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View of Warsaw, the Capital of Poland

Warsaw, officially the Capital City of Warsaw, is the capital and largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central Poland.

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Would you like to work in Poland? Check current jobs for foreigners and native speakers in Poland and get advice on working and living in Poland.

FAQ Workers in Poland

Temporary work refers to work done through a temporary work agency, where workers are hired and assigned tasks by a separate company known as the end-user employer. Temporary employment is limited to a maximum of 18 months within a 3-year period at one agency. These agencies recruit workers, employ them, and then place them in jobs at other companies, which are referred to as end-user employers.

When signing an employment contract between a temporary employment agency and a temporary worker, it's important to cover the following details: the contract type and date of signing, the name of the employer who will be utilizing the worker's services, the number of working hours, the worker's position or duties, the location of the job, the payment for the work, including the method and timing of payment, and the length of the notice period.

A temporary worker is a worker employed by a temporary employment agency based on an employment contract for a definite period of time. The work is performed for the end user employer. 

The temporary employment agency conducts general occupational health and safety training, while the end user employer provides OHS training in the workplace. Employees must not be allowed to work until they have completed an OHS training.

Yes. Before commencing work, each temporary worker employed based on an employment contract has to undergo a specialised examination during which the occupational physician decides about the employee’s fitness for work in a given job.

A temporary employee is entitled to 2 days’ annual leave per month remaining at the disposal of one user employer or more than one user employer; the annual leave is not paid for the period for which the employee has used up their holiday entitlement with the previous employer, available under separate regulations.

Yes, special leave is granted for a) two days - in the event of the employee's wedding or birth of their child, or the death and funeral of the employee's spouse or child, father, mother, stepfather or stepmother; b) one day - in the event of the wedding of the employee's child, or death and funeral of their sister, brother, mother, father in law, grandmother, grandfather, or another person that is dependent on the employee or remains under their direct custody. Should an employee require special leave, they must submit an application for the leave accompanied by a document confirming the occurrence of particular circumstances.

If the work for an end user employer continues for a period of six months or more, the temporary worker is entitled to take leave upon request.

If a temporary employee has not used up their holiday entitlement during the period of temporary work, the temporary work agency shall pay the employee a cash equivalent in exchange for the leave or its unused portion.

Both the temporary worker and the temporary employment agency may terminate the temporary employment contract while observing the period of notice pursuant to Article 13 of the Act on the employment of temporary workers: 3 days - when the contract has been concluded for a period not exceeding two weeks (calculated from the date of termination); 1 week - when the contract has been concluded for a period longer than two weeks (calculated from the Saturday following the handing in of the notice).

Yes. Temporary employees must, within seven days of signing the contract, inform the employment office where they are registered about the commencement of employment.

A temporary worker employed under a temporary employment contract is subject to all types of social insurance contributions, including contributions to health and accident insurance, and is therefore entitled to free medical treatment.

Yes. Your remuneration is subject to all types of social insurance contributions (retirement and disability pension, sickness and health insurance), and an 18% tax.

Employment under a temporary employment contract is taken into account when determining the amount of the pension and counts towards the length of service.

Yes. If for at least 12 months in a 1.5 year period the temporary employee earned a gross salary in an amount not lower than the amount specified in the minimum wage law.

No, this is illegal. The Agency collects fees for its services from the end user employer, i.e. the company for which a temporary employee performs work.

Yes. A temporary employee is entitled to a 20% allowance for night work, 50% for overtime and 100% for working on public holidays. To be on the safe side, ask a consultant for the detailed rules of remuneration for a given position.

Are you interested in working and settling in Poland with your family?

Are you interested in building a career and life in Poland? StudyinPoland.info is a trusted overseas career specialist and work visa agent that has assisted thousands of individuals and families settling in one of the world's most livable countries. We understand the positive impact that moving abroad can have on not only the migrant's life but also on their family and parents. Our extensive range of overseas career solutions has made us a top choice for professionals looking to work in Poland.

We provide comprehensive job search and Visa assistance services from start to finish.

