Work permit for a foreigner in Poland: how to obtain it

Who files the work permit application, and where?

The application is filed by the employer, that is, the entity entrusting work to the foreigner, not by the foreigner. The application goes to the voivode. Voivodeship jurisdiction is determined by the employer's registered office or permanent place of residence at the time of filing.

The exception is seasonal work: in that case the application is addressed to the starost (starosta, head of the district), that is, the district labour office (powiatowy urząd pracy), not the voivode.

How do you file the application after 1 June 2025?

The application is filed exclusively electronically through the praca.gov.pl system. Applications filed in any other way, including on paper by post, by courier or at the office's filing desk, are left unprocessed. The obligation follows from art. 8 of the Act of 20 March 2025 on the conditions for allowing foreigners to be entrusted with work.

Documents attached to the application must bear an electronic signature: a qualified signature, a trusted profile (profil zaufany) or a personal signature (podpis osobisty). Letters, explanations and appeals in the case are also sent through the individual account in the system.

Which documents and conditions must be met?

The foreigner must have a residence title, and the employer must demonstrate its financial situation and the settlement of its public-law liabilities. The voivodeship office lists among the documents confirmation of financial resources, a certificate of no tax arrears and a certificate from ZUS (the Social Insurance Institution) of no arrears in contributions. A statement by the entity entrusting the work, signed within 30 days before filing, is also attached to the application.

The scope of documents depends on the type of case, so before filing it is worth checking the current list with the office competent for your company's registered office. The foreigner's remuneration may not be lower than the pay of employees performing comparable work in the company, nor lower than the minimum wage.

• confirmation of financial resources (bank certificate, account statement)
• certificate of no tax arrears
• certificate from ZUS of no arrears in contributions
• statement by the entity entrusting the work, signed no earlier than 30 days before the application
• documents confirming the circumstances described in the application, e.g. contracts with business partners

Does the labour market test still apply?

No, the provisions on the labour market test were abolished on 1 June 2025. The starost's information (informacja starosty) stating that the employer's staffing needs cannot be met may be issued only in proceedings initiated before that date.

For the employer this means one stage fewer: there is no longer a need to first apply to the district labour office for such information. The application to the voivode itself remains subject to formal and substantive assessment.

Who issues the permit and how does it differ from a declaration?

The work permit is issued by the voivode by decision, and the seasonal work permit by the starost. The declaration on entrusting work (oświadczenie o powierzeniu pracy) is a separate, simpler procedure: the employer files it with the starost and it concerns citizens of Armenia, Belarus, Moldova or Ukraine. Work under it may last up to 24 months per declaration, and the foreigner works without a permit after the declaration is entered in the register.

The declaration is also filed exclusively through praca.gov.pl. If the candidate is not from one of these four countries, a work permit from the voivode usually applies. A citizen of these countries may also work under a permit. The appropriate type of permit depends on the form in which the foreigner is engaged.

What obligations does the employer have after obtaining the permit?

Before entrusting the work, the employer sends the voivode, through praca.gov.pl, a copy of the contract with the foreigner in Polish, and if the foreigner does not know Polish, presents them before signing with the content of the contract in writing in a language they understand. It keeps a copy of the residence document for the whole period of work and for 2 years, counted from the end of the calendar year in which the contract with the foreigner expired or was terminated. The National Labour Inspectorate states that penalties of PLN 3,000 to PLN 50,000 apply for illegally entrusting work.

The voivode must also be notified through praca.gov.pl within 7 days of a change of the company's registered office, name or legal form, of a change of only the job title without a change of duties, and when the foreigner has not started work within 2 months of the start of the permit's validity, has interrupted it for more than 2 months or has ended it more than 2 months before the permit expires.

Frequently asked questions