Whether you need a work permit in Poland comes down to your nationality. European Union (EU) and European Economic Area (EEA) citizens do not need a work permit to be legally employed in Poland, whereas non-EU citizens must hold a work permit. Citizens of Armenia, Belarus, Moldova, and Ukraine can be hired through a simplified declaration procedure, which sidesteps the full work permit for shorter stints.
Since Poland joined the EU in 2004, the work permit process has slowly fallen into line with the directives used by other member states.
Types of work permits for Poland
There are several types of work permits for Poland, but most new arrivals who want to work in Poland will apply for a Type A permit, which allows employment with a Polish company. If you sit on management boards or hold a general partner role in a Polish entity and your stay in Poland will exceed six months within any 12-month period, you would typically apply for a Type B permit.
Otherwise, the Type C work permit covers intra-company transfers. The Type D permit is designed for people who provide export services for a non-Polish company. Type E rounds out the lettered set: it applies to postings to Poland that run beyond 30 days in any six-month window but fall outside the B, C, and D categories.
Work permits in Poland are typically issued for a maximum of three years and can be renewed. The Type B permit is the exception: it can be used for up to five years.
EU Blue Card
Highly qualified professionals can also apply for an EU Blue Card, and Poland has become one of its largest issuers in the EU. Blue Card holders can conduct business activities alongside their employment and change employers without the need to amend their residence permits. They can also engage in business activities in other EU countries for up to 90 days within a 180-day period. For longer-term work arrangements in another EU member state, a separate authorisation process applies.
Applicants must meet the minimum salary thresholds, which are updated annually based on the average national wage. Applicants in occupations listed by the Ministry of Internal Affairs (primarily IT and related fields) can qualify with three years of relevant experience, and those in other professions require five years.
Useful links
- Praca.gov.pl: Electronic Work Permit Portal
- European Commission: EU Blue Card Information
- Entry Conditions for Working Purposes
- Migrant Information Portal: Work Permits
Applying for a work permit for Poland
Applying for a work permit for Poland is typically handled by employers on behalf of their employees. First, your employer must establish your ‘permission to work’ from a provincial government office, known locally as a Voivodeship Office (Urząd Wojewódzki). This procedure must be done at the office in the district where you are to take up employment.
District authorities can publish their own lists of occupations closed to foreign hiring. Such a list might follow a wave of local mass layoffs, for example.
Once ‘permission to work’ is granted by the Voivodeship Office, you can apply for a national visa at the Polish embassy or consulate in your home country, or for a residence card from inside Poland. Non-EU citizens coming to Poland to work will usually need to meet minimum salary requirements.
The hiring company must present extensive documentation that details its legal status, income, and losses, as well as the number of employees in the company. Employers must file a signed copy of the employment contract before you start work, and supply a sworn Polish translation of any contract that is written in a foreign language. They must also submit copies of every used page of your passport, not just the photo and visa pages.
Processing times for work permits typically range from one to three months. Applicants in the largest cities have reported waits of six months or longer, so build some slack into your start date.
Once approved, work permits are issued for a maximum of three years (but this also varies by permit), at which point they can be renewed. Your employer should submit the renewal application no earlier than 90 days and no later than 30 days before the expiration of your current permit.
Work permits in Poland are job- and employer-specific. Consequently, if you wish to change employers while living in Poland, you must reapply for a work permit. This reapplication process requires your new employer to initiate a new permit application on your behalf.
Regulations for work permits are subject to change at short notice, and you should consult your respective embassy or consulate for the latest details.