At StudyinPoland.info, we strive to simplify the process of working in Poland, making your journey smoother. We aim to enhance your profile's accessibility, attractiveness, and engagement. Our services include helping you create a resume that meets international standards and crafting an appealing LinkedIn profile. We then promote your profile in the countries you'd like and strive to secure interview calls. Additionally, a dedicated consultant for job search and Visa assistance will work with you to guide you through your international career journey.

Our job search visa assistance services include the following:

  • Job Search Strategy Report: With the help of experts, we create a comprehensive report based on your profile and decide on positioning it in your target country
  • Opportunity Research: We identify industry trends and job sources to get you more job offers. We help you modify your profile to present it on different platforms.
  • Job Applications: We register your profile on various portals and job sites and even apply to relevant job postings on your behalf
  • Identifying the best strategy to get your visa
  • Advising you on finances to be shown
  • Informing you on papers to be presented
  • Help in filling in forms
  • Review all your documents before their submission

Critical Aspects of Poland Work Permit:

  • Poland is the seventh biggest country on the continent of Europe
  • Its population is 38.5 million, and the annual growth forecast for Poland to 3.9 per cent in 2022
  • There are five types of visas available for the non-EU citizens
  • 40 standard hours of work

Overview:

Non-EU citizens can apply for work permits in Poland under five different categories. These permits have a fixed duration and are granted based on specific requirements and steps. Below, we will talk about the different types of visas available and the benefits and actions needed to get a Poland work permit.

About Poland:

Poland is a country in central Europe that connects forested lands to the Atlantic Ocean's sea lanes and the Eurasian frontier's fertile plains.

Types of Work Permits in Poland

If you are not a European Union citizen and want to work in Poland, you must obtain a work permit to enter the country. The work permit is valid for three years and can only be used for one job. You are only allowed to perform the tasks listed in your application form. You must apply for a new work permit if you decide to switch careers.

Poland offers five work visa types; these include:

  • Type A – If you find employment based on an employment contract or civil law contract with an employer with an office registered in Poland. This is the most famous work permit.
  • Type B – This work permit is valid if you are a board member residing in Poland for a period exceeding six months within 12 subsequent months.
  • Type C –You can apply for this work permit if you are sent to Poland by a foreign employer for more than 30 days in a calendar year to work for the foreign employer’s subsidiary or branch office.
  • Type D – You are eligible for this visa if a foreign employer temporarily sends you to work in export services. The foreign employer must not have a branch or subsidiary in Poland.
  • Type E – You can apply for this visa if you take up work-related tasks that do not fall into the above four categories.

Requirements to acquire a Poland work permit

The employer must provide the necessary documents to acquire a work permit on behalf of a foreign employee. These documents include:

  • A completed application form
  • Proof of the paid application fees
  • Current records of the employer’s economic activity
  • Proof of applicants' health insurance
  • A deed for the company
  • Copies with relevant travel information on the applicant’s passport pages
  • A copy of a statement regarding profits or losses sustained by the employer
  • Confirmation and evidence of the legal status of the employer from the National Court Register
  • A copy of a contract following the service being provided in Poland

Steps to apply for Poland work permit:

The employer has to apply for a work permit for you. Let‘s assume that you have found an employer willing to hire you and that your stay is legalised (either on a visa you have obtained or on a residence permit).

Your potential employer must fill out a work permit application containing the name of the company you are recruiting and your future job description within this company to get a work permit.

If you have succeeded in getting a job offer in Poland, then your employer has to apply for a work permit on your behalf.

Here are a few necessary steps to apply for the work permit:

Step-1: Conducting a Labor Market Test

An employer must conduct a labour market examination before applying for a foreign work visa. This test aims to see if any Polish or other EU citizens qualify to fill the role. These people take precedence over foreign nationals.

If qualified job seekers are not available, the employer can apply for a work visa on your behalf.

