How do you register your address in Poland in 2026?

Gov.pl says foreigners living in Poland should register a fixed address for permanent stay or a temporary address for a stay over three months. In practice, most newcomers use zameldowanie na pobyt czasowy (temporary residence registration) because their first lease, visa, or residence card is time-limited.

You file at the urzad gminy or urzad miasta (municipality or city office) for the place where you live. Some people can use the online service through gov.pl, but that usually requires Profil Zaufany (Trusted Profile) or another accepted electronic signature. Warsaw’s city guidance is also clear that many non-EU foreigners still need to show stay-right documents in person even if they start online.

Expect three groups of documents:

• identity: passport or EU national ID
• lawful stay: visa, residence card, or another document that proves your right to stay
• right to the flat: rental contract, owner confirmation, ownership document, or another legal title to the address

If you are not the owner or named tenant, the person who does hold that title often has to confirm your stay. This is why informal room deals cause trouble. A landlord who refuses signatures can block meldunek even when you pay rent on time.

Gov.pl notes that if the system can verify the property details automatically, online registration may complete faster. If not, the case drops back into office review. Temporary residence certificates can involve a stamp-duty fee when you request paper confirmation.

Meldunek is not the same as a residence permit, but it supports many later steps. It often helps trigger PESEL assignment, and it makes later conversations with banks, schools, tax offices, and clinics simpler because your address exists in the local register.

For EU citizens, there is also a separate long-stay residence registration with the voivode when the stay goes beyond three months. That is a different process from meldunek. For non-EU citizens, temporary-residence or other permit rules also remain separate. See Apply for a residence permit.