A bank froze the account because there is a stamp instead of a residence card
A case reported by MOST: 50,000 zł frozen, mortgage payments at risk — because the decision did not come on time.
What happened
MOST reported the case of a Belarusian citizen, an IT specialist living in Poland. He filed his residence permit application in December — since then his only document has been the stamp confirming that the application was submitted; he was still waiting for a fingerprinting appointment.
In May 2026 the bank (Pekao S.A.) invoked anti-money-laundering rules and demanded proof of lawful residence. It did not accept the stamp as sufficient. On 14 July 2026 it blocked transactions on his accounts; roughly 50,000 zł on a savings account became inaccessible. His mortgage payments were put at risk.
According to MOST, obtaining the document the bank demanded can take the office two to four months — even though the regulations provide for a considerably shorter deadline.
The connection to delay
This shows that the cost of delay does not end with waiting. Lawful residence followed from the statute; the stamp or certificate was meant to provide official evidence of it. The bank nevertheless rejected the document presented and required another form of proof that the office did not issue within the customer’s deadline.
Since 27 April 2026PL🌐 Translate, new applications filed through MOS use a separate, free certificate under Articles 108, 206 or 222a of the Act on Foreigners instead of a passport stamp. It expressly states that the stay is deemed lawful. The problem remains if the document is not generated promptly or an institution cannot verify it.