Step 2: The Application Process

The employer must include documents confirming that the following conditions are met with the application:

  • Conditions of employment meet all applicable employment regulations, including articles of the Labor Code.
  • According to the Voivodeship Office, remuneration should not be 30% lower than the average monthly wage.
  • Work permits are issued by a local “voivode” (government land head) and are given for the duration of stay needed to perform the work stated in the declaration of your employer. You need to sign an employment contract with the employer that applied for your permit to make the work permit valid.

Step 3: Issuing the Work Permit

Employees should be informed that their work permits are only valid for employment with the company that applied for them. If they change jobs, their new employer must file for further permission.

Your employer is legally obliged to:

  • Give you the employment contract in writing
  • Provide you with a translation of the employment contract in your preferred language
  • Check the validity and make a copy of your residence permit or visa
  • Notify social security and health insurance institutions within seven days after the employment contract is signed, which gives you access to free healthcare, sickness leave, and other social benefits.

Benefits of a work permit

Once you get the work permit for Poland, you can:

  • Legally work in Poland
  • Legalize your stay in the country
  • Do the work defined in the work permit
  • Sign a work contract with your employer

The processing of the visa should take about 10 to 12 days. You can legally work here once you have entered Poland on a work permit.

Do you want to work in Poland? Seek guidance from SIPT, the Poland's No.1 Overseas Consultant.

FQA: Work and residence permit in Poland

When hiring a foreigner in Poland, you need a document legalising the foreigner’s employment. In some cases, the foreigner may be exempt from the need to obtain a work permit – check if your employee

  • is a citizen of Ukraine and resides in Poland legally

  • is a student of full-time studies or participates in full-time doctoral studies;
  • is a graduate of full-time studies at a Polish University;
  • is a graduate of a Polish secondary school;  
  • is a citizen of the Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova or Ukraine who performs work during a period not exceeding 6 months in 12 consecutive months on the basis of the employer's declaration on the intention to employ such nationals, registered in the district employment agency competent for the employer’s place of residence or registered office of the entity entrusting work performance;
  • holds a valid Pole’s Card.

A permit is granted for the period over 3 months to 3 years.

There are two basic types of permit procedures:

  1. Uniform residence and work permit procedure,
  2. Work permit + uniform residence and work permit procedure.

The foreigners who cannot apply for a permit are, among others:

  • employees being posted by an employer having its registered office outside Poland,
  • running a business in Poland,
  • performing seasonal work in Poland,
  • staying on the territory of Poland based on a visa issued by a Polish authority for tourism purposes visiting family or friends, or
  • staying on the territory of Poland for tourism purposes or for visiting family or friends, on the basis of a visa issued by another state in the Schengen area.

The procedure is applicable to any type of foreigners who legally resides in Poland at the time of filing the application.

The foreigner submits the application in person, no later than on the last day of legal residence on the territory of the Poland to the wojewoda competent for the place of residence of the foreigner.

The list of the documents to be filed:

  1. an application form for granting a temporary residence permit,
  2. Annex 1, filled in by the employer,
  3. four current photos,
  4. confirmation of payment PLN 440 for permit issuance and PLN 50 for residence card printing,
  5. passport (original and copy),
  6. employment contract or contract of mandate (original and copy),
  7. insurance policy (original and copy),
  8. certificate on Labor Market Test (except the cases mentioned on page 16),
  9. a document confirming the right to place of residence (ie. lease agreement),
  10. other documents (depending on the foreigner’s special status).

In practice, the procedure of issuing a unified residence and work permit takes 6-9 months. Such a long period is associated with a large inflow of foreigners from former USSR countries, primarily from Ukraine.

If the application was filed no later than the last day of legal residence on the territory of Poland, the foreigner’s residence in Poland is legal until the decision on uniform residence and work permit (positive or negative) is issued.

The change of work conditions (position, type of contract, salary reduction) requires a new uniform residence and work permit.

The uniform residence and work permit obtained based on work for the previous employer does not entitle to work to the another employer. The new residence and work permit will be required.

This type of permit procedure is applicable to foreigners who don’t reside in Poland and cannot neither enter Poland based on visa free regime nor have a Poland residence card.

