Free application

Visas & documents · 3 min read

Visa and work permit rules: Poland

Checked against official sources: 2 November 2026

Old Town Market Square, Warsaw — Igor123121, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

Work authorisation

Work permit type A (zezwolenie na pracę typu A). It covers work under a contract with an employer based in Poland. After arrival the worker can apply for a temporary residence and work permit (the single permit), which comes with a residence card.

The employer applies for the type A work permit. The voivode (regional governor's office, urząd wojewódzki) issues it. Since 1 June 2025 the application is online only, through praca.gov.pl (form ZC-WWZ), signed with a qualified e-signature or Trusted Profile. The worker applies for the visa. Later, the worker applies for the temporary residence and work permit at the voivode, with Annex 1 filled in by the employer.

How you enter the country

National D visa for work. The worker registers on e-konsulat and applies in person at the Polish consulate or the visa centre it uses. Examples: in Nigeria, at the Embassy consular section in Abuja, with weekly automated slot draws. In India, at VFS Global centres. In the Philippines, at BLS centres in Manila or Cebu. You can apply up to 6 months before travel and no later than 15 days before. The work permit (original or copy, as the mission asks) must be submitted. Official pages do not say whether fingerprints are taken for a D visa.

Processing times

Work permit: usually up to 1 month after a complete application, up to 2 months in complex cases (biznes.gov.pl). D visa: decision within 15 calendar days, extendable to 30 days (Embassy in Abuja and Embassy in New Delhi pages). Temporary residence and work permit: the procedure 'should end within 60 days' of a complete application (EU Immigration Portal, page dated 1 April 2025).

Documents you usually provide

  • Passport issued within the last 10 years, valid at least 3 months after the planned return date, with at least 2 blank pages (Embassy in Abuja page)
  • Copy of the passport data page
  • Visa form completed on e-konsulat, printed and signed
  • Colour photo 3.5 x 4.5 cm, white background, not older than 6 months
  • Travel medical insurance of at least EUR 30,000, valid for the whole stay, or Polish public health insurance
  • Work permit (copy or original, as the mission asks) and written information from the employer on job conditions
  • Proof of qualifications and experience
  • Proof of means of subsistence and proof of accommodation
  • Flight booking (Abuja page asks for return flight reservation)
  • For the work permit (employer side): copy of the worker's passport, employer documents, proof of fee payment, employer declarations

After arrival

The worker may work only under the conditions in the work permit. The employer must give the worker a copy of the permit and send a copy of the contract through praca.gov.pl before work starts. To stay beyond the visa, the worker applies for a temporary residence and work permit. Since 27 April 2026 these applications are made only online in the MOS system (mos.cudzoziemcy.gov.pl). Fingerprints are taken. The permit is issued with a residence card marked 'access to the labour market'. It can be valid from more than 3 months up to 3 years. A change of employer, job, pay or hours usually needs a new or changed permit.

How Worrki helps

We confirm the job with the employer, coordinate the employer documents and check your package before you apply. You submit the application yourself and the authorities make the decision. See jobs and conditions in Poland.

This summary was checked against the official pages listed below on 2 November 2026. Fees are set by the authorities and change often, so we do not quote them here. Always confirm the current requirements and fees with the consulate that serves your country of residence.

Keep reading