A residence permit for work in Poland (Zezwolenie na pobyt czasowy i pracę) is the only document that allows a foreigner to legally reside and work in the country. It combines a residence permit and a work permit.
To obtain such a card, you must have an official job offer or a signed employment contract. The documents are submitted to the provincial office, and the entire process takes some time.
Usually, a temporary residence and work permit is issued for a period not exceeding 3 years, and its validity depends on the duration of your contract with the employer. This allows foreigners to have a stable legal status.
After the card expires, the foreigner has the right to apply for an extension. After 5 years of continuous legal residence on the basis of temporary cards, you can apply for a permanent residence card.
(document allowing temporary residence)
issued to those persons who intend to permanently reside in Poland.
this is one of the documents that allows a foreigner to legally reside in Poland.
Członek Sądu Koleżeńskiego SPPON (Stowarzyszenie Pomorskie Pośredników w Obrocie Nieruchomościami) Licencja 29826
Author and teacher of a course for real estate agents
A Residence Card in Poland (karta czasowego pobytu for work) can be temporary or permanent. When people refer to a card “without a work attachment,” they mean a document that confirms a foreigner’s right to live in Poland legally and provides free access to the Polish labor market.
In legal terminology, this specific name does not exist. It’s a colloquial term that indicates having access to the job market. If there is free access to work, there is no attachment to a specific employer.
With such a card, a foreigner does not need to obtain a special work permit from a specific employer. Therefore, a person can change jobs at any time, work in different places, or not work at all, while retaining the right to stay in Poland.
A Residence Card without a work attachment is usually issued to students who have come to study, individuals who have married a Polish citizen, or those planning to move for family reunification.
Possessing a Residence Card allows foreigners to live and work legally in Poland, as well as gain access to medical, legal, banking, and other services on par with Polish citizens.
Reasons to get a Residence Card in Poland:
To avoid the cancellation of your Residence Card and increase your chances of getting it again after it expires, you must comply with legal requirements and not violate the rules of stay in Poland.
If you’re interested in what the Residence Card offers foreigners, how it simplifies life in Poland, and how to get one, the experts at Real Consult are ready to answer all your questions about the requirements, benefits, required documents, and the application process. For a consultation in Gdańsk, Warsaw, Kraków, Gdynia, and other cities, contact us in a way that is convenient for you.
A work-based Residence Card (a temporary residence and work permit) is issued to employees whose income is higher than the minimum wage. It cannot be obtained by entrepreneurs, tourists, or investors, as other documents are provided for these categories of people to confirm legal stay.
Ukrainians who have just arrived in Poland and received temporary protection do not need to apply for a Residence Card for work. As long as the Special Act is in effect, the stay of Ukrainian citizens with PESEL UKR status on Polish territory is legal, and they do not need a work visa or a separate permit to work. However, this stay in the country is time-limited. Therefore, according to the law, Ukrainians must apply for a Residence Card before their current status expires to be able to stay in the country in the future.
Applying for a Residence Card requires careful preparation of documents, compliance with laws, and following the procedure.
The main condition for obtaining a Single Permit for Residence and Work in Poland is official employment and having an employment contract with an employer.
How to apply for a Residence Card for work:
In case of a refusal to grant the Residence Card, you can file an appeal within the period established by law. For this, it is best to consult with a lawyer to assess the risks and prospects, comply with procedural deadlines, and correctly prepare all documents.
Foreigners most often receive a refusal due to the absence of certain documents, errors in the application, or failure to comply with legal requirements. Therefore, to apply for a Residence Card in Poland, you must carefully prepare your documents, check their relevance and validity, and ensure the correctness of the information you provide. It is also important that the job title in the employment contract and other documents match.
Due to a lack of knowledge of the Polish language and the procedure for obtaining a work-based Residence Card, you can make mistakes that lead to certain problems. To minimize risks, it is worth seeking help from migration law specialists who can assist you in properly preparing and submitting the necessary documents.
The list of documents for a Residence Card may differ depending on the voivodeship and the person’s category. Therefore, before submitting an application, you should check the current requirements at the local office of your place of residence.
Standard documents for a work-based Residence Card (Zezwolenie na pobyt czasowy i pracę) for foreigners:
The full list of documents always depends on the specific situation. The office may also require any additional document from the employee depending on the type of contract or position.
The absence of even one document or a discrepancy in the information stated in the application can lead to an increase in the processing time and a refusal to grant the Residence Card. Documents for the Residence Card for work—that is, the employment contract—require special attention. It is also important that the starosta (district governor) has not restricted the employment of foreigners in a specific industry and that the last name, first name, and job title match in all documents.
