Poland · Work Visa
Work permit categories, eligibility, sponsorship, application steps, and processing times.
AI-drafted, editorially reviewed. Confirm specifics with the official authority.
Working as a non-EU national normally needs both a work permit obtained by the employer and a residence basis that allows you to stay, and the permit side was rebuilt on 1 June 2025 by a new Act on entrusting work to foreigners. Under it the labour market test is abolished, applications and decisions run exclusively through the electronic portal, and the employer must upload the employment contract before work starts. Local authorities may instead publish lists of protected occupations in which permits are refused, so eligibility is now checked against those lists rather than against a case-by-case labour office opinion.
- Since 1 June 2025 the labour market test is abolished and protected-occupation lists replace it.
- Applications and decisions run only through the electronic portal.
- The work permit and the residence basis are separate requirements — you generally need both.
Official authorities
- biznes.gov.pl — employing foreigners
Work permits and employer obligations for foreign staff.
Official-information aggregation, not legal advice. Always verify on the authority's own site.