Work Visas in Poland
How to get a work permit and which routes actually exist
Poland runs a lettered system of work permits, A through E, which the employer applies for rather than the worker. Alongside it sit a simplified declaration procedure for a handful of neighbouring nationalities, a combined residence-and-work card issued by the voivode, and the EU Blue Card for graduate-level roles. Almost every route begins with an employer, and almost every permit is tied to that employer.
| Permit types | A, B, C, D and E, depending on the employment structure source |
| Who applies | The employer, at the voivodeship office |
| Simplified route | Declaration of entrustment of work, for certain neighbouring nationalities |
| Combined card | Temporary residence and work permit, one document for both |
| Blue Card | Higher education or equivalent experience, plus an elevated salary threshold source |
The five permit types
- Type A — the ordinary case. The foreign national works for an employer whose registered office is in Poland, under a Polish contract. This covers the large majority of permits issued.
- Type B — a member of the management board of a Polish company who stays in Poland beyond a limited number of months within a year.
- Type C — an employee of a foreign employer posted to a branch or subsidiary in Poland for longer than a set period.
- Type D — an employee of a foreign employer with no branch in Poland, posted to perform an export service of a temporary and occasional nature.
- Type E — the residual category, covering postings that fall outside types C and D beyond a threshold number of days.
What the employer has to do
The employer files the application, pays the fee and carries the compliance burden. For most type A permits the starting point is a labour market test: the local employment office is asked whether a suitable Polish or EU candidate is available, and issues an opinion. Certain occupations on a published shortage list are exempt from that test, which shortens the process considerably.
The permit names the employer, the position, the working time and the minimum remuneration. Working outside those terms, or for a different company, generally requires a fresh permit. Employees who change jobs frequently find this the most restrictive feature of the Polish system.
The declaration of entrustment of work
For citizens of a defined and short list of neighbouring states, an employer may instead register a declaration of entrustment of work with the district employment office. It is an entry in a register rather than a discretionary assessment, and it is normally processed in days rather than months, which is why it accounts for a very large share of legal foreign employment in Poland.
The declaration authorises work for a limited period within a rolling window, after which the employer is expected to move the worker onto a full permit if the employment continues. It is a bridge, not a permanent status.
The combined residence and work card
Rather than holding a separate visa and a separate work permit, a foreign national already in Poland may apply to the voivode for a temporary residence and work permit. One decision covers the right to stay and the right to work for the named employer, and one card is issued.
This is the route most people end up on, and it is also where the backlog bites. Filing before the current status expires places the applicant on a stamped legal stay while the case is pending, which protects residence but does not always protect travel.
The EU Blue Card
Poland issues the EU Blue Card as a temporary residence permit for highly qualified employment. It requires a completed higher education qualification, or in some occupations equivalent professional experience, together with a contract meeting a salary threshold set above the national average.
The Blue Card carries the mobility and family advantages of the EU-wide scheme, but in Poland it is used far less than ordinary work permits, largely because the salary threshold sits well above what many local employers pay.
Free: the Poland visa checklist
A one-page PDF listing every document each route asks for, so you can see what you are missing before you spend anything. No spam, unsubscribe in one click.
The list is not open yet, so nothing was sent and your address was not stored. The guides on this site are free and need no sign-up.
We email a short course on how the Poland routes work, then the report offer. Your address is never sold.
Official sources
Checked against these pages in September 2026. Fees and processing times change without notice — confirm before you act.