Due to a lack of knowledge of the Polish language and the procedure for obtaining a work-based Residence Card, you can make mistakes that lead to certain problems. To minimize risks, it is worth seeking help from migration law specialists who can assist you in properly preparing and submitting the necessary documents.
The Polish Residence Card provides a legal, stable, and comfortable life for foreigners. Since it is both a residence permit and a work permit, there is no need to get an additional permit to work.
Advantages of a work-based Residence Card:
Compared to a work visa or other temporary permits, a work-based Residence Card (karta czasowego pobytu for work) is a more beneficial option. It not only legalizes your stay in the country and allows you to be officially employed but also provides wide-ranging opportunities for a full life and development. Various bureaucratic procedures will be simplified for you, and you will have access to social and medical services. You will be able to receive medical assistance, study at Polish universities, start a business, get a loan for housing, and buy a car and real estate.
You need to submit the documents for a Residence Card along with the application in person or by mail, if the office allows it. For personal submission, you must first make an appointment with the local office, and then on the specified day and time, come to the Department for Foreigners at your place of residence and provide the inspector with the entire package of documents.
Please note that for submitting documents for a Residence Card (Zezwolenie na pobyt czasowy i pracę), you need copies and originals so that the information can be compared. It is also important to submit the application while another basis for legal residence in the country is still valid, not after it has expired.
The submitted documents are registered at the office, and then a red stamp is placed in your foreign passport, which confirms the legality of the foreigner’s stay in Poland while the case is being processed. The person’s fingerprints will also be taken. However, if Ukrainians with PESEL UKR status are applying for a Residence Card, they do not need to provide fingerprints because this data is already in the system.
After reviewing the application and documents, the office makes a decision on whether to grant the foreigner a Single Permit for Residence and Work in Poland or to refuse the work-based Residence Card.
To find out how to get a Residence Card without problems in your specific situation, contact the experts at Real Consult. You can do this by phone, in messengers, or through the form on the website.
To reduce risks and increase your chances of a positive decision in your case, you need to prepare thoroughly to avoid mistakes and potential problems.
Difficulties when applying for a Residence Card (karta czasowego pobytu for work):
In general, the office can refuse to grant a Single Permit for Residence and Work for various reasons. These include not only errors in documents but also the violation of statutory deadlines, a criminal record, the absence of an insurance policy, living at a different address than the one indicated in the application, leaving Poland while the case is being processed, and so on.
To avoid potential problems, you need to clearly define the grounds for obtaining the Residence Card, properly prepare the documents, and comply with legal requirements. In this process, our specialists in migration law and lawyers will be your reliable support. You can consult on any issue regarding the application for a Residence Card, get help in solving a specific problem, or get full legal support for the procedure to ensure the legality of the process and the protection of your rights. You can schedule an online or offline consultation by phone, on the website, or in messengers.
According to Polish law, the period for reviewing an application and verifying documents is 60-90 days. However, in practice, this process can be longer—six months or even a year—due to the significant workload on the employees of the offices in various voivodeships, the lack of a complete list of documents, or non-standard and complex situations.
As for the time it takes to produce the plastic card itself after a positive decision is made, you will have to wait another 2-4 weeks.
To speed up the process of applying for a Residence Card, you should seek professional help. Our specialists will help you gather all the necessary documents, correctly compose the application, and comply with the procedure and legal requirements.
Professional help with a Residence Card (a temporary residence and work permit) allows you to save your nerves and time. You will be able to properly and quickly prepare all the documents, get a sworn translation, and submit the application to the relevant office in a timely manner.
Thanks to the absence of a language barrier, a deep knowledge of Polish law, and the specifics of the procedure for applying for a work-based Residence Card, our specialists explain their rights and obligations, the rules of staying in Poland, and local laws to foreigners in an accessible way, finding solutions even in complex situations. They provide professional consultations online or offline and full legal support for the legalization process. They guarantee the preparation of a complete package of documents, an error-free application, and a sworn translation of all documents issued in other countries that comply with Polish law.
Experienced migration consultants and lawyers will help protect your rights, avoid typical mistakes, and minimize the risk of refusal when applying for a Residence Card. We provide support in Gdańsk, Kraków, Warsaw, and smaller cities, including Gdynia, Reda, Rumia, Sopot, Borkowo, Żukowo, Pruszcz Gdański, and others.
Also, if necessary, you can get additional services from us, such as finding housing in Poland, registering a business, submitting a marriage application, and exchanging a driver’s license without needing a TCC and Reserve+ app, and so on.
If you are looking for stability, legal protection, and want to apply for a Residence Card (a temporary residence and work permit) without stress and unnecessary hassle, contact us by phone, on Telegram, Viber, or WhatsApp, by email, or through the form on our website. You can also visit our office in Gdańsk.
Ensure thorough document preparation and simplify the process of applying for a Residence Card for work for yourself!
