Poland work permit program

What is a work permit?

Before looking into the Poland work permit program, it’s important to understand what a work permit is and how it functions. In short, this allows a non-native holder to work legally in their chosen location – in this case, Poland. When you are hoping to work here, permits are issued by the local governor, or Voivode as they are known, that corresponds with the place of residence of your potential employer. The permit should include details of the company in question, that they have decided to employ a foreign national and the role that their candidate (you) will be undertaking. This means that for the permit to be/remain legal, you will have to be employed and working in the specified role.

If at any point you lose your job or swap it for another position elsewhere, you must apply for an entirely new permit.

Who needs to have a work permit in Poland?

Any foreign nationals who hail from non-EU member states will be eligible to work in the Republic of Poland when they have the correct work permit and are legally living in Poland under either a temporary residence permit or with a Schengen visa (or similar residence document issued by another Schengen Area member state).

How long are work permits valid?

These permits are subject to a validity period, which is usually no longer than 3 years. In cases where foreigners are employed by members of boards of companies (typically where more than 25 people are employed at the time of application), the local governor may decide to issue permits for up to 5 years.

These time frames are set by law, but there will be instances where the local governor may decide to shorten the validity period for which work permits are issued. This means that applicants should check with the Voivode to ensure continued compliance.

Types of work permits available to foreigners

There are 5 types of work permits available to foreigners and these are as follows:

Type A – if you are going to work for a Polish employer who has a registered office, facility, branch, place of residence, or any other form of business within Poland, you will need a Type A permit.

Type B – this type of permit awards temporary residence, with a duration of 6-12 months. It is offered to employees within the management board of a legal person or entity who has successfully established their own business in Poland.

Type C – if you are working for a non-Polish employer who requests that you work in Poland for a minimum of 30 days, you will need a Type C working permit.

Type D – just like with the Type C permit, Type D permits are given to employees of non-Polish companies who need representatives to temporarily perform a specific duty within the business, such as overseeing export services.

Type E – Under the same circumstances, you may need a Type E permit if you meet the above requirements for temporary work in Poland from a non-native company. This will be awarded to those who will be staying for longer than 3 months, and within the next 6 months.

Final things to keep in mind

When applying for any type of work permit, you will need to keep a host of factors in mind when beginning the application process. These are:

1. Never give out information regarding your passport or identity card
2. Always ask for (and obtain) a copy of your work permit. You are legally allowed to own it and should keep all of your documentation together and safe, should you need it at any time
3. If you are securing job positions online or remotely, always perform due diligence to ensure that you are applying to work with a legitimate, established business before applying for a work permit. Poland’s official government website should have all the info you need, as long as you have the company’s national business registry number (or REGON) to hand. The National Court Register website may be helpful if you don’t
4. If you are securing positions via a work agency, be sure to do the same level of research and check out their credentials by reading peer reviews and more