What photo do I need to attach to a residence application through MOS?

Photo format in MOS 2 — a digital file, not a print

From 27 April 2026, applications for temporary residence permits, permanent residence permits, and EU long-term resident status must be submitted exclusively electronically through the MOS 2 portal (mos.cudzoziemcy.gov.pl) — this follows from the Act of 21 November 2025 (Dz.U. 2025 poz. 1794) and the MSWiA announcement on the system launch on 27 April 2026. This means that the photo is attached as a digital file uploaded with the application, rather than as paper prints sent by post.

To submit the application you will need a profil zaufany or a qualified electronic signature. The photograph must meet the biometric photo standard (recent, plain light background, face straight-on, no head covering and no tinted glasses). Once the application has been submitted, the wojewoda issues a zaświadczenie confirming that the application has been lodged and that the applicant's stay is legal for the duration of the proceedings (art. 108 ustawy o cudzoziemcach in the version applicable from 27 April 2026) — a stempel is no longer placed in the passport.

What if the photo does not meet the requirements

If the uploaded file does not meet the technical parameters (resolution, format, dimensions, quality), the wojewoda will treat this as a formal deficiency and will call on the applicant to remedy it within a period of no less than 7 days, failing which the application will be left without consideration (art. 64 § 2 KPA). In practice, offices often set a longer deadline — the binding one is the one stated in the notice. It is important to respond on time, because an application left without consideration does not protect the legality of the applicant's stay.

Fingerprinting and the photograph

Despite the electronic form of the application, in temporary residence cases personal attendance at the office is still typically required (including fingerprint collection). In practice, offices may additionally call on applicants to present photographs and proof of payment during the visit — the time limit for processing the application begins to run only once these steps have been completed.

What the case law says

In case III SAB/Gd 99/26, the court described a typical course of proceedings: after the application was received, the authority called the foreigner to appear in person, to provide fingerprints, and to submit 4 photographs meeting the applicable requirements along with proof of the stamp duty payment — and only from the completion of those requirements does the 60-day decision deadline begin to run. This shows that the question of the photograph is often settled at the stage of the office visit, and not only at the point of uploading the application.