Foreigners from Switzerland have the opportunity to work in Poland for a limited period without obtaining a work visa. Poland provides a streamlined procedure for short-term employment, enabling visa-free nationals to work legally for up to 180 days within a 12-month period under an Employer’s Declaration (Oświadczenie o powierzeniu pracy cudzoziemcowi).

This option is ideal for individuals seeking seasonal work, short-term contracts, or temporary employment before deciding on a long-term stay in Poland.

What Swiss citizens need to know about short-term work in Poland

1️⃣ Secure a job offer before starting work 🏢

Before arriving in Poland (or while already in the country under visa-free entry), Swiss citizens must find a job with a Polish employer willing to hire them under a short-term contract.

✔️ The job can be temporary, seasonal, full-time, or part-time, but it must be officially registered.

✔️ The employer is required to apply for an Employer’s Declaration (Oświadczenie) at the local Labor Office (Urząd Pracy) before employment begins.

✔️ The job must meet Polish labor law regulations, including wage and working conditions.

2️⃣ Employer submits the employment declaration 📄

Before a foreign worker can start a job in Poland, the employer must officially register the employment by submitting a Declaration of Employment (Oświadczenie o powierzeniu pracy cudzoziemcowi) to the Labor Office.

✔️ Processing time: Up to 7 working days.

✔️ Validity: The declaration allows work for a maximum of 180 days within 12 months.

✔️ The employer must ensure full legal compliance, including paying social security contributions (ZUS).

🔹 Required details for the declaration:

• Worker’s passport details and identity information.

• Job title, salary, and work duration.

• Employer’s business registration details.

• Workplace address in Poland.

3️⃣ Travel to Poland and begin employment ✈️

Once the Employer’s Declaration is approved, the worker can legally enter Poland and start working.

✔️ No work visa is required for the 180-day employment period.

✔️ A valid biometric passport is necessary for legal entry.

✔️ No residence permit is required for short-term work.

🔹 Important regulations to follow:

• The 180-day work limit within a 12-month period must be respected.

• To continue working beyond 180 days, the worker must apply for a residence permit or obtain a Type D work visa from a Polish consulate.

• Employers must report the worker’s start and end dates to the Labor Office.

Key recommendations for The Swiss working in Poland

✔️ Work only with legal employers – Make sure your contract is official and properly registered.

✔️ Check job conditions – Ensure that the salary, work hours, and responsibilities comply with Polish labor laws.

✔️ Track work duration – Keep an eye on the 180-day limit to avoid overstaying.

✔️ Plan for long-term opportunities – If you wish to stay in Poland longer, begin preparing for a residence permit early.

✔️ Learn some Polish – Knowing even basic Polish can help with communication and daily life in the country.

Foreigners from Switzerland who wish to stay and work in Poland beyond the short-term period can apply for a Temporary Residence and Work Permit (Karta Pobytu Czasowego). This permit allows individuals to legally live and work in Poland for up to three years, with the possibility of extending it upon meeting certain conditions.

How Swiss citizens can apply for long-term work in Poland

1️⃣ Secure a full-time job offer 🏢

To begin the process of applying for a Temporary Residence and Work Permit, foreign nationals from visa-free countries must first secure a full-time job offer from a Polish employer who will provide them with a valid work contract.

✔️ The employer must offer a signed contract (umowa o pracę or umowa zlecenie).

✔️ The salary must meet or exceed the minimum wage set by Polish law.

✔️ The employer must ensure the employment is registered with Polish labor authorities and comply with labor laws.

2️⃣ Submit the Temporary Residence and Work Permit application 🏠

Once a job offer is secured, the next step is to submit an application for the Temporary Residence and Work Permit at the Voivodeship Office (Urząd Wojewódzki) in the region where the worker will be employed.

🔹 Documents required for the application:

• Completed application form.

• A valid passport (both original and copies).

• A signed employment contract from the employer.

• Proof of stable income (showing the salary can cover living expenses).

• Proof of accommodation (such as a rental agreement or accommodation provided by the employer).

• Health insurance (either private insurance or ZUS registration).

• Recent biometric photos.

✔️ Processing time: Typically 2–6 months, depending on the regional office.

✔️ Important: As long as the application is submitted before the visa-free stay expires, the worker can legally remain in Poland while awaiting the decision, even after the 90-day visa-free period has passed.

3️⃣ Receive the Temporary Residence Card (Karta Pobytu) 📬

After the application is approved, the worker will receive the Temporary Residence Card (Karta Pobytu), which will serve as both their identity card and work permit in Poland for the duration of the permit.

✔️ Validity: The card will be valid for up to 3 years, depending on the terms of the employment contract.

