How long does the process take and other common questions

There is no single universal answer. The time depends on the basis for stay, the completeness of the application and the workload of the voivodeship office handling the case. Deadlines in administrative proceedings result from the regulations, but the actual time to resolve a case varies between offices. Information about the expected waiting time is published by the office competent for your place of residence — that is where you should check it.

Most often formal deficiencies in the application. Incomplete documentation usually leads to a request to supplement it, which delays the whole process. The second common cause is failing to respond to the office's request within the set deadline.

More in the article: Formal deficiencies — why they prolong proceedings

These are two separate legal institutions with different conditions — they are not synonyms. The scope of rights and the conditions for obtaining each are described by the Urząd do Spraw Cudzoziemców (Office for Foreigners). Before choosing a path, it is worth comparing both sets of conditions at the source.

This depends on your individual situation: the basis for stay, the basis for work, and how and when the application was submitted. There is no single answer that applies to everyone. This point requires confirmation from an official source or consultation with an authorised representative regarding your case.

More in the article: Legality of employment: where employers can find the scope of their obligations

The case is handled by the voivode competent for your place of residence, but from 27 April 2026 the application itself must be submitted exclusively electronically, through the MOS portal. A paper application received after that date will be left without consideration. Exceptions apply to five situations described in the section for foreigners.

More in the article: Case Handling Module (MOS): the electronic path for submitting residence applications

The stamp duty for granting a residence permit ranges from 85 zł to 640 zł, depending on the type of permit, and the fee for issuing a residence card is 100 zł. These are two separate payments to two different accounts. The account numbers are provided by the office handling your case.

More in the article: Fees in residence proceedings — where to check the current amount

This should not be assumed. The basis for stay and the basis for work are two separate matters that must be checked separately. This applies both to the foreigner and to the employer entrusting the work.

More in the article: Legality of employment: where employers can find the scope of their obligations

From official sources of public administration: the Urząd do Spraw Cudzoziemców (Office for Foreigners), gov.pl, the MOS portal, biznes.gov.pl and the websites of voivodeship offices. If a claim cannot be traced to a source, we do not publish it.

Once the application is approved by a voivodeship office employee, you download from the MOS system a certificate of submission of the application for a residence permit (zaświadczenie o złożeniu wniosku o udzielenie zezwolenia na pobyt). It replaces the previous stamp in the travel document, and the services checking the legality of stay have information about the submitted application.

More in the article: Case Handling Module (MOS): the electronic path for submitting residence applications

A work permit is not a document the foreign national applies for — the employer files the application and the employer pays the fee.

• The application is filed by the entity entrusting the work (the employer), who is the party to the proceedings. A foreign national cannot file it themselves.
• Fees in force since 1 December 2025 (Regulation of the Minister of Family, Labour and Social Policy of 20 November 2025, Dz.U. 2025 poz. 1622): 200 zł — work for up to 3 months; 400 zł — work for more than 3 months; 800 zł — posting of a foreign national by a foreign entity; 100 zł — seasonal work permit.
• This is a one-off fee paid together with the application. The application is filed electronically via praca.gov.pl and the permit is issued by the voivode (wojewoda — the competent regional authority) for the employer's registered office, for up to 3 years.
• A work permit does not legalise your stay. You separately need a residence title that allows work — usually a national visa or a temporary residence permit. Those costs are separate: an administrative fee of 85–640 zł depending on the type of permit, plus 100 zł for issuing the residence card.
• The permit covers one specific employer, position and set of working conditions. Changing employer requires a new permit.
• Citizens of Colombia, Venezuela and Georgia: since 22 August 2026 they may not work on the basis of a work permit if their stay is based on visa-free travel (regulation of 31 July 2026, Dz.U. 2026 poz. 1072). A national visa or another residence title is then required.
• If someone asks you for money to „arrange” a work permit, or offers a visa and a job as a paid package, treat it as a warning sign. The official fee is paid by the employer together with the application.

More in the article: Legality of employment: where employers can find the scope of their obligations

Start with the free public databases run by the Polish administration, and verify private offers.

• Central Job Offers Database (Centralna Baza Ofert Pracy) — oferty.praca.gov.pl. A free database of vacancies reported to labour offices across Poland.
• EURES — eures.praca.gov.pl. The European employment services network; it also publishes offers addressed to candidates from abroad.
• Zielona Linia — zielonalinia.gov.pl. The labour offices' information service and helpline, with a separate section for foreign nationals.
• Commercial job boards and employment agencies. Check any agency in the National Register of Employment Agencies (Krajowy Rejestr Agencji Zatrudnienia, KRAZ) at stor.praca.gov.pl — registration is a condition for operating an agency lawfully.
• Before you accept an offer, settle two things: whether the employer will apply for a work permit, and on what basis you will be staying in Poland. A job advertisement alone gives you no right to work.
• Working without a required permit exposes a foreign national to a fine of 1000 zł to 5000 zł and to a return decision, which may include a ban on re-entering Poland and the other Schengen states.