How to work legally in Poland

If you are planning to work in Poland, it is important to check two things before you start working:

Do you have the right to stay in Poland, and do you have the right to work?

For citizens of countries outside the European Union, the rules may differ depending on your nationality, your residence status, the type of work you will perform and the documents you have.

This guide explains, in simple English, what you should check before accepting a job, which documents may be required and what rights you have as a foreign worker in Poland.

It is especially intended for people coming to Poland from countries such as India, the Philippines, Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nigeria and other countries where English is commonly used for international communication.

You do not need to know the Polish administrative system to use this guide. Where possible, we explain the Polish names of documents and procedures in English.

1. What does legal employment mean?

Legal employment means that several conditions are fulfilled at the same time:

• you are legally staying in Poland;

• you have the right to work;

• you have the required work permit or another legal basis allowing you to work;

• your employment conditions comply with Polish law;

• you have an appropriate contract with your employer.

For a citizen of a country outside the European Union, legal employment generally requires an appropriate legal basis for staying in Poland and a document or legal basis allowing the person to work, unless the person belongs to a category that is exempt from the work-permit requirement.

This means that:

 

Having legal residence in Poland does not always automatically mean that you have the right to work.

You should check both issues separately:

legal residence → right to work

Your work must also be performed under the conditions allowed by the relevant documents and under an appropriate contract with your employer.

2. First thing to check — your documents

Before starting work, check your documents carefully.

1. A document confirming your legal stay

Depending on your situation, this may include:

• a visa;

• a karta pobytu — a Polish residence card confirming your residence status in Poland;

• a temporary residence permit;

• a permanent residence permit;

• another legal basis for staying in Poland.

What is a karta pobytu?

A karta pobytu is a Polish residence card. It is a physical document connected with your legal residence status in Poland.

It is important to understand that:

having a residence card does not automatically mean that you can work in every situation.

You must check whether your particular residence basis gives you the right to work and whether any additional work document is required.

2. Does your residence basis allow you to work?

This is one of the most important things to check.

Not every visa or residence basis automatically gives you the right to work.

For example, a person may have a document allowing them to stay in Poland but still need a separate legal basis for employment.

Therefore, before starting work, check:

What document allows me to stay in Poland?

and separately:

What gives me the right to work?

3. Do you need an additional work document?

Depending on your situation, you may need:

• a work permit;

• an oświadczenie o powierzeniu wykonywania pracy cudzoziemcowi — a declaration by an employer concerning the employment of a foreigner under a simplified procedure;

• an employer notification concerning employment;

• another document required by Polish law;

or you may belong to a category of foreigners who can work without a separate work permit.

This is why you should not assume that all foreign workers have the same requirements.

3. When is a work permit required?

If you are a citizen of a country outside the European Union, the European Economic Area or Switzerland, and you do not have a special right of free access to the Polish labour market, your employer may be required to obtain a work permit.

A Polish work permit is connected with specific employment conditions.

Depending on the type of permit, the document may specify information such as:

• the employer;

• the position or type of work;

• the salary;

• working time;

• the period for which the permit is valid.

This means that you should check whether:

 

the job you actually perform matches the conditions stated in your work documents.

For example, if your documents allow you to work for one employer under specified conditions, you should not simply assume that the same document allows you to start working for another employer.

If you want to change employers, check your situation before starting the new job.

4. Oświadczenie — simplified procedure

Poland has a simplified employment procedure for citizens of certain countries.

The procedure is based on a document called:

oświadczenie o powierzeniu wykonywania pracy cudzoziemcowi

In simple English, this is an employer's declaration concerning the employment of a foreigner under the simplified procedure.

The procedure can apply to citizens of certain countries, including:

• Armenia;

• Belarus;

• Moldova;

• Ukraine;

provided that the legal conditions are fulfilled.

The declaration is submitted by the employer, not by the foreign worker.

The document is registered by the competent powiatowy urząd pracy, which is the local/district labour office responsible for employment matters.

The worker must then perform the job under the conditions stated in the registered declaration.

Important

Having an oświadczenie does not automatically legalise your stay in Poland.

You must also have a legal residence basis that allows you to work.

In other words:

oświadczenie = employment document

It is not the same thing as a residence permit.

5. Special rules for Ukrainian citizens 🇺🇦

Ukrainian citizens may be covered by special rules concerning access to the Polish labour market.

This is particularly important for people who came to Poland because of the war and are covered by temporary protection.

For eligible Ukrainian citizens covered by the special rules, employment may be possible without obtaining a separate work permit.

In such cases, the employer has an obligation to submit the required notification concerning the employment.

The notification is submitted electronically through praca.gov.pl to the relevant powiatowy urząd pracy — local/district labour office.

For people with PESEL UKR or temporary protection, it is particularly important to check whether their status is still valid and what rules currently apply to them.

However:

 

Not every Ukrainian citizen in Poland has exactly the same legal situation.

A Ukrainian citizen may be in Poland on the basis of:

• temporary protection;

• PESEL UKR status;

• a residence card;

• a visa;

• another legal residence basis.

The rules concerning work can depend on that status.

6. What type of contract should you have?

A foreign worker may work in Poland on the basis of different types of contracts.

Two common examples are:

Umowa o pracę

An umowa o pracę is a Polish employment contract governed by Polish labour law.

It provides the employee with rights and obligations under the Polish Labour Code.

Umowa zlecenia

An umowa zlecenia is a civil-law contract. It is commonly used for certain types of work and is governed by civil-law rules rather than being the same as an employment contract.

