Working in Poland

In Polish cities it’s easy for a student to find a part-time job. The wages increase systematically, so many Polish students choose paid studies and start working. Although the permission to work in Poland depends on your country of origin.

EU/EEA citizens
Citizens of the European Union and EEA countries (Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein) and Switzerland are eligible to work in Poland without a work permit.
Citizens of Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, Russia and Ukraine
If you’re a citizen of Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, Russia or Ukraine, you may work in Poland without a work permit for six months in a period no longer than 12 months. Declaration of employment must be registered by the employer at the local job centre.
UE and EEA citizens do not need a visa to stay in Poland. After no longer than 91 days of stay they need to visit local Voivodship Office and register. The applicant must prove that he’s subject to a public healthcare insurance, and has enough money to cover the cost of stay in Poland.

Non-EU/EEA citizens
Non-EU citizens enrolled as regular, full-time studies in Poland are allowed to work in July, August and September. For the rest of the year a work permit is needed. A work permit can be granted but only if no EU citizen is found to fill the vacancy. Formalities must be done by the employer. International students are not allowed to work on a student visa basis only. Students who have residence permits in Poland are entitled to work without authorization.

Non EU and EEA citizens must apply for a long term visa at their local Polish consulate. The certificate of enrollment is required. The visa is valid for no longer than 12 months and must be revalidated in a local Voivodship Office. The visa allows to stay in Poland, and, for the first three months also to visit the other Schengen Agreement member countries. The prolongation of visa may occur only in exceptional circumstances. The general rule is, in the case of the planned extension of the period of stay in Poland over the period specified in the visa, to apply for residence permit. In order to acquire the permit, international students must have a valid health insurance policy and enough money to cover the costs of stay and return travel to the country of origin.
All international students must apply for a temporary residence certificate within 3 days from the date of crossing the Polish border. In order to apply, it’s necessary to visit the local Population Registry Bureau in the Municipal Office.