✔️ Changing jobs: If the worker changes employers, they will need to apply for a new work permit.

✔️ Schengen Zone travel: The residence card allows visa-free travel within the Schengen Area for up to 90 days within any 180-day period.

4️⃣ Work legally and enjoy your rights 👨‍💼

Once the Temporary Residence Card is obtained, visa-free nationals are legally entitled to:

✔️ Work full-time in Poland, under the terms set out in the contract and permit.

✔️ Contribute to taxes and social security, gaining access to various benefits like healthcare, pensions, and unemployment support.

✔️ Open a bank account in Poland.

✔️ Apply for family reunification (in eligible cases).

✔️ Live and travel within the Schengen Zone without needing additional visas.

📌 Key considerations for long-term work in Poland for The Swiss

✅ Job stability – Long-term work offers job stability and opportunities for social integration within Polish society.

✅ Permit renewal – The Temporary Residence and Work Permit can be renewed before it expires.

✅ Changing employers – If a worker wishes to switch jobs, they will need to apply for a new work permit, which may require additional processing time.

✅ Permanent residence – After 5 years of continuous legal stay, foreign nationals can apply for the Permanent Residence Card (Karta Stałego Pobytu).

✅ Polish citizenship – After 8 to 10 years of residency, foreigners can apply for Polish citizenship if they meet the necessary requirements, including language and integration criteria.

A temporary residence permit for seasonal work may be granted to a foreigner if the purpose of his/her stay is to work on the basis of a seasonal work permit. 

A temporary residence permit for seasonal work may be granted to a foreigner who:

• Entered the territory of the Republic of Poland on the basis of a visa issued in connection with seasonal work or under the visa-free regime, in connection with an application for a seasonal work permit entered in the register of applications;
• Holds a seasonal work permit or an extension of a seasonal work permit valid for a period exceeding the period of stay specified in the visa or the period of stay allowed under the visa-free regime;
• Has a source of stable and regular income;
• Has a source of stable and regular income;
• Has health insurance;
• Has a guaranteed place of residence in the territory of the Republic of Poland.

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In order to obtain the permit, a foreigner must apply to the Voivodeship Office at the place of residence.

It should be added that a temporary residence permit for seasonal work is granted for a period not exceeding 9 months from the date of the first entry for the purpose of performing seasonal work.  

Please note that a temporary residence permit for seasonal work is granted even if the circumstances of the application for such a permit do not require the foreigner to stay in the territory of the Republic of Poland for more than 3 months.

Compared to other temporary residence permits issued in connection with employment, the fee for issuing this type of permit is lower and amounts to PLN 170.

Please note that work on the basis of consecration (oświadczenia) is no longer available for Russian citizens. At the same time, Russians who worked legally before the introduction of the amendments may do so, but only until the expiry of the permit (zezwolenia) or consecration (oświadczenia).

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Who can work in Poland without a work permit?

The following foreigners can work in Poland without a work permit

• have been granted refugee status in Poland;
• have been granted subsidiary protection in Poland;
• obtained a residence permit in Poland
• obtained a conditional residence permit in Poland;
• citizens of EU member states or EEA states (European Economic Area, in Polish EOG), or family members of such citizens;
• victims of human trafficking, if the relevant conditions are met - more information on this topic can be found here.
• have been granted a fixed-term residence permit in Poland on the basis of marriage to a Polish citizen or a foreigner who has been granted refugee status, subsidiary protection, a settlement permit, a long-term EU resident's permit, a conditional residence permit and temporary protection in Poland;
• hold a valid Pole's Card 
• studying, participating in professional internships, performing functions in programs implemented within the framework of EU activities or other international assistance programs;
• who are teachers of foreign languages;
• who work up to 30 days during a calendar year as researchers or creators;
• full-time students at universities in Poland who study in Poland on the basis of a residence permit issued for the purpose of studying for a whole year.

Note: For more detailed information, please contact the Voivodeship Office.

Employment contract: A written employment contract is mandatory for employees. The contract should contain information on working conditions, salary, work schedule, contract duration, and other details.

Working hours: Total working hours in Poland should not exceed 8 hours per day and 40 hours per week for a full working Sunday. Extended working Sunday may be up to 48 hours per week, but in this case, the employee must be compensated in the form of overtime pay.

Vacations: According to Polish law, employees are entitled to an annual paid vacation of at least 20 working days. In addition, there are special types of leave, such as parental leave, sick leave, and others, which are also paid.

Salary: Starting from January 01, 202, the minimum wage in Poland was revised. The minimum wage is PLN4,242.00 per month.

