Residence and work permit
The "single permit" — combines residence with the right to work in Poland. The most popular legalization path.
The temporary residence and work permit (zezwolenie na pobyt czasowy i prace), also known as the single permit (Article 114 of the Act on Foreigners), is a single decision of the voivode that legalizes both residence and employment in Poland at the same time. It is the most commonly chosen path for foreigners already in Poland (on a visa, in visa-free travel, or on a previous residence card) who want to stay longer while working for a Polish entity. The application is submitted by the foreigner — not the employer. The permit is issued for a maximum of 3 years.
Requirements
Health insurance (ZUS or private insurance covering treatment in Poland). The foreigner's salary must be no lower than that of comparable employees and no lower than the minimum wage regardless of working hours (in 2026 this is 4,806 PLN gross). In regulated professions, documents confirming qualifications are required. The procedure does not cover, among others, posted workers, seasonal workers, and persons on tourist visas. For highly qualified specialists, an alternative may be the EU Blue Card.
What the GetPermit service includes
- analysis of your residence situation and selection of the optimal path;
- preparation of a complete set of documents and attachments;
- completing and submitting the application (electronically via the MOS portal — mos.cudzoziemcy.gov.pl);
- responding to office requests and supplementing deficiencies;
- case monitoring until the decision is issued and the residence card is collected.
Required documents
- valid travel document (all pages);
- completed application with Annex 1 from the employer (confirming employment conditions);
- health insurance (ZUS or private insurance policy);
- proof of a stable source of income (contract, invoices, etc.);
- photograph (684 x 883 pixels, file no larger than 2.5 MB, proportions corresponding to a 35 x 45 mm photo);
- proof of stamp duty payment (440 PLN).
Step-by-step process
- Consultation and document analysis.
- Compiling attachments with the employer.
- Submitting the application via MOS.
- Proceedings before the voivode (in practice several to over a dozen months, depending on the voivodeship) and awaiting any requests from the office.
- Issuance of the decision, followed by collection of the residence card.
Deadlines and official fees
Stamp duty 440 PLN (temporary residence and work); residence card 100 PLN; power of attorney fee 17 PLN.
Obligations after the decision
- notifying the voivode of job loss within 15 business days;
- changing work conditions generally requires amending the permit (exceptions include: change of employer name, transfer of the workplace, increase in working hours with proportional salary, replacement of a civil-law contract with an employment contract — in those cases a notification within 15 business days is sufficient).
What to watch out for
- the confirmation received from the MOS system does not entitle you to travel within the Schengen area (except for returning to your country of origin);
- the right to work during the procedure depends on your previous work entitlements;
- formal deficiencies not supplemented within the deadline result in the application being left without examination.