Changing employer and work permit in Poland: what counts

Changing employer on your own initiative generally requires a new document: a work permit or a declaration of entrusting work to a foreigner, even if the position and salary stay the same. Exceptions depend on the residence title and are confirmed by the voivodeship office. The existing permit does not transfer to the new employer.

What is written in the permit and why it matters

The permit specifies the entity entrusting the work, the position or type of work performed, the minimum wage, and the working time dimension. Taking up work at another company on the employee's own initiative requires a new work permit or a new declaration of entrusting work, regardless of whether the employment terms change.

Changing employer and work permit: when notification is enough

Not every change on the employer's side means a new application is needed. Some events only require notification to the voivode who issued the permit, within 7 days:

Notification of changes from this list is filed electronically, via praca.gov.pl. The current way of filing is confirmed by the voivodeship office.

Change of position: when it is still the same job

A mere change of the job title does not automatically mean a new permit is needed. What matters is whether the foreigner keeps the same duties and the same type of work performed; in that case, notifying the voivode is enough. A real change in the type of work, meaning a different scope of tasks than stated in the permit, requires a new document. The same boundary applies to wages: increasing working time to full-time along with a proportional wage increase does not require a new permit: notifying the voivode within 7 days is enough. Lowering the wage below the amount stated in the permit does not fall within this list; before such a change, the terms must be verified with the voivode who issued the permit.

A separate matter: the basis for stay

If the stay is based on a single permit combining residence and work, a change of employer also affects the basis for stay, not only the right to work; the scope of formalities on the residence side is confirmed by the voivodeship office (urząd wojewódzki) on a case-by-case basis. The relationship between the two paths is described in the article on temporary residence card and work; the construction of the document combining both elements is explained in the article on the single permit for residence and work.

The leaving date is best planned only once it is known when the new employer will obtain the document authorizing work. A gap between jobs can be a period without a basis for work, and for some residence titles it also matters for the stay, as confirmed by the voivodeship office.

Working through an agency

In temporary work, the entity entrusting the work is the agency, not the workplace where you actually work. Whether a change of the workplace your agency assigns you to requires paperwork changes is checked by the agency as your employer, and in case of doubt is confirmed by the voivodeship office. Changing the agency already means a change of employer within the meaning of the permit. The permit and the declaration can also cover a contract of mandate (umowa zlecenie), which is often used in temporary work. The type of contract, the job and the pay must then match the document. The entitlements in this arrangement are gathered in the article on rights of a temporary worker.

Legal basis and what has changed

Rules on work permits are governed by the act of 20 March 2025 on the conditions for admissibility of entrusting work to foreigners, in force since 1 June 2025. From that date, the labour market test was abolished as a condition for issuing a permit: the step of checking whether a candidate from Poland is available for the position is no longer required. This does not change the rule that changing employer on your own initiative requires a new document.

What to do, step by step

Agree with the new employer who files the permit application and when. Check whether your residence title remains valid regardless of employment. Only after that discuss the start date: set it with a margin for the procedure, not right up against the last day with the previous employer. If your current permit is ending and you are not changing employer, different rules apply to extending a work permit.

Frequently asked questions

Does changing employer always require a new work permit?

Generally yes, if you move to another company on your own initiative, even to an identical position for the same pay. Exceptions depend on the residence title and are confirmed by the voivodeship office. The existing permit stays assigned to the previous employer.

Does changing the employer's name or legal form invalidate the permit?

No. Notification to the voivode who issued the permit, filed within 7 days, is enough.

How many days does the employer have to report a data change to the voivode?

7 days. The notification is filed electronically, via praca.gov.pl. The current way of filing is confirmed by the voivodeship office.

Does the takeover of a workplace by another company invalidate the foreigner's permit?

No, the existing permit generally remains in force, and the change must be reported to the voivode within 7 days.

Does a wage increase require changing the permit?

Increasing to full-time with a proportional wage increase only needs to be reported to the voivode within 7 days. Lowering the wage below the amount in the permit does not fall within this list; the terms must then be verified with the voivode.

The rules on residence and employment of foreign nationals change often, and much depends on citizenship, the basis of stay and the situation of the particular person. This text describes the general course of the procedure. Before filing documents, confirm the current state of affairs at the voivodeship office.