Residence titles and situations listed in the act of 20 March 2025 on the conditions for admitting foreigners to work (ustawa o warunkach dopuszczalności powierzania pracy cudzoziemcom) are exempt from the work permit (zezwolenie na pracę). Below we describe the most common of them, and in unusual cases the current rules are confirmed by the voivodeship office. Outside these exemptions, the employer must apply for a work permit or use a work commissioning declaration (oświadczenie o powierzeniu wykonywania pracy).

Work without a permit: who gets the statutory exemption

The exemption covers:

  • citizens of the EU, EEA and Switzerland, and their family members,
  • persons with refugee status, subsidiary protection, consent to stay on humanitarian grounds, and temporary protection,
  • persons with a permanent residence permit in Poland and the EU long-term resident permit,
  • spouses and descendants of Polish citizens who hold a temporary residence permit,
  • holders of the EU Blue Card and the Karta Polaka (Pole's Card),
  • doctoral students,
  • graduates of Polish post-primary schools, under the additional conditions described below.

Graduates: additional conditions, not just a diploma

The exemption for graduates of Polish post-primary schools no longer follows from completing school alone. The act sets additional conditions here, including legal stay in Poland and a document confirming professional qualifications obtained in Poland, and it is worth confirming their current scope with the voivodeship office before hiring the graduate. When the conditions are not met, the exemption does not apply, and a work permit or declaration is required.

Students and EU/EEA citizens

The exemption for full-time students rests on a separate basis than the list above, and its scope changed in 2026. Before hiring a student without a permit, confirm the current rules directly with the voivodeship office (urząd wojewódzki). Citizens of the EU, EEA and Switzerland are not subject to the work permit system at all: neither the permit requirement nor the exemption from it applies to them, and the same goes for their family members.

The most common mistake: confusing the right to stay with the right to work

The mistake is assuming that any residence card at all means the foreigner may work without further formalities. A temporary residence card is issued for various purposes, and only some of them grant access to the labor market. For how to check the purpose stated in the decision, see the article on temporary residence card and work.

What matters is the basis on which the document was issued, not the mere fact of holding it. A person with permanent residence has the statutory exemption. More on the effects of this title for employment in the article on permanent residence card and employment.

The exemption does not remove other obligations

No work permit requirement does not mean no formalities at all. Still required: a written contract, registration for insurance, initial medical examinations, occupational health and safety (BHP) training, and, when hiring a Ukrainian citizen, notification of work commissioning via praca.gov.pl within 7 days of the start of work. More on this obligation in the article on notification of work commissioning to a Ukrainian citizen. The link between the residence path and the employment path is covered in the article on legalizing a foreigner's stay in Poland. Under a contract of mandate (umowa zlecenie), which is common in temporary work, the scope of BHP training is set by the workplace or the principal.

How to check it in practice

Ask for the residence document and establish its legal basis: it is the basis, not the card's appearance, that decides access to the labor market. When in doubt, it is safer to apply for a work permit or a work commissioning declaration than to base employment on an assumption no one has verified. Support in choosing the right path is available on the page for employers.

Frequently asked questions

Does permanent residence exempt from the work permit requirement?

Yes. A permanent residence permit and the EU long-term resident permit remove the work permit requirement: this is one of the titles listed explicitly in the act of 20 March 2025.

Do refugee status or subsidiary protection allow work without a permit?

Yes, together with temporary protection and consent to stay on humanitarian grounds. All four titles are on the statutory exemption list. When hiring a Ukrainian citizen, the employer still submits a notification of work commissioning, and the current rules are confirmed by the labor office.

Does the Karta Polaka (Pole's Card) give the right to work without a permit?

Yes. Holders of the Karta Polaka, alongside holders of the EU Blue Card, are exempt from the work permit requirement on the same statutory basis as the other titles on the list.

Does every type of temporary residence permit exempt from the work permit requirement?

No. Simply holding a temporary residence permit does not exempt from the requirement; the purpose for which it was issued decides. The exemption applies, among others, to a permit issued to a spouse or descendant of a Polish citizen and to the EU Blue Card. For other purposes of temporary residence, access to the labor market depends on the content of the decision, so it is worth checking it or confirming with the voivodeship office before hiring.

Can full-time students work without a permit?

The scope of this exemption changed in 2026 and rests on a separate basis than the list of titles above; it is worth confirming the current rules with the voivodeship office before hiring.

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.