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Changing employers while holding a Polish residence permit does not mean you have to stop working and wait months for a new decision from the voivode. Foreigners can move to a new company if they report the end of their previous employment on time and properly formalize their new job.
The residence card itself confirms your legal stay in Poland. The terms of your employment are specified in the voivode's decision upon which the card was issued.
The decision specifies:
• the employer;
• the position or type of work;
• the minimum salary;
• the number of working hours;
• the type of contract;
• the user employer when working through a temporary employment agency.
If the decision names a specific company, it only authorizes you to work under the conditions established for that company. If you move to a different employer, you must amend the decision and establish a new legal basis for your employment.
However, you do not need to wait for the permit amendment procedure to be completed. You can start working for a new employer sooner, provided the work is legalized through a work permit, a registered oświadczenie, a powiadomienie, or another legally recognized basis.
After your employment ends, you are required to notify the voivode who issued your residence and work permit in writing. You have 15 working days to do this.
A separate notification is not required if you submit an application to amend your permit within the same timeframe. Such an application simultaneously fulfills the requirement to notify the voivode that your previous employment has ended.
The deadline is calculated from the date your employment actually ends. Therefore, you should not wait to submit your documents until your new employer has prepared the full package.
Missing this deadline creates a risk that your application to amend the permit will be denied and that proceedings to revoke your permit will be initiated.
There is no general prohibition against working before receiving an amended decision. The important thing is that you have a legal basis to work for the new company.
Different procedures apply to different categories of employees:
• work permit;
• oświadczenie o powierzeniu pracy cudzoziemcowi;
• notification via praca.gov.pl;
• free access to the labor market.
For example, for Ukrainian citizens working under the notification procedure, the new employer must submit a notification via praca.gov.pl within 7 days of the actual start date. The employee does not need to wait for the document to be registered before their first shift.
It is important to distinguish between the two procedures. The foreigner notifies the Voivode about the termination of their previous job, while the new employer arranges the basis for the new employment.
An application to change a zezwolenie na pobyt czasowy i pracę must be submitted if there is a change in:
• employer;
• user employer;
• job title or type of work performed;
• minimum salary;
• working hours;
• type of contract.
Even if the job title and salary remain the same, moving from Company A to Company B constitutes a change of employer and requires a modification of the decision.
You do not need to change your permit if the company changes its name, address, or legal form. The procedure is also not required when switching from a civil law contract to an umowa o pracę, provided the employer and other conditions remain unchanged. The same rule applies when a job title is renamed without changing the duties, or when working hours are increased with a proportional increase in salary.
The basic set includes:
• application for a permit change;
• Annex No. 1 from the new employer;
• proof of payment;
• documents detailing the new employment terms.
The state fee is 220 PLN. The Voivodeship Office will request additional documents if they are necessary for processing your case.
Annex No. 1 must be completed by the new employer. The job title, salary, working hours, and contract type specified in the document must match the actual terms of employment.
Changing the decision does not extend your residence card. The new decision remains valid only until the expiration date of the original permit. If your card is nearing its expiration, you must apply for a new permit rather than simply modifying the old one.
The process is as follows:
1. Obtain confirmation that your previous employment has ended.
2. Notify the Voivode or submit an application to modify your permit within 15 working days.
3. Agree on the job title, salary, hours, and contract type with your new employer.
4. Secure the legal basis for working at the new company.
5. Start working without waiting for the modified decision from the Voivode.
6. Monitor correspondence from the office and provide additional documents in a timely manner.
A residence card does not prevent you from changing employers. You do not need to wait for the modified decision if your new job is legally documented.
The critical deadline for foreign nationals is 15 working days after the end of your previous employment. Within this timeframe, you must notify the Voivode or submit an application to modify your permit.
A properly executed transition allows you to maintain legal status and continue working in Poland without a months-long break.
How WorqOn helps with changing employers
WorqOn helps foreign nationals find legal work in Poland, verify documents, and manage the transition to a new employer.
We verify the basis of your stay, the conditions of the voivode's decision, your contract, salary rate, job title, and working hours. The candidate is informed in advance about which legal basis will be used for the new job and which documents need to be submitted.
