Can you change employers with a Polish work permit?

Whether you can change jobs or not comes down to one thing: what your permit says about your employer. Some temporary permits tie you to a specific company, position and salary – when you change jobs, you must update the documents. On the other hand, a permanent residence permit or temporary protection status gives you more freedom. Let’s find out which situation applies to you.

Which document you hold

You may have a combined permit, a separate work permit, an EU Blue Card, or a special residence status. Each works differently when you switch employers.

Combined temporary residence and work permit (jednolite zezwolenie na pobyt czasowy i pracę)

One permit covers both your right to stay and your right to work in Poland. Combined permit comes together with a decision (decyzja) – this document states your employer-specific permit conditions. For example, your position, minimum salary, working hours and type of contract. If you move to another company, you need to update the permit unless you fall under one of the exceptions.

Separate work permit (zezwolenie na pracę)

Separate work permit covers your right to work, but not your right to stay in Poland. Your company applies for it, so it’s the employer-specific permit. If you move to another company, your new employer has to arrange the work authorisation for the new job. You also need a separate legal basis for your stay, such as a visa or residence permit.

EU Blue Card (Niebieska Karta UE)

The EU Blue Card is for highly qualified workers and has its own rules for switching jobs. You don’t need to update the Blue Card when you move to another employer, but the new job has to meet the Blue Card requirements. You also have to notify the voivode in writing within 15 working days of the change.

“Changing employers no longer requires amending the existing decision, which is a significant simplification.” – Michał Wysłocki, immigration expert at EY Poland.

Permanent residence and other statuses that let you work without a work permit

Permanent residence, EU long-term resident status, refugee status, subsidiary protection and several other legal statuses give you access to the Polish labour market without a separate work permit. If you fall into one of these groups, you can work for any employer in Poland without asking for additional permission first.

How to tell whether you are free to change employers

Check your decision letter (decyzja) – if it lists your company and work conditions, you need to update your permit when you change employers.

Some people can switch jobs freely. Among them are graduates of full-time higher education at Polish universities and people who hold:

• a permanent residence permit (zezwolenie na pobyt stały);

• an EU long-term resident permit (zezwolenie na pobyt rezydenta długoterminowego UE);

• a residence permit that gives you labour market access as the spouse of a Polish citizen;

• refugee status or subsidiary protection granted in Poland;

• permission to stay for humanitarian reasons;

• temporary protection with the right to work.

Blue Card holders can also move to another employer without changing the permit, but they need to notify the voivode within 15 working days (as of 2026, verify at the official websites).

"Blue Card holders will gain the right to work in Poland and change employers without additional restrictions, provided their salary is not lower than the amount specified in their residence permit decision." – Erickson Immigration Group, summarising Poland's 2025 Blue Card law change.

Changes that need no permit update

Five situations let you skip the paperwork entirely – for example, if your job title changes but your duties stay the same. The other four are:

• your employer's registered office, address, name or legal form changes;

• your employer or part of the company is taken over by another employer;

• your hours increase and your salary rises proportionally;

• you switch from a civil-law contract to an employment contract (umowa o pracę).

So, if “Junior Accountant” becomes “Accountant” on your contract but the job itself stays the same, you don’t need to change the permit.

The exceptions are set out in Article 119 of the Act on Foreigners. If your change doesn’t fit one of them, check it with your Urząd Wojewódzki before signing the new conditions.

What happens when you lose your job

From the day your job ends, you have 15 working days to notify the voivode. If you file an amendment application within those 15 working days, it counts as the notification too.

Deadline: 15 working days

Send a written notification (zawiadomienie o utracie zatrudnienia) to the Urząd Wojewódzki that issued your permit. Use registered post (list polecony) and keep the receipt as proof of the sending date.

The letter must include:

• your full name, date of birth and passport number;

• your case number and residence card number;

• the name and address of your former employer;

• the exact date your employment ended.

Your former employer has to do the same, they have 15 calendar days to notify the voivode on their side.

