Residence Permit for Work in Poland

We help obtain a work-based residence permit in Warsaw: we check the basis of stay, prepare documents, coordinate the employer documents and handle electronic submission through MOS 2.0.

Fill in the form and get a free consultation

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Cooperation process

Cooperation process

First free consultation

1. During the office consultation we assess your situation for a work-based residence permit.; 2. We check the basis for the application and propose the best legalisation route in Poland.

Step-by-step action plan

1. We sign a service agreement with you;
2. We give you an individual list of required documents;
3. We explain the next steps from the start of cooperation until the residence card is obtained.

Preparation of all required documents

1. We complete the required applications;
2. We contact your employer or accountant and prepare the document package for submission;
3. We prepare certified copies of documents if they are needed in the case.

Full support until the residence card is obtained

1. On the day of the visit to the office, you are accompanied by a specialist who may act as your representative;
2. During the procedure we stay in contact with the employer or accounting department and request documents needed for supplements;
3. We monitor the case status, inform you about changes and respond to official requests.

Bringing the case to completion

1. We assist at the stage of collecting the residence card;
2. After the case is completed, we offer a discount on other SKILLDOCS services.

Service packages

Basic

1000 zł

until the end of September | 23% VAT included

Payment in 2 stages
Legal consultation
Preparation of a document checklist
Document review
Completing the residence card application in MOS 2.0
Electronic document submission

Popular

Full

1900 zł 1600 zł

until the end of September | 23% VAT included

Payment in 3 stages
Legal consultation
Preparation of a document checklist
Document review
Completing the residence card application in MOS 2.0
Electronic document submission
Document collection
Assistance during personal submission
Full control of your case
Monthly electronic submission of additional case documents
Free appeal in case of refusal

Fast-track

2300 zł 2000 zł

until the end of September | 23% VAT included

Payment in 3 stages
Legal consultation
Preparation of a document checklist
Document review
Completing the residence card application in MOS 2.0
Electronic document submission
Document collection
Assistance during personal submission
Full control of your case
Monthly electronic submission of additional case documents
Free appeal in case of refusal
Preparation of a ponaglenie
Preparation of a complaint to the administrative court
Assistance on the day you collect the residence card
Help with creating a Trusted Profile
Creating an e-Doręczenia electronic delivery mailbox

Electronic certification of documents

From 27 April 2026, documents in cases started through the new MOS 2.0 system cannot be submitted in paper form. Paper originals must first be electronically certified as true copies by a notary, legal adviser or advocate.

price is calculated individually

Residence card application support for each additional family member

When filed together with the main applicant for temporary residence / permanent residence.

1400 zł

Residence card application support for children under 18

When filed together with the main applicant for temporary residence / permanent residence.

800 zł

Residence card processing deadlines are suspended until 4 March 2027

This follows from the Act on assistance to Ukrainian citizens: Articles 100c and 100d suspended some administrative deadlines, so the voivode may process a residence card case longer than under the standard procedure.

It is still possible to influence the pace of the case. First, we file a ponaglenie to the higher authority, and if there is no reaction, we challenge inactivity or excessive delay before the voivodeship administrative court (WSA). After that, the case is more often taken into active processing, the decision may be issued faster, and the court may award compensation for the delay. We help prepare the complaint and speed up the residence card process.

Waiting calculator

Calculations made: —

When APPROXIMATELY to expect a decision?

Enter the submission date or planned submission date and choose the case type. We will show the difference between the official deadline and the approximate practice in Warsaw.

Submission date / planned submission date

Card / case type

You can enter a future date if you are only planning the submission.

Your timeline estimate

Comparison of the official deadline and the approximate practical waiting time in Warsaw.

APPROXIMATE calculation

Submission Officially Practice

Case start

Submission date

The date used to calculate the estimate.

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By law

Official deadline

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APPROXIMATELY

Practice in Warsaw

Approximate practical timeline.

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This is not an official forecast, only an estimate

The real timeline depends on the voivodeship, the basis of the application, official requests, document completeness and the workload of the office.

How to start working with us?

We analyse every situation individually and choose a solution for your specific case.

01
Send a request
Fill in the form and we will contact you shortly.
02
Get a consultation
The first phone consultation is free of charge.
03
Schedule an office visit
At the office we will review your situation in detail and propose the best solution.
04
Document submission
Submission is done online through the MOS 2.0 system. We handle the process end to end.
05
Get the result
We cannot legally guarantee the result, but we do everything to prepare the case correctly.

Telegram bot SKILLDOCS

Each client receives free access to our bot, which simplifies the legalisation process in Poland.

Automatic case monitoring in INPOL

The bot tracks changes in the case and notifies you before the official letter arrives.