Poland allows you to choose between different types of business structures. The list below describes the main characteristics of the main types of companies in Poland: 

• Limited Liability Company: Also known as Sp. z.o.o., this is a business form suitable for small and medium-sized businesses, where the founders are liable only to the extent of the capital invested in the company.
• Joint Stock Company: A SA is also a limited liability company; investors are liable only to the extent of the capital invested, but a public joint stock company can also be listed on a stock exchange.
• Partnerships: These come in several forms, such as limited and general partnerships. The founders have different degrees of responsibility.
• Sole proprietorship: the simplest form of business and also the one with the highest degree of responsibility for the founder.

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The process of registering a company in Poland is simple. Each company will have to register and obtain a special identification number REGON and NIP, as well as register as a VAT payer, depending on the activities it carries out.

Below are the main steps to start a business in Poland:

1. Choose the type of company: as mentioned above, investors can choose between several business forms and this will affect the overall process of setting up a company.
2. Decide when the business will start: the company registration application will indicate the start date; make sure you have enough funds to start the business.
3. Choose a company name: each company must have a unique name that is suitable for marketing purposes and also meets local requirements; the name must be unique.
4. Select PKD codes: these are codes that will indicate the type of business activity that the new legal entity will carry out.
5. Prepare for incorporation: one of our lawyers in Poland can help you collect and prepare all the documents required for company registration.
6. Open a bank account: in some cases, investors can open a bank account before the company is registered; in other cases, the business must be registered before this step.
7. Apply for VAT and social security registration: these are the two main steps that must be completed after business registration; after registration, the company is automatically registered with the social security institution. 
8. Obtain a business license: this step is only necessary in some cases, for those businesses that operate on the basis of special permits and licenses, such as those that sell alcoholic beverages. 

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Not all businesses need to be registered. Small enterprises with annual revenues not exceeding a certain amount (usually half of the annual minimum wage) can operate as unregistered enterprises that do not have to report. In addition, trading companies will need to obtain an EORI number in Poland, and our lawyers can assist businessmen in this matter.

Notary fees depend on the authorized capital of your LLC - the larger the authorized capital, the higher the fee. For the authorized capital of 5,000 PLN, the fee is 160 PLN. If the capital is PLN 2,000,000, the cost will be around PLN 6,800.

The fee for making an entry in the NCR is set at PLN 500 per entry. The fee for entry in the CCP is an additional fee of PLN 100.

You will also need to pay a tax on civil law transactions. The amount of tax is equal to the authorized capital (minus notary fees and fees for making entries in the NCR and CCM) multiplied by 0.5%. For example, if the authorized capital is PLN 5,000, the tax will be about PLN 20. If the capital is PLN 100,000, the tax will be about PLN 500.

More details are available here: https://www.biznes.gov.pl/en/firma/doing-business-in-poland

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Poland.Business Harbor is a program that allows IT professionals, startups and other companies from Belarus, Ukraine, Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan and Moldova to move to the territory of the Republic of Poland without hindrance. Thanks to the programs, you can, for example, learn how to start a business in Poland quickly and efficiently and get help with visa application. Holders of visas marked with the Poland.Business Harbor mark can perform work in Poland without a work permit. 

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Documents required to apply for a Poland.Business Harbor visa

1. application for a national visa - completed and signed,

2. up-to-date biometric photos,

3. passport - issued within the last 10 years, with at least two free pages for visas,

4. health insurance for the duration of the visa (minimum insurance amount is 30 thousand euros),

5. documentation confirming the purpose of the trip:

• for freelancers - a document confirming technical education or at least one year of experience in the field of IT,
• for startup founders - a document confirming enrollment in the program by the Startup Hub Poland Foundation,
• if you own a small/medium/large company - a document confirming enrollment in the program by the Polish Investment and Trade Agency.

More information about the program can be found here: https://www.gov.pl/web/poland-businessharbour-en, https://www.gov.pl/web/poland-businessharbour-en/startup

1. You can find a job in Poland on your own using the data from the Central Database of Job Offers. You can also search for job offers using a special mobile application ePraca (Android and iOS). About 70 thousand job vacancies are available in the database every day.
2. You can also take advantage of free assistance from a powiat employment office (340 units) or a voivodeship (regional) employment office (16 units), which includes support in job search, primarily through mediation and career counseling. A list of employment bureau contacts can be found here.
3. On Facebook, hundreds of vacancies are posted in groups dedicated to foreigners or people with knowledge of foreign languages. You can try looking for a job on the websites Language job, praca z językami obcymi (polska), Language jobs Poland, Language jobs in Kraków, Language jobs in Wrocław, or even in local groups for foreigners, such as Krakow expats or Expats in Warsaw. Last but not least, try using LinkedIn to find your potential employer. This huge professional social network is a resource for making contacts in the field and location you are interested in. Employers often use online searches to vet potential employees.