The Polish immigration law provides two types of the residence permits issued for an indefinite period: a permanent residence permit and a long-term EU residence permit in Poland. The first of these is issued primarily to foreigners of Polish descent, or the spouses of a Polish citizen, who have stayed in Poland for a specified period of time. For example, one of the conditions to obtain a permanent residence permit in connection with a marriage with a Polish citizen is an uninterrupted stay in Poland for at least 2 years on the basis of a temporary residence permit issued on the basis of this  marriage. Additionally a foreigner must have been married with this Polish citizen for at least 3 years before the day of submitting the application for a permanent residence permit.

The second type of the residence permit issued for the unlimited period of time – the long-term EU residence permit in Poland - is possible to be applied for after 5 years of uninterrupted residence in Poland. In this case, the foreigner must also meet the condition of having had the stable income for at least 3 last years and present the document proving their knowledge of the Polish language.