The uniform work and residence permit (jednolite zezwolenie na pobyt i pracę) is one of the temporary residence permits available in Poland. It can be granted for a period from 3 months to 3 years.
This kind of permit allows a person to reside in Poland throughout the duration of its validity and work in a company or in the companies listed in the application. When a person receives a uniform work and residence permit, they get a residence card (karta pobytu) with an access to the labor market. Such a card entitles a person to social support, including childcare payments (500+, Good start), as well as registration in the Labor Office.
Who can receive this permit?
The uniform work and residence permit can be received by any foreigner who resides in Poland and plans to start a work or who has already started, given that their income is equal or higher than minimum wage (3 010 PLN gross). Income is understood as a sum of all the salaries included in the application form.
If a person is not obliged to have a job permit (e.g. they’re a student or they’ve graduated from a Polish university), they will receive a residence decision that does not specify their work conditions. In practice it means that if their job conditions change, they don’t have to change the permit.
Where do you apply for the permit?
An application form for the uniform work and residence permit can be filled at a Voivodeship Administration Office, specifically, at the Branch for Foreigners. You can sign up for a visit at the Mazovian Voivodeship Administration on this website or at the inpol platform, where the application form can be filled online.
What documents should be brought in?
Basic documents:
- the application form (2 copies)
- attachment nr 1 – this document should be filled in by the employer (if you are employed in several places, all the employers should fill it in)
- 4 photographs (same kind as for a passport)
- 2 copies of the passport / other travel document
- confirmation of the procedural payment (440 PLN)
When the administration accepts all the documents and gets fingerprints from the applicant, the foreigner receives the right to reside in Poland until the final decision is made in their residence case. The foreigner should receive a stamp in their passport or a separate paper confirming that they’ve applied for a residence permit.
Important! Filing an application for the residence permit grants one only a right to reside in Poland. This legal status does not entitle the foreigner to social support, including child care payments, such as 500+. If a person who’s applied for a residence permit leaves the country, they can return on the basis of visa or visa-free travel.
Documents confirming the information provided in the application form, which must be attached to the application:
- information from the Starosta, if needed;
- documents that confirm the possession of health insurance (it isn’t required prior to starting the job);
- tax declaration (e.g. PIT – yearly individual tax declaration);
- statement about lack of tax debt;
- documents confirming that the employer has the financial capacity or stable income that would allow them to fulfill the financial obligations towards the employee, as well as a document confirmation of leading the entrepreneuring, agricultural or statutory activity.
If the foreigner doesn’t bring the documents listed above along with the application form, they will receive a letter asking to bring in these documents within 14 days.
Additional information
In case of receiving a negative decision, the foreigner can ask to return the procedural payment or appeal the decision.
If any circumstances written in the application change after the person receives a positive decision, they should apply for a change in their uniform work and residence permit.
The decision and the residence card can only be received on the territory of Poland. The decision is sent by post, but only to a Polish address.
The application form should be filed not later than on the last day of one’s legal stay.
The documents that are not in Polish must be filed with a translation attached. The translation should be made by a sworn translator.
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