This research investigates the cell performance and long-term stability of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) containing micro-porous polycarbonate (PC) film as the frame work material to stabilize the electrolyte solution. The track-etched PC film has cylindrical pore geometry, which is beneficial for ion transport in the electrolyte trapped inside the PC film. The photovoltaic efficiency of the DSSC with 0.2-μm PC membrane is 5.75±0.73% under irradiation of 100mWcm −2 , which is slightly lower than that (6.34±0.44%) of cells without PC film. The differences in fill factor and open-circuit voltage between the DSSCs with and without PC film are not statistically significant. The long-term cell performance is carried out at continuous illumination of 100mWcm −2 (1sun) and in darkness at 60°C for up to 1000h. There is no significant efficiency difference between the cells with and without PC film in light soaking (4.33% vs. 4.52%) for 960h. In darkness, however, the cells with PC film demonstrate much higher efficiency (at 2.37%) than cells without PC (0.85%) after 1000h. The improved long-term efficiency data and the higher percentage of working cells confirm the superior lifetime and performance using the micro-porous PC film.