Why is Work Permit Needed?
If any expat is planning to shift to Poland with their new job offer, a Poland work permit is the first document they should have.
As per the guidelines of immigration laws, every foreign worker needs to have legitimate visas and work permits in Poland. Unfortunately, Poland is not very flexible with visa arrangements for foreigners, and visas are only given if no Polish citizen can do the job.
About the Poland Job Market
Number of Expats:
2.1 million
Expats Job Websites:
Popular Industries for Expats:
Coal mining, beverages, food processing, chemicals, steel, and gas
Types of Poland Work Visa Available
Any foreign employee working in Poland needs a work visa. Poland has various sorts of work visas, including:
Type A
To obtain this type of visa, the foreign applicant should first get an employment contract or a civil law contract. In addition, the employer should have a registered office in Poland.
Requirements for Type A Poland work visa:
- The foreign applicant needs to have a valid passport for applying for this type of visa.
- Copy of itinerary including confirmed reservation and airline tickets
- Proof that the applicant has sufficient means to sustain themselves financially throughout their stay, such as, bank statements, income declaration
- Offer letter from their Polish employer
Type B
If the foreign applicant is a board member and is staying in Poland for a period exceeding six months within 12 subsequent months, then the applicant should apply for this type of visa.
Type C
If the foreign applicant is sent to Poland by a foreign employer for more than 30 days in a calendar year to work at any branch office or subsidiary, they can apply for this visa.
Requirements for Type C Poland work visa:
- Copy of itinerary has to be submitted, including confirmed reservation and airline tickets.
- Valid passport
- Proof that the applicant has sufficient means to sustain themselves financially throughout their stay. For example, bank statements and income declaration
- Offer letter from the Polish employer.
- Two copies of the application form
- Copy of health insurance
Type D
A foreign applicant can apply for this visa if their foreign employer sends them to work in export services temporarily with no branch or subsidiary.
Requirements for Type D Poland work visa:
- Copy of itinerary has to be submitted, including confirmed reservation and airline tickets.
- Proof that the applicant has sufficient means to sustain themselves financially throughout their stay, e.g., bank statements, income declaration
- Offer letter
- Two copies of the application form
- Copy of health insurance
Type E
If the applicant doesn’t fall within the ambit of any other visa mentioned above, they are eligible for this type.
Requirements for Type E Poland work visa:
- The applicant needs to have a valid passport if they want to work in Poland.
- Copy of itinerary has to be submitted, including confirmed reservation and airline tickets.
- Proof that the applicant has sufficient means to sustain themselves financially throughout their stay, e.g., bank statements, income declaration
- Offer letter from the Polish employer.
Poland Work Permit Application Process
Once the expatriate has successfully qualified for a job in Poland, their employer needs to apply for a work permit on their behalf. The following documents need to be submitted while applying for a Poland work visa:
- Application form of Poland work visa
- Evidence of paying the application fees
- The legal status of the employer from the National Court Register
- The current record of the employer’s economic activity
- Copies of passport pages with relevant travel information is required
- Proof of health insurance
- Deed of the company
- A copy of the profit and loss statement of the employer
- A copy of a contract in accordance with the service being provided in Poland
Next, these are the following steps to apply for a Poland work permit:
Conducting a Labour Market Test
Before an employer starts applying for a foreign work permit, they must conduct a labor market test. This test helps the employer check if any local talent or citizen of the EU is equipped to take up the offered job. As a result, Polish citizens will have priority over foreign nationals in Poland.
If the employer doesn’t find any option, he can proceed with the visa application for the foreign national.
The application process of a Poland work visa
The employer will be responsible for helping an applicant apply for a Polish work visa. After applying for the permit, the employer would need to provide documentation to satisfy the following conditions :
- The conditions of employment need to be favorable under all applicable employment regulations, including the Labor Code provisions.
- According to the Voivodeship Office, the remuneration offered will be 30% lower than the average monthly salary.
The employer will need to submit the required documents mentioned above. As an employee, it will be the responsibility of the expats to provide their details and documents to their employer, like passport pages.
Issue of work permit
The Voivode is the local government head of the land that issues Poland work permits. If the work permit gets accepted, three copies must be made: one for the employer, one for the Voivodeship Office, and one for the employee. Finally, the employer needs to give the Poland work permit to the employee. Only after this complete process can the expat can start working legally in Poland.
An important point to consider before applying for a Poland Work Permit
The applicant must remember that their work permit is valid only for the timeframe they work for the company on which they applied the visa. Therefore, if the applicant wants to switch jobs, their new employer needs to make a new visa application.
Timeframe for Work Permit Application
The entire process takes 10-12 weeks for approval.
Poland Work Permit Fees
Poland work permit fees vary depending on the Voivodeship.
Multiplier Can Help With a Polish Work Permit
We are a global employer of record services firm with a local presence in more than 150 countries. We have experience in handling and providing HR arrangements to some of the biggest firms in the world. Our experts can help you undertake the process of onboarding global talent, paying them and terminating them with compliance.
The work permits and visas for working in Poland are different, and the application cycle is a multi-step and drawn-out measure. Partnering with Multiplier and its in-house experts can furnish you with a one-stop answer for this whole cycle. Besides, we will deal with the applications and grants all along and keep you refreshed on their turns of events.