Obtaining a Working Visa for Poland
Foreigners are entitled to the right of working in this country. This can be done by obtaining a working visa in Poland or another document that allows them to be employed on the Polish territory, but it can vary based on the nationality of the foreigner, as the citizens of specific countries (such as the member states of the European Union) do not have to apply for documents that will grant them the right to work in this country.
Our immigration lawyers in Poland can present the main categories of persons who are legally required to apply for a working visa and can also represent them during the legal formalities involved in the process. In the case of those that need a working visa for Poland, the application should contain the type of work permit that the person needs here or the written statement of the employer interested in hiring foreign workforce.
What types of work permits does a foreigner need in Poland?
The work permits that can be obtained under a visa for employment purposes in Poland vary based on the duration of the employment, the type of function the person will have in a company and other relevant matters. Those who are required to apply for a visa should first verify the requirements they should meet for one of the following work permits:
• Type A work permit – available for those who become employees of companies that have their registered office in Poland, issued based on an employment contract;
• Type B work permit – available for foreigners who will have a board member function and who will reside in Poland for at least six months in a period of 12 months;
• Type C work permit – available for persons who will work in Poland in a subsidiary or a branch office of an international company, for at least 30 days in a calendar year;
• Type D work permit – applicable to those who are delegated by a foreign employer to work in Poland in the export services on a temporary basis;
• Type E permit – this type of permit can be issued to foreigners who want to be employed in Poland and who do not fall in any of the above four options.
Starting with the 1st of January 2018, the Poland immigration legislation provides a new type of work permit, available for seasonal work. The permit is issued at the request of a local employer, and foreigners should be aware of the fact that seasonal work in this country can only be performed if they are the holders of this type of permit; our immigration lawyers in Poland can provide in-depth information on other particularities of this document.
What should a foreigner know on the employment process in Poland?
As a foreigner who wants to be employed in Poland, one should know that the issuance of the work permit is a procedure that involves the employer when one has found a suitable job opportunity. The work permit itself only grants the right to work here and when applying for a working visa in Poland, specifically for employment purposes, the person will also receive the right to live here, as per the regulations of the Poland migration rules.
In this particular case, the first step is to secure a job opportunity with a local employer and then to request the issuance of the work permit, which is done by the company that will employ the foreigner. The specific criteria that foreigners must respect when applying for a working visa in this country are prescribed by the Polish Office for Foreigners. With regards to the demand for work permits in Poland, the European Commission has presented the following information:
• in 2018, Polish authorities issued 328,000 work permits to foreigners moving to Poland from 125 countries;
• the number of work permits that were issued in 2018 increased by 40% compared to 2017;
• most of the work permits were requested by men, who accounted for 77,2% from all the employment permits issued in 2018;
• when referring to the nationality of the foreigners, most of the work permits were requested by Ukrainian citizens (72,5%);
• the 2nd most important group of foreigners was represented by Nepalese (6,1%).
It must be noted that the citizens of the European Union (EU), as presented above, do not need any type of document for employment purposes, and this is available for the citizens of the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland. Persons who have the status of refugees in Poland also do not need relevant papers in order to work here.
The Polish authorities have made certain exemptions from the Poland migration rules for the citizens of Moldova, Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Ukraine and Russia, who benefit from easier access to the local labor market. It must be noted that they do not need to apply for a work permit, as long as they work in Poland for 6 months in a 12 months period. Other exemptions can apply, and we invite you to contact our immigration lawyers for personalized assistance on the need of obtaining a working visa in Poland.
