Two groups of exemptions

The Act on the Conditions for Permitting the Entrusting of Work to Foreigners (hereinafter: the Act on Entrusting Work) recognises two groups of foreigners who work without a work permit and without a declaration. The first group has free access to the labour market by virtue of the residence status itself (Art. 3 para. 1). The second is exempt in specified situations (Art. 3 paras. 5 and 7, Art. 39 and 44). The employer must still conclude a written contract with you before allowing you to work (Art. 5 para. 1) and demand a valid residence document (Art. 4 para. 2).

Free access to the labour market

A permit is not needed, among others, when (Art. 3 para. 1):

  • you have a permanent residence permit or an EU long-term resident residence permit (points 6 and 7),
  • you have refugee status, subsidiary protection, a permit to stay for humanitarian reasons, a permit for tolerated stay or temporary protection (points 8-12),
  • you are a family member of a citizen of the EU or EFTA or of a Polish citizen and live with them in Poland (points 1 and 2),
  • you have a temporary residence permit granted for specified reasons, e.g. for the purpose of studies or scientific research (point 14),
  • you are the spouse of a Polish citizen with a residence permit in connection with the marriage, or their descendant up to the age of 21 or dependent on them (points 15 and 16).

Exemption with a legal stay

You can work without a permit if you are staying in Poland legally (e.g. on a visa, on a temporary residence permit or visa-free) and (Art. 3 para. 5):

  • you have a valid Karta Polaka (Pole's Card),
  • you are a graduate of a post-primary school and hold documents confirming vocational qualifications obtained in Poland,
  • you are a graduate of studies at a university with its seat in Poland,
  • you hold a doctoral degree awarded in Poland or are a doctoral candidate in a Polish doctoral school.

Special cases from the regulation

The regulation of 20 November 2025 (Journal of Laws 2025, item 1620) lists further situations. This is not a complete list, but, for example, the following work without a permit:

  • full-time students at universities meeting the conditions of the regulation, and students and pupils on vocational placements from the curriculum (§ 1 points 12-14),
  • teachers of a foreign language in a kindergarten or school (point 2),
  • doctors, nurses, paramedics, physiotherapists and pharmacists with the right to practise the profession in Poland (points 26-30),
  • athletes of a club with its seat in Poland and persons giving occasional lectures - up to 30 days in a calendar year (points 8 and 10),
  • employees of a foreign manufacturer who install or repair its equipment - up to 3 months in a year (point 22).

Posting and company management

You also do not need a work permit when (Art. 44 and Art. 39):

  • a foreign employer from an EEA state temporarily posts you to provide services in Poland,
  • you are posted to a branch or an entity related to a foreign employer for no more than 30 days in a calendar year,
  • you are posted for another purpose for no more than 30 days within 180 days,
  • you stay in Poland for no more than 6 months in total within 12 months as a member of the management board of a company or a commercial proxy (prokurent).

Provisions that do not apply

The Act on Entrusting Work does not apply, among others, to citizens of EU and EFTA-EEA states, volunteers and foreigners who are entrepreneurs entered in CEIDG and who perform a contract as part of their own business (Art. 1 para. 4).

What the exemption does not change

An exemption from the permit does not give the right of stay. Illegal work carries a fine of not less than 1 000 PLN (Art. 84 para. 2). Before the first day of work, check your basis. If you do not have one, the employer needs a work permit or a declaration. The right to work while waiting for a residence decision is described in the guide working while waiting.