Most Indian workers come to Poland on a type-A permit and a national D visa. For anyone staying longer than the visa allows, the next step is the temporary residence and work permit (zezwolenie na pobyt czasowy i pracę), Poland's single permit, which puts residence and work authorisation into one decision and one card. The worker is the applicant, but the employer's documents and conduct largely decide how the case goes.
What the Single Permit Is
It is a decision of the voivode for the area where the foreigner lives. It authorises both residence and work for a named employer, in a named position, on stated terms, for up to three years. The physical document is the residence card (karta pobytu). For the worker, it replaces the need to keep renewing visas. For the employer, it changes which documents you hold and what you must report.
When to Apply
The application has to be lodged while the worker's stay in Poland is still lawful, normally during the D visa's validity. Earlier is better. Voivodeship offices have long queues, and a complete application filed in time is what keeps the worker's stay protected while the case is pending. If you leave it until the last weeks of the visa, you risk a gap that is hard to fix.
The sensible planning point is the end of the worker's first or second month, as soon as PESEL, ZUS registration and the address are settled. Our first-weeks guide covers that sequence.
Filing Is Electronic
Since April 2025, applications for temporary residence permits are filed electronically through the Office for Foreigners' case-handling portal (Moduł Obsługi Spraw, MOS), not on paper at the counter. The worker still has to attend the office in person for fingerprints and identity checks, at an appointment the office gives them.
The employer contributes an employer annex to the application, setting out the position, working time, pay and type of contract. The annex is completed and signed electronically using a qualified e-signature or the trusted profile (profil zaufany). If the annex does not match the contract and the type-A permit, the case slows down.
The Labour-Market Test Is Gone Here Too
Under the old system, many single-permit cases needed a starosta's labour-market information. Since 1 June 2025 that requirement no longer applies, so the employer side of the file comes down to the offer itself and the company's standing. As with the type-A permit, tax or ZUS arrears and inconsistent pay figures are the problems to avoid. See our summary of the 2025 Act.
What the File Usually Contains
- The application form and photographs, filed through MOS
- A valid passport and evidence of lawful stay (the D visa)
- The employer annex, signed electronically
- The employment contract matching the annex
- Evidence of health insurance, normally the ZUS registration
- Proof of the worker's address in Poland
- The stamp duty, plus a separate fee for issuing the card
Offices sometimes ask for more, and local practice varies. Treat this as the core of the file, not a complete list.
Working While the Case Is Pending
A timely, complete application protects the worker's lawful stay while the office decides. On work, the general position is that a worker who was already employed lawfully on a permit can keep working for the same employer on the same terms while the case is pending. Changing employer, position or pay during that period can remove that protection. Check before changing anything, and see our guide to changing a worker's position or employer.
Employer Obligations Once Granted
A single permit is specific to its terms, as a type-A permit is. Pay at least what it states, keep the job within the position it describes, and notify the voivode if the employment ends early, within the deadline the Act on Foreigners sets. Keep a copy of the card on file and track its expiry like any other permit. Employing someone after their authorisation has lapsed counts as illegal employment, even if a new application is pending.
Timing to Plan Around
Processing times for residence cases vary widely between voivodeships and can run to many months. Plan your workforce so the worker's lawful status is never in doubt at any point: file early, file completely, and respond quickly to any request for more documents.
How We Help
Taha Airwaves recruits and deploys from India. We are not a Polish immigration law firm. What we do is prepare workers before they fly, so they arrive with the documents the residence stage will need, and give employers a checklist and timeline for the first months. For legal representation on a specific residence case, use a Polish adviser.
For the longer view, from residence card to EU long-term status, see the residence pathway guide. This article is general information, not legal advice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who applies for the temporary residence and work permit in Poland?
The foreign worker is the applicant, filing electronically through the MOS portal with the voivode for their place of residence. The employer provides a signed employer annex setting out the position, pay and working time.
When should a worker on a D visa apply for the single permit?
As early as possible while their stay is lawful, ideally within the first one or two months. A timely, complete application protects lawful stay while the voivodeship office processes it.