Case status and stages in one chat

The client sees the current stage of the case and what actions are being performed.

Reminders about visits and deadlines

Notifications help you not miss a visit to the office and important document deadlines.

Active tasks in your case

The bot shows what is currently being handled and what steps are still ahead.

Assign a task to our team via Telegram

The client can quickly send a task to our team without extra calls or waiting.

cases connected to the bot

The bot checks case statuses every day and immediately informs clients about new decisions.

S bot_skilldocs

Current INPOL case status

Full name: Ruslan

Case number: WSC-II-P..2026

Case status: W toku - wezwanie o braki merytoryczne

Active case: Przygotowany projekt decision pozytywnej

Last event:

Decision deadline: .2026

16:10

SKILLDOCS combines professional support

with automatic monitoring after submission.

Basic documents

For submitting a work-based residence permit application through MOS 2.0, documents are prepared electronically. Below is the basic list, but the final package depends on your situation, employer and the requirements of the office.

Scan or photos of all pages
of a valid passport

Electronic employer attachment
(Załącznik nr 1), signed by the employer

Electronic application in MOS

Current work permit

Digital photo for MOS 2.0 submission

Employment contract or another contract

Confirmation of stamp duty payment

PIT tax return for the last 3 years

PESEL identification number

ZUS RCA for the last 3 months

e-Doręczenia mailbox for case correspondence

Zaświadczenie o niezaleganiu w podatkach

Residence permit for work in Poland

If you officially work in Poland or are only arranging employment in Warsaw, we will help you prepare a work-based residence permit application in line with current office requirements.

Since 27 April 2026, the standard work-based residence permit application is submitted through MOS 2.0 in electronic form. It is therefore important not only to collect documents, but also to prepare the entire package correctly, align the data with the employer and submit the application without mistakes.

We assist clients in temporary residence and work permit cases in Warsaw: we check the basis, prepare the list of documents, explain to the employer what must be prepared and handle the case further according to the procedure.

What a work-based residence permit gives you in Poland

- legal stay in Poland for the period indicated in the decision;

- the possibility to work under the conditions stated in the decision or under another basis giving access to the labour market;

- the possibility to travel within the Schengen Area under short-stay rules;

- easier handling of banking, housing and other everyday matters in Poland;

- the possibility to legalise family members through family reunification;

- the prospect of applying later for a long-term status or citizenship if the legal conditions are met.

Detailed list of documents for a work-based residence permit

Completed temporary residence application.
Załącznik nr 1 to the application — completed and signed by the employer.
Digital photo for MOS 2.0 submission.
Passport copy: all pages with entries, original for inspection when required.
Confirmation of payment of the stamp duty for application processing.
Document confirming health insurance in Poland: NFZ/ZUS or a private policy valid in Poland.
Confirmation of address in Poland, if required in the case.
Employment documents: contract, employer details, salary, position, working time and place of work.
Additional documents from the employer, accounting department or HR department, depending on the office request.
If the documents are not in Polish — sworn translations into Polish.
If the document exists only in paper form — electronically certified scans of paper originals.
If a representative acts in the case — power of attorney and confirmation of the PLN 17 fee.

After MOS 2.0 is intrfromuced, paper supplements are not accepted at the service desk. Documents must be prepared and submitted in the correct electronic form.

Residence permit for work and work permit — the difference

A work-based residence permit combines temporary residence and work authorization in Poland. In one procedure, the office checks not only the fact of employment, but also legal stay, the contract, the employer, salary, working time and whether the foreigner meets the conditions for residence.

A work permit is a separate document that concerns only the right to work for a specific employer. It does not legalize residence in Poland by itself.

In practice, a work-based residence card often replaces the need to hold a separate work permit, but only within the limits stated in the decision. If you change employer, position, salary or working time, the case must be checked separately.

Employer attachment — Załącznik nr 1

When applying for a work-based residence permit, documents from the employer are crucial. One of the most important documents is the employer attachment to the application, known as Załącznik nr 1.

We complete Załącznik nr 1 and send it to your employer for review and signature. This reduces the risk of mistakes in the position, salary, working time, place of work or company details.

Załącznik nr 1

Employer attachment to the application

When applying for a work-based residence card, documents from the employer are essential. One of the key documents is the employer attachment to the application, namely Załącznik nr 1. We complete it ourselves and send it to the employer to avoid mistakes in the data.

What we check	Why it matters
Position	It must match the contract, the application and the actual work performed.
Salary	It affects the assessment of employment conditions and the stability of the basis for the residence card.
Working time	It matters for income, working time and consistency with the conditions stated by the employer in the documents.
Company details	The data in the application, contract and Załącznik nr 1 must match the employer’s actual details.
Type of contract	The voivodeship office checks the legal basis of the work: employment contract, mandate contract or another contract.
Place of work	The address or area of work should match the real employment conditions.
Employer’s signature	Without the employer’s correct signature, the document will not be accepted as a valid attachment to the application.

