Poland Work Visa 2026: Work Permit, D Visa, Documents and Costs

To work in Poland, a citizen of a country outside the EU, the EEA and Switzerland, such as Iran, usually needs two things: a work permit that the Polish employer applies for, and a national D visa from a Polish consulate. Since 1 December 2025 the work permit fee is PLN 400 for work lasting more than three months. In 2026 pay must be at least the minimum wage: PLN 4,806 gross a month for full-time work under an employment contract, or PLN 31.40 an hour under a mandate contract.

A job offer alone is not enough. The employer applies for the permit online in Poland, and you then apply in person for the visa at the Polish Embassy in Tehran. This guide covers each step, the documents, the fees and how to stay on after the visa ends.

What is a Poland work visa?

A Poland “work visa” usually means a national D visa issued for work. It is for stays longer than 90 days and is valid for a maximum of 365 days. It also lets you spend up to 90 days in any 180-day period in other Schengen countries.

How is the work visa different from the work permit?

The visa lets you enter and stay in Poland. The work permit lets you work for a named employer, in a named position, on the conditions written in it. You need both, and the permit covers work in Poland only.

The embassy’s rules for applicants in Iran are on its D-type national visa page.

Who can get a Poland work visa from Iran?

The embassy’s checklist and the work permit rules point to these conditions:

• A job with a Polish employer under a written contract, translated for you before you sign.
• A work permit issued by the voivode (regional governor). The visa cannot run longer than the permit.
• Fair pay and hours: pay no lower than comparable workers earn and no lower than the minimum wage (in proportion to the hours for part-time work), with working hours between a quarter of full time and full time.
• Qualifications for the job, which depend on the position. Regulated professions have their own requirements.
• The visa basics: identity documents, travel medical insurance, proof of funds and accommodation.

Which work permit does the employer need?

The Act of 20 March 2025 on the conditions for the admissibility of entrusting work to foreigners in the territory of the Republic of Poland has set the rules since 1 June 2025. From 1 January 2026, praca.gov.pl no longer offers the old type A to E applications, and the Office for Foreigners now describes four kinds of work permit:

• Work for a Polish employer (formerly type A): the usual route for someone hired from Iran.
• A specific function (formerly type B): for management board members and some partnership roles.
• Posting by a foreign employer (formerly types C to E): for staff sent by a company abroad, paid at least 70% of the regional average wage.
• Seasonal work: issued by the starosta (district head), for up to 9 months in a calendar year.

What does the employer have to do?

• Apply online through praca.gov.pl. Applications filed any other way are not processed.
• Pay the fee: PLN 400 for more than three months, or PLN 200 for up to three months.
• Offer terms that meet the rules. The permit states the position, the lowest pay you may receive, the hours and the validity period.
• Send a copy of your signed contract, in Polish, to the issuing authority online before you start.
• Register you for social security and health insurance within 7 days of your start date.

What documents do you need for a Poland work visa?

The main documents the Polish Embassy in Tehran asks for with a D visa for work are:

• The e-Konsulat application form, printed and signed, and a 3.5 x 4.5 cm photo taken within 6 months
• A passport issued within the last ten years, valid at least six months after your planned return, with two blank pages, plus a copy of the data page
• Your birth certificate (shenasnameh) and national ID card, with official translations stamped by Iran’s Ministry of Justice and Ministry of Foreign Affairs
• The work permit and an invitation letter from the Polish employer
• A current reference letter from your employer in Iran, with your start date, position and salary, if applicable
• A recommendation letter from your employer in Iran, if you are relocating within the same company
• Travel medical insurance valid in all Schengen countries for the whole stay, with at least EUR 30,000 of cover, from an insurer on the embassy’s accepted list, and written confirmation from the insurer
• Proof of funds: PLN 75 a day, plus PLN 2,500 if you have no return flight, shown by a bank or credit card certificate issued within the last month. The salary in the work permit can count towards these funds.
• Proof of accommodation
• A flight reservation with a booking reference (PNR). The visa is issued for the dates in it, and the embassy advises against buying tickets before the visa is approved.

All documents in Farsi need an English or Polish translation. Make sure your details match across the passport, form, contract and permit. The consul can ask for more documents or an interview.

How do you apply from Iran, step by step?

1. Find a job. Check the duties, pay, contract type and whether the employer hires foreign workers.
2. Get the offer and the work permit. Do not pay intermediaries before the permit and contract terms are clear. The embassy does not work with visa agencies.
3. Prepare your documents and fill in the correct D visa form on e-Konsulat.
4. Book an appointment through e-Konsulat and apply in person, no later than 15 days before departure. The EUR 200 fee is paid in cash and is not refunded if the visa is refused. It is the only payment the embassy requires.
5. Collect the decision. Check the name, dates and conditions on the visa. The Border Guard makes the final decision on entry.

If the visa is refused, you can ask the embassy to reconsider within 14 days of receiving the decision, for a fee of EUR 200.

If you do not have a job offer yet, you may also want to read our guide to the Austria job seeker visa.

How much does a Poland work visa cost in 2026?

