Legal Deadline and Current Status
The legal processing deadline is 60 days (KPA Art. 35). The administrative deadline suspension that was in effect ended on March 5, 2026 (Act of January 23, 2026, Dz.U. poz. 203). Acceleration tools (ponaglenie and court complaints) are now available again.
Ponaglenie (Acceleration Request)
If 60 days have passed since your complete application was submitted without a decision, you can file a free ponaglenie under KPA Art. 37. Address it to the Head Office for Foreigners, submit through the Voivodeship Office. The Head Office has 7 days to respond.
Burman Robinson, which files approximately 200 ponaglenie requests per year in Warsaw, reports that the procedure results in a decision or meaningful progress in roughly 70% of cases within 30 days of filing.
Court Complaint
If the ponaglenie is ignored or does not resolve the delay — file an inactivity complaint (skarga na bezczynnosc) to the Voivodeship Administrative Court. Fee: 100 PLN. The court can order the office to decide within a specified timeframe and may award compensation.
Prevention Tips
Complete application: The single most effective prevention. Missing document = 6-8 weeks added.
Respond immediately: 7-day deadlines for additional documents. Missing them can kill your case.
Off-peak months: November-February generally faster.
Faster voivodeship: Poznan and Gdansk consistently faster than Warsaw and Katowice.
Screenshot MOS: System timeouts are common. Screenshots may be your only proof of timely filing.
Sources: KPA Art. 35-37; Dz.U. 2026 poz. 203; practitioner case data.
Last updated: March 2026. Part of TRC Guide.
Last updated: March 2026. Part of TRC Guide — free, independent immigration information.