Who can work in Poland without work permit?

    In principle, every foreigner employed in Poland  is obliged to have work permit. However, there are many exceptions to this rule. Below I try to present the complete list of groups of foreigners, that are released from this obligation.

FOREIGNERS ALLOWED TO WORK IN POLAND WITHOUT WORK PERMIT:

• all EU/EFTA citizens
• the family members of the above: spouse, child of EU/EFTA citizen or child of his/her spouse under 21 (or older, if he or she is their dependant), mother, father and his/her spouse, if they are EU citizen's dependants;
• the above persons in case of death of EU/EFTA citizen if they stayed on the territory of Poland together with EU-EFTA citizen for not less than one year;
• the former spouse of EU/EFTA citizen in case of divorce or marriage annulment, if:

          - the marriage lasted for not less than 3 years before the start of the divorce of marriag annulment procedure and within these 3 years not less than one year during EU/EFTA citizen's stay in Poland;

         -  a former spouse of EU/EFTA citizen takes care of his/her children on the basis of the court decision or on the basis of the agreement between former husband and wife;

        -   a former spouse of EU/EFTA citizen has right to visit minor child on the basis of the court decision or on the basis of the agreement, if the decision or the agreement says, that the visits should be realised on the territory of Poland 

• in case of death or departure of EU/EFTA citizen - his/her child, that stays and studies (in every level of education institution) on the territory of Poland and the parent (irrespective of his/her citizenship), that takes care of that child;
• persons with a refugee status in Poland, their descendants, their spouses, if they have residence permit granted in relation to marriage and spouses' descendants;
• persons that have permanent residence permit in Poland, their descendants, their spouses, if they have residence permit granted in relation to marriage and spouses' descendants;
• long-term EC residents in Poland, their descendants, their spouses, if they have residence permit granted in relation to marriage and spouses' descendants;
• persons, that were granted a long-term EC resident permit by another EU member country and their family members, if they stayed together with them abroad and entered Poland to join them,  their descendants, their spouses, if they have residence permit granted in relation to marriage and spouses' descendants;
• persons, that have permit to stay due to humanitarian reasons and their spouses, if they have residence permit granted in relation to marriage;
• persons that have permit for tolerated stay in Poland , their descendants, their spouses, if they have residence permit granted in relation to marriage and spouses' descendants;
• persons that were granted a complementary protection in Poland;
• their descendants, their spouses, if they have residence permit granted in relation to marriage and spouses' descendant;
• persons that were granted a temporary protection in Poland, their descendants, their spouses, if they have residence permit granted in relation to marriage and spouses' descendants;
• Turkey citizens - after 4 years of being employed in Poland on the basis of work permit;
• family members of the above - if they stay together with them in Poland for 5 years;
• persons that have temporary residence permit, granted in relation to:

          - marriage with a Polish citizen;

          - death of a member of family, divorce or separation, if earlier joining that member of a family was a reason for getting residence permit;
          - death of a spouse, divorce or separation, if earlier marriage was a reason for getting residence permit;

