Belarusian woman received a Residence Card in Poland with a name error. Can it be corrected?

Most found out how the girl managed to replace the card and what to do if an error was discovered in the document.

Anzhalika (name changed), the girl's mother, filed an application for a temporary residence permit for her 17-year-old daughter. This was in March 2025. A positive decision was received at the end of May 2026, and the Residence Card at the beginning of June.

— When receiving the card, my daughter checked the surname and the beginning of the name to ensure it was 'Alia' and not 'Ale'. But she didn't pay attention to the end [of the name], — the girl's mother recounts. It was she who later discovered the error.

"They Lectured Me for Five Minutes"

First, Anzhalika checked the decision on granting the temporary residence permit. The name there was spelled correctly. Then she called the information line of the Mazowieckie Voivodeship Office (the local government *urząd*).

— They lectured me for about five minutes: 'How could you have checked the card and signed that everything was correct?' Ultimately, they told us to try going to cabinet No. 13 with the passport, card, and decision, — the woman recalls.

The girl went to the *urząd* (local government office).

— At the *urząd*, it turned out that the name was spelled correctly in the information system. It was simply a human error during the production of the plastic card. They said they would replace the card free of charge within two weeks, — the interviewee recounts.

The necessary documents for correcting the error were processed by the employees directly at the *urząd*. The old Residence Card was taken away. There was no need to re-submit an application for a temporary residence permit, nor to pay for the production of a new card. The girl received the corrected document two weeks later.

What to Do if an Error is Found in the Residence Card

On the official website of the Wielkopolskie Voivodeship Office, an explanation for foreigners who have discovered an error in their Residence Card after receiving it has been published.

The *urząd* recommends reporting the error, specifying which information in the document is incorrect. This can be done in person at the department's information point or by submitting a written request.

If the error occurred due to the fault of the *urząd*, a new card will be produced free of charge.

If, however, the incorrect data was initially provided by the applicant themselves, a standard procedure for replacing the Residence Card — *wymiana karty pobytu* — may be required. It is described on the state portal MOS.

Therefore, upon discovering an error, it is advisable to first compare the data in the passport, the decision on granting the temporary residence permit, and the Residence Card. Then, contact the Voivodeship Office that issued the document and clarify the correction procedure.

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