One shortcut: if you file a permit amendment application within those 15 working days, that counts as the notification too.

You get 30 days of protection after losing the job

If you notify the voivode on time, you have 30 days after your employment ends to find a new job and sort out the documents for it. You can stay in Poland during this period, but your old permit doesn’t automatically let you work for a new employer. You need the right documents for the new job first.

Exceptions: EU Blue Card holders get three or six months. You can stay between jobs for up to three months during your first two years with a Blue Card, and up to six months after that.

More for expats in Poland:

• Jobs in Poland for English speakers.
• Warsaw public transport: Guide for newcomers.

What you need before starting work at the new company

You may need work authorisation: an oświadczenie or a separate work permit.

Oświadczenie o powierzeniu pracy

An oświadczenie is a simplified work authorisation that your new employer registers through praca.gov.pl. In 2026, it’s available to citizens of Armenia, Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine for non-seasonal work. Other third-country nationals can’t use the simplified route. 

Your employer handles the application for you: they submit the declaration online, and once it has been entered in the register, you can start working from the date stated in it. The oświadczenie only covers your right to work, though, so you also need a legal basis for staying in Poland.

Work permit

If the oświadczenie route isn’t available to you, your new employer may need to apply for a work permit through praca.gov.pl.

In 2026, the employer files the application and pays the fee:

• 200 PLN for a work permit lasting up to three months;

• 400 PLN for a work permit lasting more than three months.

Fees and application rules can change, so check the latest information on the MOS website.

What to do with your combined permit after moving jobs

You have two options: update your current permit or apply for a new one.

Update your current permit

You have 15 working days to apply for the change.

1. Check your new contract dates. The new job must last at least until your current permit expires.

2. Ask your new employer to complete Annex 1 (Załącznik nr 1). The document must include your new position, salary, working hours, contract type and other job details.

3. Prepare your documents. Add the completed Annex 1, a copy of your current permit decision and the other documents required for your case.

4. Submit the application. Send the application to the Urząd Wojewódzki where you live. You can submit it at the office or send it by post.

5. Pay the 220 PLN fee. Keep the payment confirmation with your application documents.

Fees and application rules can change, so check the latest information on the official website before applying.

Changing your permit doesn’t extend it. Your residence card stays the same and keeps the same expiry date. If your permit expires on November 30th and you change employers in September, it will still expire on November 30th.

Apply for a new permit if your current one expires soon

If your current permit is close to its expiry date, it can make more sense to apply for a new one instead of updating it. An update would keep the old expiry date, while a new temporary residence and work permit can be granted for more than three months and up to three years.

The application process is different too. Since April 27th, 2026, you apply for a new temporary residence permit online through the MOS portal. 

“We welcome the digitalisation of procedures and the abolition of the labour market test.” – Nadia Winiarska, labour market expert at Confederation Lewiatan.

The application fee is 440 PLN. If your permit is approved, you pay another 100 PLN for the new residence card (as of 2026, verify on the MOS website).

Make sure you apply while your stay in Poland is legal. If your current permit is about to expire, start the new application before that date rather than waiting for the card to run out.

Step-by-step summary: how to change employers in Poland

The process has five parts: check your decision, meet the 15-working-day deadline, sort out your right to work for the new company, update your residence documents and start work when your documents allow it.

1. Check your decyzja. If it names your employer and employment conditions, changing companies requires action.

2. Act within 15 working days. Notify the voivode after losing your job or file an amendment application.

3. Check what covers the new job. If you need separate work authorisation, your new employer can use an oświadczenie or apply for a permit.

4. Update your combined permit.

5. Start work when you have the right documents for the new company.

Once you settle down, you may want to send part of your salary to family back home, help a friend or transfer money to your own account abroad. You can use Profee to send money online to over 90 destinations. As of 2026, 95% of Profee transfers arrive within minutes, although speed and availability depend on the destination and payment method.

Сheck the exchange rate, transfer fee and the exact amount your recipient will get on the transfer page or in the Profee app.

FAQ: Working in Poland