Working in Poland is easier than most newcomers expect: EU citizens need no permit, the labour code is protective, and the contract types are few. The main trap is the non-employment contract. Here is how the system works, with 2026 figures.
Do you need a permit to work in Poland?
Citizens of the EU, the EEA and Switzerland may work in Poland on the same conditions as Poles. Britons outside the Withdrawal Agreement generally need a work permit or a combined residence and work permit; see moving to Poland from the UK. Regulated professions (doctor, architect, teacher, accountant) require recognition of your qualification before you start.
How do you find a job?
Use the public portal ePraca (oferty.praca.gov.pl), the public employment platform psz.praca.gov.pl, and EURES. Private agencies must be registered in the KRAZ register and may not charge you, except certain real costs for work abroad. A CV is one or two A4 pages with a signed consent for data processing; Europass is accepted. Many offers outside large companies require Polish.
Which contracts exist?
Three employment contracts exist: probationary, fixed-term and indefinite. Beware of civil-law contracts: umowa zlecenie (mandate) and umowa o dzieło (contract for specific work) are not employment contracts and protect you less. No Labour Code paid leave or notice applies.
- Probation: up to three months; one month if the fixed-term contract is under six months; two months for six to twelve months.
- Fixed-term: 33 months and three contracts at most; beyond that, you are deemed permanent.
- Notice: two weeks under six months of service, one month from six months, three months from three years. During probation, three working days, one week or two weeks depending on its length.
What is the minimum wage and what is deducted?
The minimum wage is 4,806 zloty gross a month from 1 January 2026 and 31.40 zloty gross an hour for certain civil contracts, set by the regulation of 11 September 2025. Pay must be made at least monthly, by the 10th of the following month. An employee pays 9.76% pension, 1.5% disability and 2.45% sickness contributions, plus 9% health contribution (EURES), then income tax, whose rules are published on podatki.gov.pl.
Reading a Polish contract and checking that it really is an employment contract is hard in a second language. Moovy can explain the clauses and the difference between contract types. It cannot negotiate for you, and for a disputed contract you should see a lawyer or the labour inspectorate.
What about working time and leave?
Eight hours a day and 40 a week on average, up to 48 hours including overtime; 11 hours of daily rest and 35 consecutive hours a week; overtime for the employer's needs is limited to 150 hours a year. Paid leave is 20 days a year under 10 years of seniority, 26 days from 10 years. Unused leave must be taken by the end of the third quarter of the following year. Study years count partly toward seniority (only the most favourable one: for example vocational school 3 years, general secondary 4 years, higher education 8 years).
What if you lose your job?
Register at the district labour office (powiatowy urząd pracy). To qualify for unemployment benefit (zasiłek dla bezrobotnych) you need at least 365 days of work in the last 18 months at no less than the minimum wage. It lasts six months, or twelve in some cases. Gross amounts since 1 June 2026 are 1,783.90 zloty a month for the first 90 days then 1,400.90 zloty (under 20 years of service), or 2,140.68 then 1,681.08 zloty (20 years or more). Bring form U1 if you worked in another EU country, so those months count. For benefits from your old country, ask for the U2 before you leave and register in Poland within seven days.
What are the common mistakes?
- Accepting a civil contract in place of employment.
- Forgetting the U1.
- Underestimating the language.
- Assuming the minimum wage is net.
What should you check in a contract before working in Poland?
Before you sign, check four things. First, the type: is it an umowa o pracę (employment contract, with Labour Code protection) or a civil-law contract? Second, the term: probationary, fixed-term or indefinite, and what follows after probation. Third, the pay: gross or net, the payment date (at the latest the 10th of the following month), and the currency. Fourth, notice and leave: they follow the Labour Code only in an employment contract.
Put simply, working in Poland on a mandate contract (umowa zlecenie) or a contract for specific work (umowa o dzieło) means you are not an employee in the Labour Code sense: there is no paid leave and no Labour Code notice. Some people choose such contracts knowingly, but they should do it with eyes open, and the labour inspectorate can help with doubtful cases.
How does a fixed-term contract work?
A fixed-term contract can last 33 months in total and you can have at most three of them in a row; beyond that, you are considered to have an indefinite contract. Notice applies to both fixed-term and indefinite contracts (two weeks, one month or three months according to seniority). The probation period can be up to three months, but one month if the fixed-term contract is shorter than six months and two months if it runs from six to twelve months.
How do working time rules work?
The Labour Code sets eight hours a day and 40 hours a week on average; with overtime the limit is 48 hours a week on average. You must have 11 hours of rest each day and 35 consecutive hours a week. Overtime for the employer's needs is capped at 150 hours a year. This is the framework behind working in Poland for most employees; individual contracts, collective agreements and some sectors can differ, so ask your employer which schedule applies.
What happens with public holidays?
Poland has a list of public holidays each year (14 dates in 2026, some of which fall on weekends), and Christmas Eve (24 December) became a public holiday in 2025. When a holiday falls on a Saturday, an employee is entitled to another day of rest, with the details to be agreed with the employer. See living in Poland for the list.
How do you get your qualification recognised?
For a regulated profession (doctor, architect, teacher, accountant), get your qualification recognised by the competent Polish authority before you start work. For other jobs, a diploma and a CV are usually enough, but employers may ask for proof of language.
What do you need to start a job?
A PESEL, so your employer can report you to ZUS within seven days, and a bank account to be paid. See PESEL number in Poland and bank account in Poland. Your employer takes care of your health registration with ZUS, so you do not need to ask the NFZ; see healthcare in Poland for expats.
Can you keep your unemployment benefit from another country?
Yes, for a limited period if you move to look for work. You register as a jobseeker in your home country for at least four weeks, ask for the U2 form before you leave, then register in Poland within seven days. The benefit can be exported for at least three months, and up to six depending on the paying institution (Your Europe). Without the U2 you lose the right to the export.
What are the common mistakes when working in Poland?
- Accepting a civil contract instead of employment.
- Forgetting the U1, which counts your months worked abroad.
- Treating the minimum wage as net.
- Not checking the language requirement.
- Starting before you have a PESEL, which can delay your registration.
What if you want to work for yourself instead?
Self-employment follows its own rules: registration in CEIDG on biznes.gov.pl, and contributions to ZUS, whose current amounts are on zus.pl. Remember that you cannot use the linear or lump-sum regimes, nor the reduced ZUS, for work done for your former employer on the same tasks. Britons need the right permit; see moving to Poland from the UK.
Amounts are indexed; check the official pages for the current values.