EU long-term resident – which document proves B1 Polish

When knowledge of Polish is required

Proven knowledge of Polish is one of the conditions for an EU long-term resident permit – alongside at least 5 years of legal residence and the other conditions in Article 211(1) of the act. It is the only residence permit in the Act on Foreigners for which the act requires a language document – you do not need one for permanent residence (we explain where this common myth comes from). We have collected the other language requirements (citizenship, university studies, post-secondary schools) in our guide to Polish in residence and citizenship matters.

The requirement does not apply to a minor who has not turned 16 by the date of the application (Article 211(4)).

List of documents that prove B1 Polish

The act provides for two groups of documents: certificates from the list published by MSWiA (the Ministry of the Interior and Administration), and certificates and diplomas from schools and universities where teaching was in Polish.

Post-secondary schools – what has changed

Since 1 July 2025, a post-secondary school certificate no longer proves knowledge of Polish for EU long-term residence. A transitional provision still allowed a certificate from a post-secondary school completed by 30 June 2025 to be submitted, but only in proceedings started by 30 June 2026. In new cases you therefore need another document from the table – most often a language certificate.

Important: on 30 June 2026, ECL and telc certificates, university certificates and sworn translator qualifications did not disappear from the list. Only the acceptance of post-secondary school certificates has ended.

Which certificate to choose

For EU long-term residence, every certificate on the list is equally good – what counts is a level of at least B1. The difference appears when you think about your next steps. The Act on Polish Citizenship specifies the state certificate of proficiency in Polish, not ECL or telc. So if you want to apply for recognition as a Polish citizen in the future, a state B1 certificate will meet the requirement in both cases and save you a second exam.

ECL, telc and the state exam differ in organiser, dates and task format. Compare ECL, telc and the state exam and check the upcoming state exam sessions.

What you need at B1 level – examples

The exam checks whether you can cope independently in everyday situations. After five years in Poland, many people understand spoken Polish well but struggle with writing and polite forms. These are the kinds of sentences that should come easily to you:

Typical difficulties for people who have lived in Poland for a long time: mixing up the formal ‘Pan/Pani’ with the informal ‘Ty’ in official situations, missing case endings in writing (‘*proszę o informacja’ instead of proszę o informację) and answers that are too short in the oral part. These are worth practising with a teacher, because they are hard to spot on your own.

Do you already have B1? A checklist

Before you register for the exam, check whether you can do the following in Polish without much effort. If most of the points are difficult for you, you need a few more months of study; if only one or two cause problems, practice focused on those skills will be enough.

• You can talk about your work – what you do, what you like, what you want to change: Pracuję na zmiany, dlatego trudno mi zaplanować wolny czas.
• You can describe a past event in a few sentences, with the correct aspect: Kiedy jechałem do pracy, zepsuł mi się samochód.
• You can express an opinion and justify it: Wolę mieszkać na wsi, bo jest tam spokojniej, chociaż do pracy mam daleko.
• You can write a short letter or email with a request, complaint or invitation – with an opening and closing formula.
• You can understand an announcement on the radio or at a station, and a notice on the website of an office or transport company.

People who have lived in Poland for years usually cope well with conversation and understanding announcements, and worst with writing. Writing is a separate module of the state exam that must be passed just like the others, so it is worth starting with it. At a trial lesson we will check which points on the list still need work.