"I work, but I can't buy food." IT specialist in Poland's passport expired — now he's trapped

"I decided to write because there's a rather dire situation in Poland with foreigners who have been waiting years for a residence permit decision.

While the state processes documents, people's passports, residence cards, and other documents expire — and then they fall into a bureaucratic trap from which, it seems, no one knows the way out.

At first, I thought my case was exceptional. But when I started asking in chats and groups for foreigners in Poland, it turned out that many people face similar problems.

In my case, everything reached an absurd point: I live and work legally in Poland, receive a salary, and pay taxes — but now I'm effectively left without normal access to my earned money. I'm already struggling to pay for my apartment and buy food.

And it all started with a regular application for a new residence permit.

In September 2025, I submitted my documents. The certificate issued to me stated that a decision was expected by mid-December 2025. It's now September 2026 — and there's still no decision.

During this time, my Belarusian passport expired. Previously, due to the inability to obtain a new passport, I was issued a Polish travel document for foreigners. While I was waiting for the residence permit decision, its validity also expired, as did my old residence card.

After this, banks restricted my access to accounts due to the lack of a valid document.

I continue to work, my salary is deposited into my business incubator account, but I cannot access it normally: to do so, I need to transfer money to my personal Polish bank account, access to which is blocked.

I tried to apply for a new Polish travel document. The office refused to accept it, citing the absence of a valid residence card.

But I don't have a residence card precisely because I've been waiting for a residence permit decision for almost a year.

No, PKO bank accepted the stamp confirming the submission of documents, but another identity document is needed. The travel document worked until it expired. And they won't accept my application for a second travel document without a valid residence permit card.

It turns into a vicious circle: the state doesn't manage to process your documents, during the waiting period other documents expire, banks block accounts, it becomes impossible to receive your salary, and you're not allowed to obtain a new document due to the absence of a document that the state hasn't issued to you yet.

And all this time, a person needs somewhere to live and something to eat.

Now I'm seriously thinking about what will happen when it's time for the next apartment payment.

There's also practically no money left for food.

It comes to thoughts of where to find free food or how to get at least a few zlotys in cash. You can't even collect and return bottles easily, as you can in some other countries.

In other words, a person works in IT, pays taxes, submitted documents on time — and as a result, might end up without food and on the street simply because several state and financial systems do not provide a normal way out of such a situation.

And, judging by what other foreigners say, I'm far from the only one.

It seems to me, this is no longer a story about my specific residence permit, but a question about what a person who finds themselves in such a bureaucratic trap should do in general," he concludes.

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