sometimes with a further error: the figure for one permit type presented as the figure for another.
No current consolidated dataset covering all voivodeships in 2026 exists publicly. Neither the ministry nor the Office for Foreigners publishes such statistics regularly; voivodeship offices give indications on their own sites, but inconsistently and not always in days. So any table headed "processing times across 16 voivodeships in 2026" is either a retelling of 2022 data or figures from an unidentified source.
Below is what is reliably known, and how to turn it into a useful answer for your own case.
What the law says
| Permit | Statutory deadline | Provision |
|---|---|---|
| Temporary residence permit (karta pobytu) | 60 days | art. 112a(1) |
| Permanent residence (pobyt stały) | 6 months | art. 210(1) |
| EU long-term resident status | 6 months | per the Office for Foreigners and voivodeship offices |
And here's what nobody explains: these deadlines do not run from the moment you file.
When the clock actually starts
For permanent residence, art. 210(2) puts it verbatim: the deadline "biegnie od dnia, w którym nastąpiło ostatnie z następujących zdarzeń" — it runs from the last of several events:
- the application was filed in person, or you appeared in person at the voivodeship office after filing;
- the application contains no formal defects, or they have been remedied;
- the required documents have been submitted, or the deadline set by the voivode for submitting them has expired unused.
For temporary permits, art. 112a(2) works the same way.
Read that again, because this is where the answer to "how do 60 days become a year" lives.
You file in January. The queue for registration and the first summons takes weeks or months. Then the biometrics appointment. Then a request for documents, with a deadline of its own. Each of these pushes back the start of the count. The sixty-day clock can formally begin in September — and the office is not breaking the law.
Hence a practical conclusion that saves months: completeness of your file at filing matters more than speed of filing. An application with defects doesn't start the clock at all — it simply sits there.
What is reliably known about the voivodeships
The state has published consolidated figures twice, and both datasets are historical. We reproduce both, explicitly dated.
Dataset one: 2016–2017, all 16 voivodeships. The ministry's reply to the Commissioner for Human Rights (XI.540.10.2018, published 30.11.2018). This is the only complete snapshot — every voivodeship is in it. Sorted fastest to slowest:
| Voivodeship | Work-based permit (art. 114) | Business permit (art. 142) |
|---|---|---|
| Podlaskie | 53 days | 66 days |
| Świętokrzyskie | 56 days | 102 days |
| Podkarpackie | 58 days | 95 days |
| Lubelskie | 67 days | 109 days |
| Warmińsko-Mazurskie | 69 days | 59 days |
| Małopolskie | 87 days | 117 days |
| Opolskie | 97 days | 131 days |
| Śląskie | 106 days | 125 days |
| Kujawsko-Pomorskie | 123 days | 142 days |
| Mazowieckie (Warsaw) | 124 days | 150 days |
| Zachodniopomorskie | 124 days | 144 days |
| Łódzkie | 155 days | 173 days |
| Lubuskie | 167 days | 231 days |
| Dolnośląskie | 179 days | 266 days |
| Wielkopolskie | 197 days | 334 days |
| Pomorskie | 254 days | 299 days |
The same reply also covers studies (art. 144), marriage to a Polish citizen (art. 158) and permanent residence — the picture is the same throughout.
Dataset two: 2019–2022, partial. The ministry's answer to a parliamentary interpellation, reported by DGP on 08.08.2022. Not every voivodeship appears here — and that isn't an omission on our part: the source named only the extremes, the six worst and one best, rather than the full list of 16.
| Voivodeship | Average time, temporary permit |
|---|---|
| Dolnośląskie | 544 days |
| Zachodniopomorskie | 442 days |
| Pomorskie | 439 days |
| Wielkopolskie | 370 days |
| Śląskie | 348 days |
| Lubuskie | 337 days |
| Podkarpackie (best result) | 108 days |
For other permit types in the same answer: permanent residence in Dolnośląskie — 267 days; EU long-term resident status in Dolnośląskie — 340 days, with the worst record in that category held by Lubuskie at 386 days.
