Imiatlas

🇵🇱 Poland

Poland Work Visa: requirements and how to apply

Unified permit authorizing both stay and employment for non-EU specialists.

Official Poland work visa page

Single Work & Residence Permit (Zezwolenie jednolite)

Unified permit authorizing both stay and employment for non-EU specialists.

Typical duration
Up to 3 years renewable
Path to permanent residency
EU Long-Term Resident Permit (Zezwolenie na pobyt rezydenta długoterminowego UE) after 5 years

Main requirements

  • Stable income
  • Health insurance
  • Guaranteed accommodation

Official page

Documents usually needed for Poland

  • Employment contract (Umowa o pracę or B2B) with a company registered in Poland
  • Labor market test (Informacja starosty) unless exempted (e.g. shortage list, EU Blue Card, graduates)
  • Submission to the relevant Voivodeship Office (Urząd Wojewódzki) based on residence
  • Passport valid for at least 6 months and a compliant photo (make yours here)

Application steps

  1. 1

    Consular Visa / In-Country Voivodeship Filing

    Submit Annex 1 (Załącznik nr 1) completed by employer to Urząd Wojewódzki.

    1 - 3 months

  2. 2

    Fingerprinting & Passport Stamp

    Attend appointment for biometric fingerprinting, receiving official red stamp (stempel) legalizing stay.

    4 - 8 weeks

  3. 3

    Decyzja & Karta Pobytu Issuance

    Receive positive governor decision (Decyzja) and collect physical plastic Karta Pobytu card.

    1 - 2 months post-decyzja

More about moving to Poland

Find a licensed adviser

For advice on your own case, use a licensed immigration lawyer or adviser. Always check they are registered before you pay anyone. Imiatlas does not refer or review cases.

Look for a lawyer registered with the national bar association or law society in Poland. The official immigration website explains any rules on who may represent applicants.

Office for Foreigners (UDSC) & Voivodship Offices (Urząd Wojewódzki)

General information to help you research, not legal advice. Rules change often: always confirm with Office for Foreigners (UDSC) & Voivodship Offices (Urząd Wojewódzki) on the official website before applying.