What they have in common

  • Both permits give the right to reside and work in Poland. You submit the application in MOS, and the employer fills in Annex No. 1.
  • In both cases you need health insurance, and the occupation cannot be on the starost's list (Art. 114 para. 1 points 1 and 3 and Art. 127 point 1 letter d and point 2 of the Act on Foreigners).
  • The stamp duty is the same: 440 PLN. See: fees.
  • In both cases the permit lasts at most 3 years (Art. 98 para. 2 and Art. 128).

The main differences

Qualifications

Blue Card: higher qualifications are required - a diploma of studies lasting at least 3 years or 3 or 5 years of professional experience (Art. 127 point 1 letter c and Art. 3 points 6, 6a and 25). Residence and work: the Act does not require education. The exception is regulated professions (Art. 117 point 2 letter a).

Pay

Blue Card: at least 150% of the average pay from the previous year. For applications submitted in 2026 this is 13 355,34 PLN gross per month (Art. 127 point 3). Residence and work: at least the minimum wage - in 2026, 4 806 PLN gross - and not less than that of employees in a comparable position (Art. 114 para. 1 points 4 and 5).

Contract

Blue Card: a contract for at least 6 months. The permit covers the period of work and an additional 3 months (Art. 127 point 1 letter a and Art. 128). Residence and work: the Act does not set a minimum length of contract.

Changing employer

Blue Card (decision issued from 1 June 2025): you notify the voivode within 15 working days (Art. 134 para. 2). Residence and work: a change of the permit is needed - a paper application and a fee of 220 PLN (Art. 120 para. 1 and Art. 120a para. 1). Details: changing employer.

Job loss

Blue Card: the permit is not withdrawn if the break in work did not exceed 3 months, and after 2 years - 6 months (Art. 133 para. 2). Residence and work: protection lasts 30 days from the loss of the job. When you lose your job with all the employers in the permit, it works only once during the validity of the permit (Art. 123 paras. 1 and 2). Details: job loss.

Other EU states

Blue Card: gives mobility - short business trips to other EU states and the possibility of moving to work in another state (Art. 3 point 7ha and Art. 134a). Stay on the Blue Card in other EU states may count towards the 5 years needed for an EU long-term resident residence permit, if immediately before the application you were in Poland on the Blue Card for at least 2 years (Art. 212 para. 1 point 1). Residence and work: the Act provides for no such arrangements.

What to choose

  • You have a degree or the required experience and earn above the threshold - the Blue Card gives more freedom when changing jobs and longer protection after job loss.
  • You do not have higher qualifications or you earn below the threshold - the right route is temporary residence and work.
  • You choose the purpose of stay in the application. The type of permit depends on it, and the office will not change it for you. See: the most common mistakes.

We describe the conditions of the Blue Card in detail in the guide EU Blue Card.