The procedure is divided into two stages:

  1. obtaining work permit by the employer,
  2. entering Poland and applying for uniform residence and work permit by foreigner.

The work permit is issued for a period of up to 3 years at the application of the employer by the wojewoda competent for employer’s seat or place of residence.

The list of the documents to be filed:

  • The application form for granting a work permit,
  • Confirmation of payment of PLN 100 for permit issuance,
  • Employer’s ID (for natural person) or excerpt from KRS (for legal person),
  • Employer’s articles of association (for legal person),
  • Copy of passport of foreigner,
  • Certificate on Labor Market Test (see p. 13)  or documents confirming the possibility to use exemption from the Labor Market Test,
  • Documents confirming foreigner’s job qualifications,
  • Other documents depending on the foreigner’s special status.

In practice, the procedure of issuing a work permit takes 3-6 months. Such a long period is explained by a large inflow of foreigners from former USSR countries, primarily from Ukraine.

When foreigner receive the work permit obtained by the employer, he/she should submit it to Polish consulate or Embassy along with the application for working Polish visa.

After the foreigner entered Poland based on valid working visa, he/she concludes the employment contract or contract of mandate with the employer according to the conditions mentioned in the work permit. Foreigner can work for the employer based on work permit during the visa validity period (up to 1 year).

No later than on the last day of validity of the working visa, the foreigner must apply for a uniform residence and work permit in order to continue the residence in Poland.

The uniform residence and work permit is issued for a period of up to 3 years at the application of the foreigner by the wojewoda competent for foreigner’s place of residence.

The list of the documents to be filed:

  1. an application form for granting a uniform residence and work permit,
  2. Annex 1, filled in by the employer,
  3. four current photos,
  4. confirmation of payment PLN 440 for permit issuance and PLN 50 for residence card printing,
  5. passport (original and copy),
  6. employment contract or contract of mandate (original and copy),
  7. confirmation of regular payment of social security and health insurance contributions by the employer,
  8. work permit,
  9. a document confirming the right to place of residence (ie. lease agreement),
  10. other documents (depending on the foreigner’s special status).

In practice, the procedure of issuing a uniform residence and work permit takes 6-9 months. Such a long period is associated with a large inflow of foreigners from former USSR countries, primarily from Ukraine.

A foreigner is entitled to work on the territory of Poland without having to obtain a work permit if he/she (the most common categories are provided below):

  • has a permanent residence permit in Poland,
  • has a long-term resident’s EU residence permit in Poland,
  • is a citizen of a member state of the European Union,
  • is a citizen of the European Economic Area, not belonging to the European Union,
  • is a spouse or a descendant of a Polish citizen or foreigner mentioned above and possesses a temporary residence permit on the territory of Poland,
  • has a valid Polish Card (Karta Polaka),
  • is entitled to reside and work in the territory of a Member State of the European Union or a European Economic Area not belonging to the European Union or Swiss Confederation who is employed by an employer established in the territory of that country and temporarily posted by that employer to provide services on the territory of Poland,
  • is a citizen of the Republic of Armenia, the Republic of Belarus, the Republic of Georgia, the Republic of Moldova, the Russian Federation or Ukraine, who performs work other than seasonal for a period not longer than 6 months in the next 12 months, if the local labor authority prior to commencement of work by a foreigner has entered a statement on entrusting work to a foreigner in the record of statements, and the work is performed on the terms specified in this statement,
  • is a student of full-time studies in Poland or participants of full-time PhD studies in Poland,
  • graduated of Polish upper secondary schools, full-time studies or full-time PhD studies at Polish universities, at scientific institutes of the Polish Academy of Sciences or research institutes operating on the basis of provisions on research institutes,
  • delegated to the territory of Poland by a foreign employer, and keep his/her permanent residence abroad, for a period not exceeding 3 months in a calendar year, in order to:
  • the receipt of ordered equipment, machines, other equipment or parts, made by a Polish entrepreneur,
  • performing assembly, maintenance or repair works, delivered technologically complete equipment, constructions, machines or other equipment if the foreign employer is their producer,
  • training of employees of a Polish employer who is the recipient of devices, constructions, machines or other equipment referred to in point a, in terms of its use or use,
  • assembly and disassembly of trade fair stands, as well as care for them, if the exhibitor is a foreign employer who delegates them for this purposes.
  • other categories of foreigners provided by the legal regulations.

