How to get a work permit in Poland

DISCLAIMER: The following post is intended for educational purposes only and should not be considered an authoritative guide on how to get a work permit in Poland. Its intent is to give the reader a general overview of the process and what kinds of documents are expected. Beginning the process, get a current, Polish version of this form and go over it with a Polish speaker who is willing to help you. Procedures and requirements may have changed since the writing of this article or may have been inaccurately characterized in it. I invite all constructive input you may have on how to make this article more accurate and useful.

What’s a work permit?

Technically, there is no document called a “work permit”. Instead a company wanting to employ a foreigner must obtain a “pledge for work permission”, which is described how to do below. The foreigner then submits this document along with their visa or residency card application, allowing them to receive a work visa or a residency card with an annotation entitles them to work legally. For the purpose of simplicity, the “pledge for work permission” will be referred to as a work permit.

In Poland, the work permit is very restrictive to the foreigner and employer alike. It is linked to one employee and one employer, it cannot be shared. This means that if a foreigner gets a work permit in Poland, he or she can only work for the company that the work permit specifies. If the foreigner wants to change employers or work at more than one job, a work permit must be obtained for each employer interested in hiring the foreigner.

Who gets the work permit?

There is some bureaucracy involved in obtaining a work permit, although the process has been simplified in recent years. The work permit requests specific information from the employer, so the employer must apply for the work permit, not the employee. As a result, very often companies avoid hiring foreigners legally simply because they don’t want to be bothered with all the paperwork.

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June 11th, 2009 - Posted in Blog | | 1 Comments

How to get a residency card in Poland

DISCLAIMER: The following post is intended for educational purposes only and should not be considered an authoritative guide on how to get a residency card in Poland. Its intent is to give the reader a general overview of the process and what kinds of documents are expected. Beginning the process, get a current, Polish version of this form and go over it with a Polish speaker who is willing to help you. Procedures and requirements may have changed since the writing of this article or may have been inaccurately characterized in it. I invite all constructive input you may have on how to make this article more accurate and useful.

What’s a residency card?

This card allows a foreigner to retain in Poland for an extended but defined period of time. A typical tourist visa expires after three months whereby the foreigner has to leave the Schengen Area, get their passport stamped and then may return on a new Polish tourist visa. Although this solution may make sense as a short term solution, people planning on staying in Poland for an extended period of time ought to take the steps to obtain a residency card as soon as possible.

Physically, the card is very similar in appearance to a Polish ID card and functions in much the same way. You are required to have it with you as a form of identification and proof of legal status if you are stopped by the authorities.

How do I get a residency card?

Where: Urząd Wojewódzki (Voivoidship Office)

pre-requisite: varies

Wait time: up to 45 days (you MUST submit the paperwork at least 45 days before your current visa/residency card expires)

Cost: 340 zł + 50 zł

What you’ll need:

filled out application form (this form is in Polish, English and French)
4 current ID photos
passport + 2 photocopies
original birth certificate + certified translation*
certificate from appropriate tax office**
confirmation of temporary “zameldowanie” or photocopy of residency card