What the two datasets show side by side
Over three years the times multiplied, visible in the voivodeships present in both snapshots:
| Voivodeship | 2016–2017 | 2019–2022 | Growth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dolnośląskie | 179 days | 544 days | ×3.0 |
| Pomorskie | 254 days | 439 days | ×1.7 |
| Wielkopolskie | 197 days | 370 days | ×1.9 |
| Lubuskie | 167 days | 337 days | ×2.0 |
| Śląskie | 106 days | 348 days | ×3.3 |
| Podkarpackie | 58 days | 108 days | ×1.9 |
Two conclusions follow, and both are usable.
The absolute figures are out of date and cannot serve as a 2026 benchmark. Four more years have passed since the second snapshot, along with the war, a surge in applications, and the move of filing into MOS on 27 April 2026 (the article on filing through MOS).
But the relative order holds. Podkarpackie, Podlaskie and Świętokrzyskie were fast in both snapshots; Dolnośląskie, Pomorskie and Wielkopolskie were slow in both. That is no longer coincidence but a persistent difference in caseload between offices, and in our practice it continues. What's worth navigating by is your voivodeship's position in that order, not a specific number of days.
And a third point, visible immediately: not one voivodeship met the 60-day deadline in either snapshot. Even the best result — 53 days in Podlaskie in 2016–2017 — consumes almost the entire limit, and in the next snapshot the best figure was already 108 days.
Where to find your own real figure
Three sources, in order of usefulness:
| Where | What it gives you |
|---|---|
| Your voivodeship office's website, foreigners' section | A current indication for your specific office. Formats vary: some give months, others the date of the cases currently in progress |
| Your MOS account | The status of your particular case: registered or not, biometrics scheduled, documents requested |
| A lawyer handling cases in your voivodeship | Actual timelines for your type of case, adjusted for the legal basis rather than averaged across all categories |
That last one matters more than it seems: a voivodeship average mixes work-based permits, studies, family reunification and business — and those are processed differently.
We went through the voivodeship offices' websites — here's what they publish
With no consolidated statistics available, the logical move is to go to the source: the offices themselves. We worked through their websites in September 2026. The result is worth knowing in advance, so you don't spend an evening on it.
Not one office publishes a current average processing time. They publish three other things:
| What they publish | Who | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| Statutory deadlines — 60 days and 6 months, with the rules on when the clock starts | Practically all of them | The norm, not the reality. Lubelskie and Podkarpackie set out art. 112a in detail |
| A status check for an individual case | Some, e.g. Pomorskie ("Sprawdź stan sprawy") | Your case, not a voivodeship average. The most useful thing available |
| A notice about the deadline freeze | Some, e.g. Podkarpackie | An explanation of why the deadline isn't worth waiting for |
So the answer to "where do I find the real figure for my voivodeship" is unwelcome but honest: nobody publishes it officially. What remains is your case status in MOS and the practice of a lawyer handling cases at that same office. Ours — for Mazowieckie, broken down by stage and current as of September 2026 — is set out below in the FAQ, and labelled explicitly as practice rather than a legal norm.
Why the offices aren't obliged to hurry: art. 100d
Here is the thing that explains the whole picture. The deadline freeze has a precise statutory address, and its consequences go further than is usually assumed.
Art. 100d(1) of the act of 12 March 2022 on assistance to Ukrainian citizens: in the period to 4 March 2027, the deadline for handling cases on granting temporary residence, permanent residence and EU long-term resident status — as well as on amending and withdrawing those permits — in proceedings before the voivode "nie rozpoczyna się, a rozpoczęty ulega zawieszeniu na ten okres".
Note the title of the act: it concerns assistance to Ukrainian citizens, but the freeze applies to all foreigners regardless of nationality.
Three consequences follow that usually go unmentioned:
| Provision | What it means |
|---|---|
(3)(1) |
The provisions on the authority's inaction, and on its duty to notify you that the case wasn't decided in time, do not apply |
(3)(2) |
The authority is not fined, and no sums are awarded against it in favour of complainants for failing to decide within the statutory deadline |
(4) |
Ceasing to act, or acting late, cannot ground legal remedies for inaction, excessive delay, or breach of the right to have a case heard without undue delay |
That is why "60 days" in 2026 is an indication rather than a promise: the tools normally used to hold an authority to a deadline are switched off by statute for this period.
There is a flip side worth knowing. Paragraph 2 of the same provision: acts performed during the freeze are effective. The freeze does not halt proceedings — cases are processed, new applications are accepted, decisions are issued. What is suspended is the clock, not the work.
