Reminder (ponaglenie) for an authority's inaction

This is information, not legal advice. For an individual case, consult a lawyer or a support organisation.

This template concerns the main residence permit proceedings. If your matter is the seven-day proceeding to issue a certificate, use the reminder about issuing a certificate.

What art. 100d changes. Until 4 March 2027, art. 100d of the Act on assistance to Ukrainian citizens suspends the deadlines in residence-permit proceedings conducted by a voivode (art. 100dPL🌐 Translate). It applies to all foreigners, not only Ukrainian citizens.

In practice it varies: some voivodeship offices act on a reminder despite the provision, others reply by pointing to the suspension. It depends on the voivodeship.

How the provision works in detail and what follows from it — explained in a separate guide.

There is a second reason to file it anyway: a reminder is a precondition for taking the case to an administrative court (art. 53 § 2b PPSAPL🌐 Translate), and the position before the courts is currently more favourable — see the complaint to the WSA template.

A ponaglenie is the simplest and most effective step when your case is stuck. You file it with the higher-instance authority, but through the authority handling your case.

For a voivode’s decision the higher authority is the Head of the Office for Foreigners.
The authority has 7 days to forward the reminder together with the file.
The higher authority decides within 7 days.

The letter

[CITY], [DATE]

[FULL NAME]
[CORRESPONDENCE ADDRESS]
[CASE NUMBER]

Szef Urzędu do Spraw Cudzoziemców
ul. Taborowa 33, 02-699 Warszawa

za pośrednictwem:
[NAME OF THE VOIVODESHIP OFFICE]
[ADDRESS]

PONAGLENIE

Na podstawie art. 37 § 1 pkt 1 i 2 ustawy z dnia 14 czerwca 1960 r. — Kodeks
postępowania administracyjnego wnoszę ponaglenie w sprawie o sygnaturze
[CASE NUMBER], prowadzonej przez [AUTHORITY], dotyczącej udzielenia zezwolenia
na pobyt czasowy.

UZASADNIENIE

Wniosek w niniejszej sprawie złożyłem/złożyłam w dniu [DATE OF APPLICATION].
Do dnia sporządzenia niniejszego pisma, tj. [DATE], sprawa nie została załatwiona,
mimo upływu [NUMBER] dni od dnia wszczęcia postępowania.

Zgodnie z art. 112a ust. 1 ustawy z dnia 12 grudnia 2013 r. o cudzoziemcach decyzję
w sprawie udzielenia zezwolenia na pobyt czasowy wydaje się w terminie 60 dni.

Organ nie zawiadomił mnie o niezałatwieniu sprawy w terminie ani nie wskazał nowego
terminu jej załatwienia, czym naruszył art. 36 § 1 KPA.

Przewlekłość postępowania powoduje wobec mnie konkretne skutki:
[DESCRIBE BRIEFLY: cannot take up employment / cannot travel and return /
no access to benefits / uncertainty for the family]

Wobec powyższego wnoszę jak na wstępie.

[SIGNATURE]

Załączniki:
1. Potwierdzenie złożenia wniosku z dnia [DATE].
2. [ANY CORRESPONDENCE WITH THE AUTHORITY]

Keep the letter itself in Polish — that is the language of the proceedings. The bracketed placeholders are the only parts you change.

When the 60 days start. Not from filing itself. The clock runs from the latest of: filing an application free of formal defects (or remedying them), and submitting the documents the voivode requested under art. 106f — or the fruitless expiry of the deadline set for them (art. 112a of the Act on ForeignersPL🌐 Translate). Check whether the office asked you for anything before you count the days.

How to send it

ePUAP / e-Doręczenia — fastest, with an automatic date confirmation.
Registered post with acknowledgement of receipt — keep the proof of posting.
In person at the office registry — ask for a date stamp on your copy.

Always keep a copy. Without proof of the filing date it is hard to demonstrate inaction.