How to apply for a work permit in Poland in 2022
If you are a non-EU citizen who want to work in Poland, you must first obtain a work permit. The work permit you receive is only good for one job, and you can only use it to complete the duties listed on your application form. You will need to apply for a new work permit if you change jobs. A work permit is only valid for three years.
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 popular work permit.
- Type B – This work permit is valid if you are a board member and residing in Poland for a total period that exceeds 6 months within a period of 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 in the country.
- Type D – You are eligible for this visa if you are sent by a foreign employer to work in export services on a temporary basis. The foreign employer must not have a branch or subsidiary of its own in Poland.
- Type E – You can apply for this visa if you are going to take up work-related tasks that do not fall into any of the above four categories.
Application process
The employer has to apply for a work permit on your behalf. Let ‘s assume that you have found an employer willing to hire you and that your stay is legalized (either on the basis of a visa you have obtained or on the basis of a residence permit). Your potential employer has to fill out a work permit application that contains the name of the company you are recruiting and your future job description within this company in order to get a work permit.
In case you have succeeded in getting a job offer in Poland, then your employer has to apply for a work permit on your behalf.
An employer must conduct a labor market examination before initiating an application for a foreign work visa. The goal of this test is to see if any Polish citizens or other EU citizens are qualified to fill the role. These people take precedence over foreign nationals.
If no qualified job seekers are available, the employer can apply for a work visa on your behalf.
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.
Documents required to be submitted by the employer
- A completed application form
- Evidence of payment of application fees
- Confirmation of the legal status of the employer from the National Court Register
- Current records of the employer’s economic activity
- Copies of the applicant’s passport pages with relevant travel information
- Evidence that the applicant has health insurance
- A deed for the company
- A copy of a statement regarding profits or losses of the employer
- A copy of a contract in accordance with the service being provided by the business in Poland
Work permits are issued by a local “voivode” (government land head) and are issued 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.
Employees should be informed that their work permits are only valid for the duration of their employment with the company that applied for them. If they decide to change jobs, their new employer will have to file for a new 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 7 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. Once you have entered Poland on a work permit, you can legally work here.