The rights and obligations can therefore be different from those under an umowa o pracę.

Other types of contracts may also be possible where permitted by law.

The contract should be in writing

A contract with a foreign worker should be concluded in writing before work starts.

If you do not understand Polish, you should receive the content of the contract in a language that you understand.

Do not start working only because an employer has made a verbal promise.

Before signing, check:

• who your employer is;

• what type of contract you are signing;

• what job or position you will perform;

• where you will work;

• how much you will be paid;

• how many hours you will work;

• what other conditions apply.

7. Check your working conditions

Before signing the contract, pay particular attention to the following.

💰 Salary

Your salary cannot be lower than the minimum levels established by Polish law.

From 1 January 2026, the minimum wage in Poland is:

4,806 PLN gross per month

The minimum hourly rate for relevant civil-law contracts is:

31.40 PLN gross per hour

What does gross mean?

Gross salary is the amount before applicable taxes and social/health contributions are deducted.

Net salary is the amount you actually receive after the applicable deductions.

When an employer tells you how much you will earn, make sure you understand whether the amount is gross or net.

⏰ Working time

Check:

• how many hours you are expected to work;

• what your working schedule is;

• whether overtime is possible;

• how overtime is compensated or paid.

Do not rely only on what was told to you verbally.

Check what is written in your contract and what rules apply to your employment.

📄 Type of contract

Make sure you understand what type of contract you are signing.

For example:

umowa o pracę ≠ umowa zlecenia

They are not simply two Polish names for the same type of contract.

They can give you different rights and obligations.

🏢 Employer

Before starting work, check:

• the company name;

• the employer's details;

• where you are supposed to work;

• what position or type of work you will perform;

• the conditions being offered to you.

If you were recruited through an agency, also make sure you understand who your actual employer is and who is responsible for your contract.

8. Your rights as a foreign worker in Poland

A foreigner who works legally in Poland has the right to protection of their employment rights.

The employer should comply with rules concerning:

• salary;

• working time;

• health and safety at work;

• social and health insurance, where applicable;

• tax obligations;

• the prohibition of discrimination.

Your nationality does not mean that an employer can give you unlawful working conditions.

For example, being a foreign worker does not mean that an employer can simply decide to:

• pay you illegally low wages;

• make you work without the required documents;

• make you work in conditions different from those agreed;

• discriminate against you because of your nationality.

If you do not understand a Polish document, ask for an explanation before signing it.

Do not sign a document simply because someone tells you:

 

“This is only a formality.”

You should know what you are signing.

9. What should you do before your first day of work?

✅ Simple checklist

Before starting work, make sure that:

☐ your stay in Poland is legal;

☐ you know what gives you the right to stay in Poland;

☐ your residence basis allows you to work;

☐ you know whether you need a work permit or another employment document;

☐ your employer has completed the required formalities;

☐ you have received a written contract;

☐ you understand the contract;

☐ the amount of your salary is clear;

☐ you know who your employer is;

☐ you have copies of important documents.

Keep copies of:

• your contract;

• your passport and residence document;

• your work permit or other work document, if applicable;

• your employer's details;

• important documents and messages relating to your employment.

Do not give away your original passport or residence document to an employer permanently.

10. Be careful about illegal work

Do not agree to start working if an employer tells you:

 

“Start working now. We will prepare the documents later.”

Or:

 

“Foreign workers do not need a contract.”

Or:

 

“Work in a different position. We will put something else in the documents.”

Or:

 

“The salary in the contract will be different from the salary you actually receive.”

These situations can create serious problems for both the worker and the employer.

It is especially important to understand that:

 

Not needing a work permit does not mean that you do not need a contract or that the employer has no other legal obligations.

For example, a worker may be exempt from the work-permit requirement but still need a written contract and the employer may still have to complete other formalities.

Illegal employment of a foreigner can result in sanctions for the employer. Illegal work can also have serious consequences for the foreign worker.

11. If you are not sure — check your individual situation

The rules for employing foreigners depend on the individual situation.

The following information can be particularly important:

your nationality + passport/residence document + date of entry into Poland + residence status + type of work + employer + type of contract

For some workers, additional information may also matter.

For example:

• whether you have a PESEL UKR status;

• whether you are covered by temporary protection;

• whether you have a residence card;

• what type of visa you have;

• whether you already have a work permit;

• whether your employer has submitted the required notification.

Do not assume that the rules applying to your friend, colleague or family member automatically apply to you.

Two people from the same country can have different rights to work because their residence status or employment documents are different.

📌 Most important

Legal work in Poland is not only about having a work permit.

You should check all of these elements together:

legal residence → right to work → required documents → contract → employment conditions

If any of these elements is unclear, check your individual situation before starting work.

If you are from India, the Philippines, Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nigeria or another country outside the EU, do not assume that the rules are the same for every foreign worker.

The correct answer depends on your documents, your residence status, your employer and the type of work you will perform.

If you are a Ukrainian citizen, additional special rules may apply, particularly if you have PESEL UKR or temporary protection.

The information on this page is general. Polish immigration and employment regulations can change, so in an individual case you should always check the current requirements of the relevant Polish authorities.

🔗 Useful official sources

Moduł Obsługi Spraw (MOS)

The Polish government information system providing information about residence and work procedures for foreigners.

Państwowa Inspekcja Pracy (PIP)

The Polish National Labour Inspectorate — information about employment rights, legal employment and workplace protections.

praca.gov.pl

The Polish public employment portal, including electronic services and information concerning employment of foreigners.