Urząd Wojewódzki – Wydział Spraw Cudzoziemców letter explained in English

Voivodeship office (residence permits). The regional state office. Its foreigners’ department decides on residence permits and residence cards for people from outside the EU, and registers the stay of EU citizens.

Letters you may get

• Wezwanie do stawiennictwa — come in person, for example to give fingerprints
• Wezwanie do uzupełnienia braków — your application is missing papers
• Decyzja o udzieleniu zezwolenia na pobyt — your permit was granted
• Decyzja odmowna — your permit was refused

What to do

• Apply for a new permit before your current permit or visa ends. If your application is complete, you can usually stay while they decide.
• You can appeal a refusal to the Head of the Office for Foreigners (Szef Urzędu do Spraw Cudzoziemców), usually within 14 days of delivery. Send it through the voivodeship office.
• Find the deadline. Look for “termin”, “do dnia”, “od dnia doręczenia”.
• Write the reference number from the letter on everything you send back, and keep copies.
• If you disagree with a decision, object in writing before the deadline (“odwołanie”, “zażalenie”, “sprzeciw”, “skarga”, “reklamacja”). See the template.

Words you may see

decyzja

Official decision by an office. It becomes final if you don’t appeal in time.

wezwanie

Official request. They want you to do something — come in, send papers or pay — by a set date.

zezwolenie na pobyt

Residence permit, for example temporary (czasowy) or permanent (stały).

Questions

What is the Urząd Wojewódzki – Wydział Spraw Cudzoziemców?

Voivodeship office (residence permits). The regional state office. Its foreigners’ department decides on residence permits and residence cards for people from outside the EU, and registers the stay of EU citizens.

How long do I have to answer a letter from the Urząd Wojewódzki – Wydział Spraw Cudzoziemców?

It depends on the letter. Look for words like “termin”, “do dnia”, “od dnia doręczenia” — they mark the deadline. In Poland, most deadlines start on the day you receive the letter (doręczenie). If you weren’t home, the post leaves a notice (awizo), and a letter you don’t collect usually counts as delivered 14 days after the first notice. The 3 days are only an estimate, so check the date you signed for it. To object, the letter usually names the way to do it (“odwołanie”, “zażalenie”, “sprzeciw”, “skarga”, “reklamacja”).

Can I read a Urząd Wojewódzki – Wydział Spraw Cudzoziemców letter in English?

Yes. Take a photo of the letter with Briefly. It explains the letter in plain English, finds the deadline and the amount, and gives you ready-made replies in Polish. Your letter never leaves your device.

Other offices in Poland

Urząd Skarbowy · ZUS · Urząd Miasta / Urząd Gminy · Policja / Straż Miejska · GITD / CANARD · Powiatowy Urząd Pracy (PUP) · NFZ (Narodowy Fundusz Zdrowia) · Sąd