The foreigner exempted from the obligation of obtaining work permit still obliged to ensure the legality of his/her residence in Poland.

The employer can not allow to work a foreigner whose stay in Poland is not legal (e.g. lack of valid visa of residence permit or exceeded the free-visa period).

The certificate on Labor Market Test is not needed in following cases:

  1. the employer applies for an extension of the work permit for the same foreigner and in the same position,
  2. a citizen of Ukraine, Russia, Belarus, Moldova, Georgia, Armenia, performing nursing and caring work or as domestic help for individuals in the household,
  3. a citizen of Ukraine, Russia, Belarus, Moldova, Georgia, Armenia who performed work for the same period of at least 3 months in the period immediately preceding the submission of the application for a same employer on the basis of a declaration of intention to entrust work,
  4. the foreigner straight before the application for a temporary residence and work permit filing had a work permit or uniform residence and work permit and worked for the same employer in the same position,
  5. the foreigner is exempted from the obligation of obtaining a work permit (please see p. 15),
  6. the foreigner will work on the following position:
    • doctors and nurses,
    • some categories of engineers (concrete, glass technologies, electrical, for Industry and production),
    • the most of IT specialists,
    • some categories of builders and craftsmen,
    • carers of elderly persons,
    • bus and truck drivers,
    • others.
  7. the foreigner will work on the position included in the list approved by the regulation of regional authority (wojewoda). For example, for Wielkopolska region the list consists the following professions:
    • some categories of cooks,
    • some categories of builders and craftsmen,
    • furniture carpenters,
    • warehouse workers,
    • kitchen help,
    • manual packers,
    • some others.
 

Immigration Law in Poland

  • Political stability and constant economic grow
  • EU member and access to EU market
  • Extensive labor market with number of work offers for foreigners
  • Inexpensive costs of living in comparison to other EU countries
  • As Central Europe country — cultural similarities to both Western and Eastern Europe
  • Well developed and inexpensive healthcare
  • Affordable and well developed public transport

As per 1.01.2021 almost 460,000 foreigners has valid residence permit in Poland. foreigners. During COVID times epidemiological situation and related travel restrictions encouraged foreigners to extend their stay in Poland.

Nationalities:

  • Ukraine – approx. 244,000
  • Belarus – 28,800
  • Germany – 20,500
  • Russia – 12,700
  • Vietnam – 10,900
  • India – 9,9000
  • Italy – 8,500
  • Georgia – 7,900
  • China – 7,100
  • Great Britain – 6,600

Most foreigner stay in Poland based on temporary residence permits, which may be issued for a maximum of 3 years. Currently it is approx 272,400 of foreigners. The group of foreigners entitled to permanent residence is of approx. 102,100 people. There is also a significant group of registered stay EU citizen of approx. 81,500

Most of the issued residence permits are related to professional activity – in 2020, this concerned 76%. foreigners. Therefore, a strong concentration of foreigners is visible in voivodships with the largest urban centers. The most popular regions are the following voivodships: Mazowieckie – 119,000 people, Małopolskie – 52,000, Greater Poland – 41,000 and Lower Silesia – 37,000.

About 60 percent of foreigners with valid residence permits are people in the 18-40 age range, and approx. 4% over 60 years of age.  The above data does not include persons staying in Poland temporarily under visa-free travel or on the basis of visas.

Key regulations of Polish immigration law:

  • the Foreigners Act of 12.12.2013
  • the Boarder Guard Act of 12.10.1990

Competences related to immigration policy and issues in Poland are split between:

  • Minister of Internal Affairs
  • Polish Boarder Guard
  • Local Employment Agencies

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