What does still work — and why the Poznań court ruling of April 2026 doesn't overturn the above but rather defines its limits — is covered in the article on the deadline freeze.
The longest queue can work in your favour
Here's a conclusion that sounds paradoxical, but rests on simple mechanics.
While your application is under consideration, your stay in Poland is lawful. Art. 108(1) of the Foreigners Act puts the condition in these terms: the deadline for filing was met and the application contains no formal defects, or they were remedied in time. Then "pobyt cudzoziemca na terytorium Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej uważa się za legalny od dnia złożenia wniosku do dnia, w którym decyzja... stanie się ostateczna".
Note what the condition actually turns on: the filing deadline — that is, the lawfulness of your stay at the moment of filing — not the date on a residence card. This matters, because you can be in Poland lawfully on a national visa or under visa-free travel: the rule applies in those cases too, provided you filed while your stay was still lawful.
Confirmation comes as a stamp in your passport and, once electronic filing takes over, as a certificate (zaświadczenie) issued by the voivode through MOS, with a QR code and free of charge. The changeover date is announced by separate communication (art. 17 of the act of 21.11.2025, Dz.U. item 1794), so both will be in circulation for a while.
And one exception that is rarely mentioned. Art. 108(2): the lawful-stay rule does not apply where the proceedings are suspended at your own request. So asking the office to "pause this, I'll bring the documents later" can cost you your legal status — unlike the situation where the office itself requests documents.
The renewal mechanics are in the article on extending a residence permit.
Which means a long review is not in itself a problem, so long as it's lawful. The problem is a different one: missing the filing deadline. Someone who files a month before their card expires in a "fast" voivodeship ends up worse off than someone who files three months ahead in a "slow" one.
And there's a second side to it: the waiting time counts toward your record of lawful residence, which you'll later need for permanent residence, EU long-term resident status and citizenship. A year in the queue doesn't drop out of your route — it's part of it.
Which yields a rule worth more than any table of timelines: file as early and as completely as you can. You cannot influence the length of the review; you can influence the date the clock starts.
A voivodeship average tells you little: timelines differ by legal basis, and the clock starts later than you filed. In a free consultation we'll tell you what to expect for your type of case at your office, and check your file — so the clock starts immediately rather than six months from now.
Frequently asked questions
How long is the wait in Mazowieckie right now? There's no single official figure for today — the office's own answer is that it depends on the circumstances of the individual case. But in our own casework in Mazowieckie the wait breaks into three stages, and as of September 2026 each takes roughly this long:
| Stage | How long |
|---|---|
| From filing through MOS to being summoned to the office | 4–6 months |
| From giving biometrics to the decision | 6–8 months |
| From the decision to the card in your hand | 2–3 months |
That comes to roughly a year to a year and a half from filing to card. It applies to work-based temporary residence, permanent residence and EU long-term resident status; other grounds vary more widely.
This is practice, not a legal norm. The figures above are our own empirical observation from our cases — not office data, and not a statutory deadline. There is no official indicator to check them against (see the section above on what the offices actually publish). Your case may move faster or slower. For the status of your own case, check your MOS account.
I was told 60 days and six months have passed. Why?
Because the 60 days run not from filing but from the last of several events: personal appearance, remedying of formal defects, and submission of documents (art. 112a(2)). Until every one of them has happened, the clock hasn't started.
Can I choose a faster voivodeship? The application is filed according to where you reside; you can't simply pick an office. Changing voivodeship for the sake of timelines means an actual move with a change of address, not a formality, and it carries its own consequences.
What do I do if my case has been open more than a year? First check in MOS whether the office is waiting on documents from you — that's the most common cause of "silence". After that, the tools in the article on the deadline freeze, allowing for how it works.
Does filing through MOS speed up processing? Registration of the application, yes — electronic filing removes the queue for submitting papers. The substantive review doesn't get faster: the queue for a decision remains.
Do I lose lawful status while I wait?
No, provided the application was filed while your stay was still lawful — whether on a residence card, a national visa or visa-free travel — and contains no formal defects (art. 108(1)). One exception: the rule doesn't apply where the proceedings are suspended at your own request (art. 108(2)). The mechanics are in the article on extending a residence permit.
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