Important: mistakes in Załącznik nr 1 often lead to a request for additional documents, delays or a risk of refusal. That is why we compare the attachment with the contract, employer data and other documents before submission.

Change of employer with a residence card based on work

If a residence card was issued on the basis of work, it is usually linked to a specific employer and to the conditions stated in the decision: position, salary, working time, type of contract and, in the case of agency work, the user employer. Therefore, when changing company, you cannot simply start a new job and assume that the old card automatically covers everything.

First, it is necessary to determine what kind of card you have. If it is a work-based residence card / jednolite zezwolenie na pobyt czasowy i pracę, then after changing employer you need to submit an application to amend the permit. If you have permanent residence, EU long-term resident status, a card based on marriage to a Polish citizen or another basis with free access to the labour market, you do not need to change the card for the new employer.

After employment with the employer indicated in the decision ends, the foreigner must notify in writing the voivode who issued the permit. The deadline is 15 working days. If, within the same period, an application to amend the temporary residence and work permit is submitted, the notification obligation is considered fulfilled through that application.

The application to amend the permit is submitted to the voivode competent for the foreigner’s current place of stay. Personal presence is not required: documents can be sent by post, submitted through the filing office or a delegation office. Fingerprints are not taken in this procedure. The stamp duty for amending the permit is PLN 220.

The application requires a new Załącznik nr 1 from the new employer. It contains the new working conditions: company, position, salary, working time, type of contract and place of work. You will also need a copy of the decision, passport, payment confirmation, insurance documents, the contract with the new employer and other documents.

Important: submitting an application to amend the permit does not always mean that you can immediately start working for the new employer. For work to be legal, you need not only legal stay but also a basis for working for the specific company. Before starting work, you must check whether work is allowed on the basis of the card amendment, a notification for Ukrainian citizens, oświadczenie, a work permit or an exemption from the work permit requirement.

If the residence card has not yet been issued and the case is still pending, this is a different situation. In that case, you do not submit an application to amend an already issued permit, because there is no decision yet. Instead, you need to provide the office with information about the change of employer and a new Załącznik nr 1, so the case is processed on the basis of current documents.

Processing times and application costs for a residence card in Warsaw

The stamp duty for a temporary residence and work permit is PLN 440. In addition, the fee for issuing the residence card is PLN 100. If a representative acts in the case, there is also a PLN 17 power of attorney fee.

Processing time depends on the voivodeship office, document quality, employer documents, formal deficiencies and the current workload of the office. In Warsaw, work-based residence cases can take much longer than the basic statutory deadlines.

Specifics of obtaining a work-based residence permit in Warsaw

A work-based residence permit is issued for a period from 3 months to 3 years. It can be granted when a foreigner is employed in Poland and intends to continue working.

In Warsaw, the office pays particular attention to consistency between the application, Załącznik nr 1, the contract, ZUS documents, salary and the employer’s actual situation. Incomplete or inconsistent documents often lead to requests for supplements and longer processing.

Who most often applies for a work-based residence permit in Warsaw

A work-based residence permit in Warsaw is often needed by IT specialists, office employees, people working in logistics, construction, medicine and services. Warsaw has a broad labour market, but the office also carefully verifies the employer and employment conditions.

The procedure is especially important for people whose visa, previous residence card or visa-free stay is ending and who want to continue working legally in Poland.

Extension of a work-based residence permit in Warsaw

Extending a work-based residence card in Warsaw is a new administrative procedure. The office analyses not only the current contract, but also the entire period of previous stay: continuity of employment, legality of work, income, insurance and timely submission of documents.

It is better to prepare the extension in advance. If documents are collected at the last moment, there is a higher risk of errors, missing attachments or problems with electronic submission through MOS 2.0.

Can you work while waiting for the residence card?

Yes, you can work while waiting for a residence card, but not automatically in every case. If the application was submitted during legal stay and there are no formal deficiencies, stay in Poland may remain legal until the final decision.

The right to work must be checked separately. It may come from the pending residence procedure, a valid work permit, a declaration, free access to the labour market or another legal basis. After changing employer, the situation must be reviewed again.

Assistance with obtaining a work-based residence permit in Warsaw

We handle work-based residence permit cases in Warsaw at all stages — from analysis of your situation to receiving a decision. Our work is not limited to filling in the application. We check the legal basis, prepare the documents, coordinate the employer, respond to official requests and monitor the case.