The visa fee is only one part of the cost.

The work permit fees have applied since 1 December 2025, under a regulation of 20 November 2025.

What is the minimum wage in Poland?

According to the Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy, the minimum wage from 1 January 2026 is PLN 4,806 gross a month. The minimum hourly rate for mandate and service contracts is PLN 31.40 gross.

A Council of Ministers regulation of 14 September 2026 sets PLN 4,950 a month and PLN 32.30 an hour from 1 January 2027. The pay tests for the work permit and the single permit are tied to the minimum wage, so from that date they use these figures.

Gross pay is before tax and social security contributions. Your take-home pay depends on your contract and tax position.

How long does a Poland work visa take?

The embassy decides within 15 calendar days of the fee payment. If the documents need closer review, this can be extended to 30 days.

That covers only the visa. Finding an employer and getting the work permit take longer, and incomplete or mismatched documents cause delays.

Which jobs are in demand in Poland?

Demand depends on the region, the industry and your skills. Areas worth searching include technical and production work, engineering, IT, transport and logistics, and services.

For forecasts by occupation and region, see the Occupational Barometer (Barometr Zawodów), run by the Voivodeship Labour Office in Krakow.

The law lets the labour ministry publish a list of shortage occupations whose permit applications are handled first. Separately, a starosta (district head) can list occupations for which work permits for a Polish employer are not issued because of the local labour market.

Where can you find a job in Poland?

Use official job databases and companies’ own careers pages. Three places to start:

• ePraca job offers, run by Poland’s public employment services
• Public Employment Services portal in English, with a section for foreigners
• EURES, the EU’s job mobility portal

Before you apply, check that the employer can be identified, that the pay and contract terms are clear, and that the employer will apply for your work permit.

Can you get a Poland work visa without a language certificate?

The embassy’s work visa checklist does not ask for a language certificate; the B2 certificate on the same page is for study visas. For work, the employer and the job decide.

Roles with customers or international teams may need Polish or English, while some production roles focus on practical skills. Ask the employer what level they expect.

How long is the visa valid, and how do you stay longer?

The D visa is valid for up to 365 days and cannot run longer than the work permit. A work permit for a Polish employer lasts up to 3 years, or up to 1 year if the employer has been in business for under a year or the job is half-time or less.

To stay beyond the visa, the usual next step is a temporary residence and work permit, often called a single permit, granted for more than 3 months and up to 3 years. You apply online through the Office for Foreigners’ MOS system while legally in Poland, not from abroad. The stamp duty is PLN 440, pay must be at least PLN 4,806 gross a month in 2026 whatever the working hours, and foreign-language documents need a sworn translation into Polish. The deadline for a decision is 60 days from a complete application, and the permit does not renew automatically. Once the permit is granted, the residence card costs PLN 100.

A permit for one employer does not cover work for another; a new employer must apply for a new permit. Since 8 July 2026 the same employer can move you from a civil-law contract to an employment contract without a new permit, as long as the other terms of your work do not change.

For highly qualified roles, Poland also issues residence permits under the EU Blue Card system, explained in our EU Blue Card guide.

Summary

A Poland work visa rests on three things: a real job offer at or above the minimum wage, a work permit the employer applies for online, and a complete D visa application at the embassy. To compare another option, see our Germany work visa guide.

If you would like our team to look at your situation, fill in the assessment form.

Frequently asked questions

Can I get a Poland work visa without a university degree?

Yes, if the job does not require one. The work permit rules focus on the employer, the pay and the hours. The employer sets the job’s requirements, and regulated professions have their own rules.

Can I work in other Schengen countries with a Polish work visa?

No. The D visa lets you visit other Schengen countries for up to 90 days in any 180-day period, but a Polish work permit covers work in Poland only.

Who applies for the work permit, me or the employer?

The employer applies online through praca.gov.pl and pays the fee. You then apply for the visa yourself, with the permit.

Can Iranian citizens use the employer declaration instead of a work permit?

No. Since 1 December 2025 the simpler declaration route covers only citizens of Armenia, Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine.

Is there still a labour market test in Poland?

No. It ended on 1 June 2025. Instead, each starosta can list occupations for which work permits are not issued because of the local labour market.

Official sources

• Embassy of Poland in Tehran: D-type national visa
• Office for Foreigners (MOS): work permit
• Office for Foreigners (MOS): temporary residence and work permit
• Office for Foreigners (MOS): residence card
• Office for Foreigners (MOS): EU Blue Card
• Public Employment Services: work permits (in Polish)
• Journal of Laws 2025 item 621: Act of 20 March 2025 on entrusting work to foreigners (in Polish)
• Journal of Laws 2025 item 1622: work permit and declaration fees (in Polish)
• Journal of Laws 2025 item 1617: countries covered by the declaration route (in Polish)
• Green Line: changes from 1 June 2025 (in Polish)
• Green Line: new names of work permit applications (in Polish)
• Green Line: change of contract type from 8 July 2026 (in Polish)
• Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy: minimum wage
• Journal of Laws 2026 item 1213: minimum wage and hourly rate in 2027 (in Polish)