• persons, that have residence permit granted in relation to being an intramural student of higher education institution, their descendants, their spouses, if they have residence permit granted in relation to marriage and spouses' descendants;
• persons, that have residence permit granted in relation to carrying on scientific research, their descendants, their spouses, if they have residence permit granted in relation to marriage and spouses' descendants;
• persons, that had residence permit granted in relation to being a family member of a foreigner released from a duty to obtain work permit, that stays in Poland;
• persons, that had residence permit granted in relation to being a family member of a foreigner, released from a duty to obtain work permit, that stays in Poland and received the next residence permit after death of a member of family, because of having important reasons to stay in Poland, their descendants, their spouses, if they have residence permit granted in relation to marriage and spouses' descendants;
• persons, that had residence permit granted in relation to being a victim of human trafficking, their descendants, their spouses, if they have residence permit granted in relation to marriage and spouses' descendants;
• Pole's Card's holders;
• persons that have right to stay and work in other EU/EFTA member state and are employed by an employer whose registered office is located in the territory of such a country and who
  have been temporarily delegated by such employer for the purpose of providing services in Poland;
• persons that apply for granting a refugee status or their spouses on behalf of whom an application for granting a refugee status has been submitted;
•  persons that conduct trainings, participate in professional internships, act as advisors or supervisors or perform functions, that require special qualifications and abilities in programmes implemented within the scope of European Union activities or other international aid programmes;
• teachers of foreign languages who work in kindergartens, schools or institutions, included in the provisions on the system of education or in Voluntary Labour Corps;
• members of the armed forces or civilian staff working in the international military structures on the territory of Poland or foreigners delegated to implement defence programs realized under
  contracts to which Poland is a party;
•  foreign media correspondents accredited to Poland by a relevant minister of foreign affairs upon request of an executive editor of a foreign journal office or agency, only in the scope of professional journalist activity performed for that specific journal office or agency;
• persons that individually or in groups provide artistic services, up to 30 days in a calendar year;
• persons that deliver lectures or presentations of a special scientific or artistic value, up to 30 days in a calendar year, if they permanently reside abroad; 
• sportsmen working for entities that have registered seat in Poland, in connection with sporting events, up to 30 days in a calendar year;
• persons that perform work in connection with international sporting events, referred by a relevant international sport organisation;
• clergymen, members of orders or other persons that perform work in connection with holding a religious function in churches, religious unions, religious organisations or other entities, if they were delegated by relevant religious institution;
• intramural students, that study in Poland; 
• persons, that are just in the course of applying for every kind of residence permit - if they have it confirmed by a stamp in their passport and if they were released from the obligation of having work permit directly before applying (not in every case, please check your individual situation);
• students, that undergo the vocational training, to which they have been delegated by organisations, that belong to international student associations;
• students, that work in a cooperation with public employment services as well as with their foreign partners - if the necessity to employ a foreigner has been confirmed by a relevant employment authority;
  
•  students of higher education institutions or students of vocational schools, referred for up to 6 months in a calendar year  to a vocational training, that is consistent with the regulations of studies or teaching programme, organised on the basis of a contract between a foreign higher education institution or a vocational school and an employer;
• students of EU/EFTA higher education institutions or vocational schools who undergo vocational trainings consistent with the regulations of studies or teaching programme, if they have been referred to such trainings by above mentioned institutions/schools;
•  participants of cultural and educational exchange programs, humanitarian or developmental aid programs, student holiday work programs, organised in consultation with the Minister of Labour;
• graduates of Polish upper secondary schools, graduates of intramular studies in higher education institutions or intramular PhD studies in Poland;
• scientists working in entities referred to in regulations on research institutions;
• persons delegated into the territory of Poland by a foreign employer for a period of up to 3 months in a calendar year for the purpose of:
  - installation, maintenance or repair of the delivered, technologically complete appliances, constructions, machines or other equipment, provided that they were produced by a foreign employer;
  - collection of ordered appliances, machines or other equipment or parts, manufactured by a Polish producer;
  - providing a training course for the employees of a Polish employer who is a receiver of appliances, constructions, machines or other equipment  in the scope of operation, or use of such appliances, constructions, machines or other equipment produced by a foreign employer;
  - assembly or disassembly of exhibition stands as well as supervision over them, if the exhibitor is a foreign employer who delegates workers for this purpose;
• persons that work for members of EU Parliament in connection with the duties they perform;
• nationals of Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia and Armenia - up to 6 months within a year, only on the basis of employer's declaration on intention to appoint a foreigner to perform work, registered in a relevant Labour Office;
• persons, to whom apply international agreements or separate provisions, releasing them from the duty to have work permit.

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Did you find yourself on the list above? If not - it looks like you need work permit to work legally in Poland... 

Please treat this post only as a general information and always make sure if in your specific case work permit is required or not. It is very important, sometimes small details can change your situation! If you have doubts, talk to the relevant Voivodeship Office in Poland or contact Expat Center.

Legal basis:

• Regulation of the Minister of Labour and Public Policy of July 20, 2011 on the cases, when employing a foreigner on the territory of the Republic of Poland is allowed without the necessity to apply for work permit 
• The Act of 20 April 2004 on promotion of employment and labour market institutions (Journal of Laws of 2008, No. 69 item 415, with later amendments)
• The Act of 30 December 2013 on foreigners (Journal of Laws of 2013., item 1650)