We also help when the office requests supplements, when the employer does not know what to prepare, when the case is delayed or when the foreigner needs to change employer during the procedure.

Submission through MOS 2.0

We support work-based residence permit cases in Warsaw at every stage — from analysing your situation to obtaining a decision. Our work is not limited to “collecting papers”; we build the package so that it matches the requirements of the Masovian Voivodeship Office and the logic of the temporary residence and work procedure.

We work with first applications and extensions, as well as cases where employment conditions change and the case must be properly updated. The approach is always tied to your actual situation and employer data.

We collect and coordinate all documents ourselves:

We conduct the first consultation: we identify the basis, check your status and prepare a clear action plan and timeline.
We prepare a personal document checklist based on your employment and contract type.
We contact the employer and request the confirmations and attachments required by the office.
We complete the applications and attachments for submission in Warsaw and bring the package to a consistent standard.
During the procedure, we monitor whether the case materials remain up to date and submit updates if needed.
If the case is delayed, we prepare ponaglenie and handle further administrative steps if the situation requires it.
After the decision, we assist at the card collection stage and explain what needs to be done next.
If the decision is negative, we prepare the appeal and continue the procedure to address the reason for refusal and protect your position.

01
Basis and deadlines
We check the basis for submission, the period of legal stay and the current situation.
02
Employer documents
We compare the contract, employer details, position, salary, working time and place of work.
03
Application and attachments
We prepare the application and electronic attachments so that the data is consistent across the documents.
04
Employer attachment
We complete Załącznik nr 1, check the working conditions and send the document for signature.
05
Uploading to MOS 2.0
We prepare electronic files and upload documents in the correct form through MOS 2.0.
06
Submission confirmation
We monitor the submission confirmation and further messages and requests from the office.
07
Communication with the office
If the office requests documents, we prepare a response and submit the materials in the required form.
08
Until the decision and card
We handle the case until the decision, explain the next steps and assist with receiving the card.

Work-based residence permit in Warsaw with SKILLDOCS support

SKILLDOCS handles work-based residence permit cases in Warsaw with regard to the practice of the Masovian Voivodeship Office and the real requirements of the office. We take care of document preparation, coordination with the employer, electronic submission through MOS 2.0, supplements, communication with the office and case monitoring. We work so that the application is consistent, complete and understandable for the office. This reduces the risk of unnecessary requests, delays and mistakes that may extend the procedure. If you want to apply for temporary residence on the basis of work, leave a request on our website.

FAQ

Do you need a new residence card after changing jobs?

Not always. If the card was issued on the basis of work for a specific employer, you usually need to change the decision or submit new documents to the case. If you have a basis that gives free access to the labour market, the situation may be different. The decision and your current status must be checked.

Can you cross the border based on a stamp in your passport?

The stamp confirms legal stay in Poland while the case is being processed, but it is not a visa and does not by itself give the right to re-enter Poland. To return after leaving, you usually need a valid residence card, visa or another entry basis.

I submitted a residence card application and changed jobs — what should I to?

You need to inform the office and submit current documents from the new employer, especially a new Załącznik nr 1. If the card has already been issued for the previous employer, a change of decision or a new application may be required.

What determines the period for which I receive a residence card?

It depends on the residence basis, contract period, employer documents, income, insurance, office practice and the overall assessment of the case. Under the rules, a temporary residence card can be issued for a maximum of 3 years.

When should you apply for a work-based residence permit?

The application must be submitted during legal stay in Poland. It is not worth waiting until the last days, because document errors or technical problems with submission may create a risk for legal stay.

Who completes Załącznik nr 1?

Formally, it is the employer’s attachment, but we can prepare it on our side and send it to the employer for review and signature. This reduces the risk of mistakes in the position, salary, working time and company details.

Can you apply for a work-based residence permit without an employer?

No. A work-based residence permit requires a real employment basis and documents from the employer. If there is no employer, another basis for legalizing stay must be analysed.

How does a work-based residence permit differ from a work permit?

A work-based residence permit combines temporary residence and work authorization in Poland. A work permit is a separate document that concerns only the right to work for a specific employer.

Can you work while waiting for the decision?

You can work if you have legal stay and a separate basis for work, or if you continue working under the same conditions that were the basis for the application. If you change employer, the right to work must be checked separately.

How much is the official fee for a work-based residence permit?

The stamp duty for a temporary residence and work application is PLN 440. In addition, the plastic residence card fee is PLN 100. If a representative acts in the case, the power of attorney fee is also paid.

Can a residence card case be accelerated?

You can use administrative tools: ponaglenie, and if necessary, a complaint against inactivity or excessive length of proceedings to the administrative court. This does not guarantee an immediate decision, but often helps move the case forward.