Moving to and living in Poland requires you to get credible information on everything from simple matters like whether you can bring your pets to Poland, to more complex issues such as how to obtain a legal work permit for your wife at the Cracow local government. Understanding all the necessary information can be a tedious, time-consuming and confusing process, especially for new expats.
Why is Poland economically attractive for expatriates?
Poland is strategically located in the heart of Europe and has a vibrant rapidly growing economy. Poland is the ninth-largest economy in Europe and has business-friendly opportunities and career options for expats. The country has become an attractive destination for multinational businesses from across the world who want to venture into one of the best-performing economies in Europe.
According to the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business Survey for 2018, Poland’s business environment was ranked 27th out of the 190 countries that were surveyed at the time. The survey also concluded that Poland is number one in terms of ease of trading across borders and 22nd in resolving insolvency. When it comes to getting credit, it scored decent 29th position and 38th for registering property.
The procedure of receiving work permits
Poland allows the citizens of the EU, European Economic Area (EEA) countries (EU + Norway, Switzerland, Iceland and Liechtenstein) and members of their families to work in the country without any special work permit.
The following categories of foreign nationals are also exempt from the obligation to obtain a work permit:
- Foreign nationals who have long-term EU resident status in Poland.
- Foreign nationals with a settlement permit.
- Refugees, people granted temporary protection and people granted “tolerated stay” status.
Representatives of other foreign nationals are released from the obligation to get a work permit under specific regulations.
If an individual is not a citizen of any of EEA countries or doesn’t fall into any of the above categories, he/she needs to apply for a work permit to legally conduct activities bringing him/her an income in Poland.
The immigration process of hiring and managing expatriates in Poland can be cumbersome. The procedure of getting a work permit to work as an expat in Poland takes from one to two months until entry into Poland. Additionally, it may take up to four months for the whole process to be completed.
The vital steps to getting a work permit in Poland are:
- Application for an entry Visa
- Entry to Poland
- Application for a Blue Card.
The Blue Card is an EU-wide approved work permit allowing high-skilled non-EU citizens to work and live in any country within the European Union, excluding Denmark, Ireland and the United Kingdom. The applicant for a Blue Card must have a work contract or binding job offer with a salary of at least 1.5 times the average gross annual salary paid in the Member State. He/she should have a valid travel document (in specific cases a valid residence permit or a national long-term visa) and documents proving his/her relevant higher professional qualification.
In fact, your organization won’t be able to get an official work permit when hiring a foreign worker for the Polish market. That needs to be requested and sponsored by the worker’s future employer which should confirm the foreigner’s future employment. That is why in case a company needs to transfer an expat to Poland, contractual relations may not be enough and it will need to employ the worker as a full-time employee. The easiest and most risk-free way to do it is to outsource the services to the company that sponsors work permits. The company will act as the employer and provider of immigration services to the foreign worker. This will save the cost of setting up own business entity in the country to employ expatriate personnel.
Well, there is this easiest way for you.
As a global employment organization, Acumen International takes on responsibility for visa and work permit sponsorship for your expatriate personnel that we employ locally on your behalf after they’ve received a work permit in Poland. Acumen International has years of experience and the right expertise in helping businesses grow their international workforces. We offer a comprehensive solution that will manage all aspects of the well-being of your employees in Poland on your behalf to ensure that your company is compliant with local employment laws and regulations. This will give you an opportunity to focus on the management of your expatriate employees instead of wasting valuable time dealing with administrative affairs.
For more information on how to expand your company globally through Acumen International, contact us to discuss your specific needs with our knowledgeable team.
