This information does not constitute source of law. Authors were duly diligent to make this information consistent with applicable legal regulations. It is good to remember that it concerns typical and frequent cases and may not fully refer to different matters. The number and the type of documents which may be necessary for administrative bodies throughout the procedure may vary depending on the specific case. In the case of any doubts contact competent authority for examination the individual case and become familiar with legal regulations on their own.
Foreigners who intend to employ or continue work on the territory of Poland, provided that these circumstances justify the residence on the territory of the Republic of Poland for a longer period than 3 months.
For foreigners who intend to employ or continue work consisting in perform the administration in the management of joint-stock company or limited liability company shares or stocks of which the foreigner does not have and the entity of which he/she is a manager or will be a manager complies with the relevant requirements.
Temporary residence permit is granted for a period which is necessary to complete the object of this residence on the territory of Poland longer than 3 months to 3 years, with the possibility to apply for subsequent permits.
Note for the important exception: foreigners who conduct business activities on the territory of Poland or are delegated to work on the territory of Poland by the employer who has registered office outside the borders of Poland cannot apply for this permit.
The foreigner makes the application personally, no later than on the last day of the lawful residence on the territory of the Republic of Poland to the voivode competent with regard to the foreigner's place of residence.
During making the application the foreigner is under obligation to give his/her fingerprints.
Note: Foreigner shall fill in the application form and annex No 2. While submitting the application foreigner shall also attached annex No 1, filled in by an entity entrusting performance of a paid activity to the foreigner (by foreigner's employer).
Note: Lack of any of the aforementioned documents will result in margin call within 7 days from its delivery, under pain of leaving the application without examination.
Note: Documents listed below attached to the application may reduce the quantity of official correspondence and shorten the time which is necessary to handle the case.
Information from the poviat starost competent with regard to main place of performance of the work by the foreigner on the lack of the possibility to satisfy the employer's staff needs based on unemployed or job-seekers registers or on negative recruitment result organized for the employer.
Note: This document is issued at the request of an entity entrusting performance of through to the Poviat Labour Office competent for the main place of work or competent for the place of residence of the entity entrusting the work, when specificity of the work performed by the foreigner does not allow to indicate the main place of such performance or competent for the seat or place of residence of the user's employer, when specifics of temporary work performed by the foreigner does not allow to indicate the main place of its performance.
a foreigner meets the conditions of an exemption from the obligation of having a work permit, as specified in separate regulations.
documents proving health insurance as defined by the provisions of the Act of 27 August 2004 on health care services financed from the public funds or confirmation of the insurer covering the costs of medical treatment on the territory of the Republic of Poland (e.g. appropriate certificate from the Social Insurance Institution (ZUS), insurance policy).
If the application for temporary residence permit was made during the foreigner's lawful residence and this application did not contain formal defects or these defects were supplemented within the time limit, the voivode stamps the travel document which confirms registration of the application. Residence of the foreigner is deemed to be legal from the date of submission the application until the date when the decision on temporary residence permit becomes final.
Note: Stamp in the travel document does not entitle the foreigner to travel through territories of other countries of Schengen area, while the foreigner may travel to the country of origin, however, in order to return to Poland he/she must obtain a visa, if he/she comes from the country which is subject to the visa obligation.
The residence permit decision takes place no earlier than after 1 month prior to initiation of the procedure.
The foreigner who obtains temporary residence permit on the territory of Poland will be issued with the residence card. This document is issued ex officio by the voivode who granted the residence permit.
Residence card in the period of its validity confirms the foreigner's identity during his/her residence on the territory of the Republic of Poland and entitles him/her, along with the travel document, to multiple crossing of the border without the need to obtain the visa.
The foreigner who resides in Poland on the basis of temporary residence permit and work permit is obliged to notify in writing the voivode competent with regard to the place of the foreigner's current stay, within 15 working days on loss of work for any listed in the permit entities entrusting work (employers). If the temporary residence permit was granted by the Head of the Office for Foreigners in the second instance, the notification is addressed to the voivode, who ruled on the granting of this permit in the first instance.
Compliance with the aforementioned obligation results in the fact that residence and worker permit will not be withdrawn in the period of 30 days counted from the day of the loss of work. Such a situation may happen no more than once during the validity period of the permit.
This permit entitles to perform work on conditions specified in these permits or on conditions which result from the provision which is the basis for exemption. The foreigner does not need to have additional document which authorizes him/her to perform work in the form of the work permit. The residence card, issued in connection with temporary residence permit, includes a note "access to the labour market".
– performance of work for a different employer, user (in the case of temporary work) or on other conditions than those specified in the permit (i.e. on a different position, with lower remuneration, in the event of the change of working hours or type of the contract which is the basis for performing the work) requires the change of temporary residence and work permit.
The change of the registered office, place of residence, name, legal form of the entity entrusting performance of work or acquisition of the employer or his/her part by another employer do not require changes or issuing of new temporary residence and work permit.
The application for the change of temporary residence and work permit should contain the aforementioned information from the poviat starost, unless this requirement is not applicable.
The validity period of changed permit cannot exceed 3 years from the date of issuing the permit which was changed. In such a situation the foreigner may apply for new temporary residence and work permit.
The foreigner may perform additional work for another entity entrusting performance of work on the basis of a separate work permit – work permit for the foreigner, in this case, is issued to the entity entrusting work.
The foreigner is obliged to leave the territory of the Republic of Poland within 30 days from the day when the decision on refusal to grant the temporary residence permit or the decision to withdraw the permit became final and in the case the decision was issued by a superior body, from the day when the final decision was delivered to the foreigner, unless he/she is authorized to reside on the territory of Poland on a different basis.