Work

Steps

1. Look for offers on the public portal ePraca (oferty.praca.gov.pl, where the employment offices publish their offers), on the public employment services platform (psz.praca.gov.pl) and on the EURES portal. Private agencies must be entered in the KRAZ register and may not charge you anything, except certain actual costs for a job abroad.
2. Prepare your CV: one or two A4 pages, with a signed clause consenting to the processing of your personal data (EURES). The Europass template is accepted.
3. Check your contract. Three forms exist: probation contract, fixed-term contract, permanent contract. Be wary of civil-law contracts (umowa zlecenie, mandate contract; umowa o dzieło, contract for specific work): they are not employment contracts and they protect you less.
4. Get your PESEL (identification number) to be registered and paid (factsheet PL-NIF-TOUS-001), and open a bank account (factsheet PL-BANQUE-TOUS-001).
5. If you lose your job, register at the employment office of your district (powiatowy urząd pracy). If you worked before in another EU country, bring your U1 form: your periods of work abroad count.
6. For a regulated profession (doctor, architect, teacher, chartered accountant…), have your qualification recognised by the competent Polish authority before you start.

Documents

• Identity document, PESEL, bank account number.
• Diplomas and, for a regulated profession, recognition decision.
• In case of unemployment: contract and employment certificate (świadectwo pracy), U1 form for periods worked in another country.

Costs and timelines

• 2026 minimum wage: PLN 4,806 gross per month full-time; PLN 31.40 gross per hour for the civil-law contracts concerned (regulation of 11/09/2025). Wages are paid at least once a month, no later than the 10th of the following month.
• Probation period: 3 months at most; 1 month at most if the planned fixed-term contract lasts less than 6 months, 2 months at most if it lasts from 6 to 12 months.
• Fixed-term contract: 33 months in total and 3 contracts at most; beyond that, you are deemed to be on a permanent contract. Labour Code exceptions (art. 25¹): replacement of an absent employee, occasional or seasonal work, duration of a mandate, or objective reasons on the employer's side.
• Notice (fixed-term and permanent): 2 weeks (less than 6 months of service), 1 month (6 months or more), 3 months (3 years or more). During probation: 3 working days, 1 week or 2 weeks depending on the length of the probation.
• Working time: 8 hours a day and 40 hours a week on average, 48 hours with overtime; 11 hours of rest per day and 35 consecutive hours per week; overtime limited to 150 hours per year for the employer's needs, unless another ceiling is set by a collective agreement, the internal rules or the contract.
• Paid leave: 20 days per year (less than 10 years of service), 26 days (10 years or more). The balance must be taken before the end of the 3rd quarter of the following year. Years of study count partly towards length of service, without being added together (Labour Code, art. 155): duration provided by the programme, at most 3 years for a basic vocational school and 5 years for a secondary vocational school; 4 years for a general secondary school, 6 years for a post-secondary school, 8 years for higher education. Studies pursued during employment: the more favourable period is used, studies or employment.
• Unemployment (zasiłek dla bezrobotnych): you must have worked at least 365 days in the last 18 months earning at least the minimum wage. Duration: 6 months, or 12 months if unemployment in your district exceeds 150% of the national average, if you are over 50 with 20 years of work, or in certain family situations. Gross amounts since 1 June 2026: PLN 1,783.90 per month for the first 90 days then PLN 1,400.90 (under 20 years of service), PLN 2,140.68 then PLN 1,681.08 (20 years or more); they are indexed every 1 June (Zielona Linia, gov.pl).
• Employee contributions (EURES): 9.76% pension, 1.5% disability, 2.45% sickness, plus 9% health contribution.

Common pitfalls

• Accepting a civil-law contract instead of an employment contract: no paid leave or Labour Code notice.
• Forgetting the U1: without it, the employment office cannot count your months worked in another country.
• Arriving with benefits from your country without a U2: to keep receiving your foreign unemployment benefit while you look for work in Poland (3 to 6 months depending on your country), register for at least 4 weeks as a jobseeker at home, request the U2 form before leaving, then register in Poland within 7 days (Your Europe).
• Neglecting the language: many offers outside large companies require Polish.

What changes by country of origin

• EU, EEA, Switzerland: free access to the labour market, insurance periods aggregated thanks to the U1.
• British citizens (Scots included): outside the Withdrawal Agreement, a work permit is in principle required; social security coordination goes through the protocol of the EU–UK trade agreement, which is less complete than the European rules (Commission guide). To be checked with the urząd wojewódzki (voivodeship office).