On 27 April 2026, the full digitisation of the process for legalising foreigners\u2019 stay in Poland came into force. Just a few days later, on 4 May, applications will open for the CUKR card for people covered by temporary protection. The changes are intended to simplify and speed up procedures, but in practice they mean a complete change in the rules: the end of paper applications, mandatory electronic processing and greater responsibility placed on foreigners and employers. All this is happening at a time of record pressure on public administration and with hundreds of thousands of potential new applications. The first system tests and emerging errors show that MOS 2.0 still requires refinement.<\/p>\n
From 27 April, the only way to submit a residence application is through the MOS 2.0 system. A foreign national must independently create an account, have a trusted profile and sign the document electronically. However, this is only the first stage. In the case of work or study, the employer or educational institution is also included in the process, and must complete the data and sign the document in accordance with the rules of representation, either under the National Court Register or the business registration entry.<\/p>\n
\u201cToday, a foreign national is not able to submit an application independently, and at the same time the system leaves no room for formal errors. Already at the stage of completing the application, they indicate the email address of the organisation, which receives a dedicated link and is required to fill in data concerning the conditions of stay and employment. A response from the indicated entity is therefore necessary, and it must act within a specified time and in line with its adopted mode of representation. The signature must be provided by an authorised person \u2014 often a management board member \u2014 which further extends and complicates the process for companies. Only after these steps have been completed is the application considered effectively submitted. If something does not align, the application is not created and does not pass through the system,\u201d says Julia Nowicka, expert in the legalisation of foreign employment at Grupa Progres.<\/p>\n