What the EU Blue Card is

It is a temporary residence permit for the purpose of working in an occupation requiring high qualifications (Art. 127 of the Act on Foreigners). The residence card carries the annotation "EU Blue Card" (Art. 244 para. 1 point 10). The rules for issuing the Blue Card changed on 1 June 2025.

Conditions

  • A contract for at least 6 months - an employment contract, an outwork contract or a civil-law contract (Art. 127 point 1 letter a).
  • Higher professional qualifications needed for this work (Art. 127 point 1 letter c). In a regulated profession - also the qualifications required for that profession (letter b).
  • Health insurance or confirmation of coverage of the costs of treatment in Poland (letter d).
  • Pay above the threshold (Art. 127 point 3) - details below.
  • An occupation outside the starost's list (Art. 127 point 2). This condition does not apply, among other things, when immediately before the application you had a work permit or a residence and work permit with the same employer in the same position, or when you have already worked legally in Poland for 2 years on the Blue Card (Art. 129).

Degree or experience

Higher professional qualifications are (Art. 3 points 6, 6a and 25):

  • completed higher education lasting at least 3 years, confirmed by a diploma or another document, or
  • 3 years of professional experience at a level comparable to higher education, gained within the last 7 years - in occupations from the list announced by the minister of the interior, or
  • 5 years of such experience - in other occupations. The card then also carries the annotation "Occupation not listed in Annex I".

Salary threshold

The annual gross pay under the contract cannot be lower than 150% of the average pay in the national economy from the year preceding the submission of the application. The amount is announced by the President of Statistics Poland (GUS) (Art. 127 point 3). For applications submitted in 2026 the basis is the average pay for 2025: 8 903,56 PLN. 150% of that amount is 13 355,34 PLN gross per month. The threshold changes every year.

Changing employer and job loss

If the Blue Card decision was issued on or after 1 June 2025:

  • Changing employer - you notify the voivode in writing within 15 working days (Art. 134 para. 2). The new job must still meet the conditions of the Blue Card. If you do not perform work in an occupation requiring high qualifications, the voivode withdraws the permit (Art. 133 para. 1).
  • Job loss - you notify the voivode within 15 working days (Art. 134 para. 1). The permit is not withdrawn because of a lack of work if the break did not exceed 3 months, and after 2 years of stay on the Blue Card - 6 months (Art. 133 para. 2).

If the decision was issued before 1 June 2025, the former rules apply. In the first 2 years a change of employer or position, or lower pay, required a change of the permit (Art. 20 para. 4 of the Act of 24 April 2025). See also: changing employer.

Mobility in the EU

  • Short business trips - the Act describes the short-term mobility of an EU Blue Card holder: up to 90 days in a period of 180 days in each EU state, for professional activity, for example meetings or training (Art. 3 points 4a and 7ha). In another state its own rules apply - check them before you travel.
  • Work in another EU state - when you start using long-term mobility there, you notify the voivode within 15 working days in which state (Art. 134a).
  • A Blue Card from another EU state - after at least 12 months of stay in that state you can apply in Poland for a permit for the purpose of long-term mobility (Art. 137a). The voivode has 30 days to decide (Art. 137d).

The application

You submit the application in MOS. The employer fills in Annex No. 1, and you attach your own annex with information on your qualifications (Art. 106 paras. 2 and 4). The permit is granted for the period of work extended by 3 months, not longer than 3 years (Art. 128). Costs: fees.