The new updates to the Polish act on foreigners make it easier for them to obtain temporary residence permits. The amendments are introduced especially for non-EU nationals who are being transferred within one company, but there will be changes in other aspects as well.

In-company transfer

If you live abroad outside the European Union and are about to be transferred to work in Poland for the same company – the process is about to become much easier. Individuals transferred to work for Polish branches of foreign companies will be able to stay in Poland on the basis of a temporary work permit for as much as three years (applicable to managers and specialists). For interns, the period of validity for a residence permit will be shorter – up to one year. After that, foreign employees will be obliged to leave Poland, unless they find another compelling reason to stay in Poland. To be eligible to fall under the new regulation, employees will need to have been employed in the said company for at least 12 (managers and specialists) or 6 months (interns) before the process is initiated. The in-company transfer is to be applied to the entire EU territory, not just Poland.

Language test

The act on foreigners is going to feature a clarification on the obligatory level of language tests designed for foreigners staying in Poland. Up to now, it has not been specified what the exact examination level is, but the amendment is going to introduce an obligatory B1 Polish language test (intermediate level) for those applying for a long-term EU residence permit or Polish citizenship.

If you are worried about your Polish language skills, do not fret!
Read this interview about foreigners learning Polish in a language school in Warsaw.

A record number of foreigners

The newest figures show that there are over 300,000 foreigners living in Poland on the basis of residence permits. This data does not include visa holders. The biggest number of foreigners has been registered by the Mazowieckie Voivodeship Office (over 100,000) – the region represented by Warsaw, where the most numerous foreign national groups are Ukrainians, followed by the Vietnamese, Chinese, Belarussian, Indian, Russian, French, British, German and Turkish nationals.

The new act is still being processed. If you want to stay up to date with the latest changes, please visit our website regularly for more recent information.