Poland Work Visa 2026: Work Permit, Fees, D Visa
Working in Poland as a non-EU national usually takes two documents: a work permit, which your Polish employer applies for online, and a basis for staying in Poland, such as a national D visa or a temporary residence and work permit. The rules changed in 2025, with a new Act in force since 1 June 2025 and higher fees from 1 December 2025. This guide sets out who applies for what, the fees in złoty, the visa documents and the timelines, as published by Poland's Office for Foreigners portal, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and a regional immigration office, and read on 14 October 2026.
Quick answer
Your Polish employer applies for the work permit online through praca.gov.pl. The fee is 400 PLN, or 200 PLN for work of up to 3 months. The permit is tied to that employer and job and is granted for up to 3 years. To enter, you apply for a D-type national visa at a Polish consulate, valid for more than 90 days but no longer than one year, with medical travel insurance of at least EUR 30,000. Already in Poland, you can apply for a temporary residence and work permit: PLN 440, decided within 60 days of a complete application.
The work permit
- What it is: the right to work in Poland on the conditions stated in it, for a specific employer and position. It is granted to third-country nationals and stateless persons at the request of employers.
- Who needs it: third-country nationals without free access to the labour market who will work under an employment contract with an employer based in Poland.
- Who applies: the employer, not the foreigner, online through the praca.gov.pl portal.
- Who decides: the competent voivode for the employer's registered office or place of residence, with the minister responsible for labour as the appeal authority. (A seasonal work permit is instead decided by the competent starost.)
- Length: up to 3 years, subject to exceptions, for example up to 1 year if the employer has been in business for less than 1 year.
- Limits: work permits may be subject to quantitative limits set by the Council of Ministers. Applications are prioritised for entrepreneurs of significant importance to the national economy, then continued employment, then occupations in deficit.
Fees from 1 December 2025
| Application | Fee |
|---|---|
| Work permit, longer than 3 months | 400 PLN |
| Work permit, up to 3 months | 200 PLN |
| Permit for workers delegated to Poland by a foreign employer | 800 PLN |
| Seasonal work permit | 100 PLN |
| Temporary residence and work permit, employee | PLN 440 stamp duty |
The fees are set in złoty by a regulation of 20 November 2025, and the pages we read publish no amounts in other currencies, such as Indian rupees.
The D-type national visa
A D-type national visa lets you enter Poland and stay for a total of more than 90 days during its validity, but not longer than one year, and travel to other Schengen states for up to 90 days in any 180. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs lists these documents:
- A travel document.
- A completed and signed visa application.
- A photograph.
- Proof of payment of the visa fee.
- Medical travel insurance of at least EUR 30,000, or Polish public health insurance cover.
- Documents confirming the purpose and conditions of your stay, and adequate funds for living costs and your return.
Supporting documents may differ by country, so check with the Polish consulate where you apply. The Office for Foreigners stresses that a work permit alone does not allow you to work if your stay in Poland is not legal or your visa does not allow work.
Already in Poland: the temporary residence and work permit
- Where: online in the Office for Foreigners' MOS system, decided by the voivode for your place of residence.
- Visits: you are summoned in person, no sooner than 7 days after the summons, to show your travel document and give fingerprints and a signature, and later to collect your residence card.
- Deadline: applications are dealt with within 60 days of a complete application.
- Length: granted for the time needed for a stay of more than 3 months, up to 3 years.
Declarations: a simpler route for four nationalities
From December 2025, the simplified declaration on entrusting work to a foreigner applies only to citizens of Armenia, Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine. Georgia is no longer on the list. The declaration fee is 400 PLN.
Indian and Pakistani applicants
- Same procedure: the employer applies online for the work permit, and you apply for a D-type visa at the Polish consulate.
- Visa needed: Indian and Pakistani ordinary passports are not on the Schengen visa-free list.
- Success rates: the pages we read publish none.
For the wider move, see our moving to Poland guide.
Frequently asked questions
What are the Poland work visa requirements?
A work permit obtained by your Polish employer through praca.gov.pl, and a D-type national visa with a passport, application, photo, fee payment, insurance of at least EUR 30,000 and proof of purpose and funds.
Can I apply for a Poland work visa online?
The employer applies for the work permit online through praca.gov.pl. In Poland, the temporary residence and work permit is applied for online in the MOS system. The D visa is applied for through a Polish consulate.
How much is a Poland work permit?
400 PLN for work of more than 3 months, 200 PLN for up to 3 months, from 1 December 2025.
What are the Poland work visa fees in Indian rupees?
The official fees are set in złoty: 400 PLN for the work permit. The pages we read do not publish rupee amounts.
What is the Poland work visa success rate for Indians?
The Polish authorities' pages we read publish no success rate.
How can Pakistani citizens apply for a Poland work visa?
The Polish employer applies for the work permit online, and you then apply for a D-type national visa at the Polish consulate that serves you.
How long is a Polish work permit valid?
Up to 3 years, subject to exceptions such as up to 1 year for employers in business for less than a year.
Official sources
- Office for Foreigners (MOS portal) — Work permit
- Office for Foreigners (MOS portal) — Temporary residence and work permit
- Wielkopolska Province Office — New regulations from 1 December 2025
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Poland — Visas
- Schengen visa-free nationalities (Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Estonia)
All fees, rules and time frames verified against the official sources above on 14 October 2026. Information, not legal advice.