ONE PLUS prepares the documents for a work-based residence permit (TRC, karta pobytu) and runs the case after you file. We work from Wrocław and across Poland; other grounds are covered on our residence permit in Wrocław page. We check your contract and Annex No. 1 (załącznik nr 1) and prepare the application in MOS 2.0. You sign it yourself. When the voivodeship office (urząd wojewódzki) sends a wezwanie, a request to add documents, we prepare the reply. We also take harder cases: agency work, a new employer, job loss, delays and refusals.
At a glance, checked on 18.10.2026:
- The permit is granted for the length of the job, up to 3 years. It is not renewed automatically: you file a new application before it expires.
- Official fees: PLN 440 stamp duty (opłata skarbowa) for the permit and normally PLN 100 for the card. For applications filed from 5 March 2026 the PLN 440 is not refunded after a refusal or discontinuation.
- Since 27 April 2026 filing is online only, in MOS 2.0. You sign the application, your employer signs Annex 1.
- Salary in Annex 1: at least PLN 4,806 gross a month in 2026 whatever the working hours. From 1 January 2027 it is PLN 4,950.
- Biggest risk: working outside the terms of the decision, for example starting with a new employer before the permit is amended.
What is a work-based TRC
A work-based TRC is a residence card. You get it after the voivode grants a single permit for temporary residence and work (jednolite zezwolenie na pobyt czasowy i pracę). It lets you live and work in Poland on the terms of the decision. First you get the decision, then the physical card. You will also hear it called a residence permit based on employment.
The decision names your employer, position, salary, hours and contract type, so the permit is tied to that job and lasts up to 3 years. With the card and a valid passport you can travel in Schengen for up to 90 days in any 180. It does not let you work in Germany. Your spouse and children file their own cases.
Who can apply for a work TRC
You can apply if you are a non-EU national and legally in Poland on the day you file. You must work or plan to work for more than three months. An employment contract (umowa o pracę), a civil-law contract (umowa zlecenia) or a contract for specific work (umowa o dzieło) can all be the basis. The office looks beyond the contract type. It checks whether the job is real and whether the employer runs a genuine business.
| Requirement | What the office checks |
|---|---|
| Legal stay on the filing day | a national D visa for work, visa-free stay, a valid residence card. A Polish tourist, visitor, study or transit visa rules the application out |
| Salary | at least PLN 4,806 gross a month for any working hours, and no lower than comparable staff in the same role |
| Health insurance | ZUS registration through the contract or a private policy (usually with umowa o dzieło) |
| Occupation | not on the local starosta’s list of jobs closed to permits; not checked if you continue in the same role with the same employer |
| Employer | genuine business, funds for salaries, ZUS contributions and taxes paid |
Minimum salary
The threshold applies on the decision date, so a case running into 2027 needs an Annex 1 with at least PLN 4,950. See the minimum wage in Poland from 2027.
Documents you and your employer need
You need a passport, a digital photo, your contract and fee receipts. Your employer completes and signs Annex 1. It sets out the job: position, duties, hours, salary, contract type and length. The office compares it with your contract, so a different job title, salary or number of hours can lead to a wezwanie. We tell the employer what to prepare and check that the details match, but the employer signs.
| Who | What is needed |
|---|---|
| You, in MOS 2.0 | application in Polish, signed with a trusted signature via Profil Zaufany (which requires a PESEL number) or a qualified electronic signature; scan of all passport pages in one PDF; digital JPG photo; proof of the PLN 440 and PLN 100 payments (two files) |
| You, on request | original passport; the contract; employment certificate (świadectwo pracy) if you have worked in Poland; insurance for umowa o dzieło; proof that you are legally in Poland and working now; qualifications for regulated professions; power of attorney and PLN 17 if someone represents you |
| Employer | Annex 1 in MOS 2.0, signed by a person authorised to represent the company; on request company documents, proof of ZUS and tax payments, a current contract |
Pay slips, PIT returns and bank statements are not required by default. Foreign documents need a sworn translation into Polish. A photo MOS accepts first time: DocPhoto.
How ONE PLUS handles your case
| Step | What we do | What you do |
|---|---|---|
| Before filing | check your stay, contract, salary and occupation | send your passport, contract and employer details |
| Application | prepare the application in Polish and tell your employer how to complete Annex 1 | sign and submit the application; your employer signs Annex 1 |
| After filing | check the UPO (official confirmation of receipt) and make sure the filing certificate arrives | keep the UPO as proof that the application reached the office |
| Fingerprint appointment | prepare you for the visit | bring your original passport; the letter comes at least 7 days ahead |
| Wezwanie | prepare the reply on time; the deadline is at least 14 days from the day you receive the letter | collect the documents and send us the letter at once |
| Decision and card | read the decision and, after a refusal, explain your options | receive the decision, then collect the card |
The filing certificate (zaświadczenie o złożeniu wniosku) replaced the old passport stamp and confirms legal stay until the decision is final. In Wrocław, case progress appears in the Przybysz system, not in MOS. Our guide on how to fill in a residence application in MOS 2.0 covers every field.
The scope depends on the option you choose: a check with help on the application, or help with the case after filing. Prices are in the section below and in the full ONE PLUS price list.
How long does a work TRC take
The legal deadline is 60 days from a complete application, but in practice you wait much longer.
Wniosek o udzielenie zezwolenia zostanie rozpoznany w terminie 60 dni od złożenia kompletnego wniosku wraz z koniecznymi załącznikami i wymaganymi dokumentami.
This is how MOS states the basic deadline. Until 4 March 2027 time limits in temporary residence cases are suspended (Article 100d). According to biznes.gov.pl, work cases take around 12 months on average. This is a guide, not a forecast. Cases most often drag on because of inconsistent documents, an unsigned Annex 1, a change of employer or a missed deadline for a wezwanie.
Employers cause many delays in work cases, so we start with the employer’s side. Send us the contract, Annex No. 1 (załącznik nr 1) and any letter from the office. We compare the three. A different job title, a different pay rate or a missing signature is enough to stop a case. We are a legal services company, so we look at both sides: you and your employer.
Did you get a wezwanie (a letter asking you to add documents)? Check the deadline in it today, not on the last day. If the time for the decision has passed, we prepare a ponaglenie (a formal complaint about the delay). We also assess a court complaint in the light of Article 100d and case law. We have taken part in more than 25 inspections, including by PIP and the Labour Offices (Urzędy Pracy). So we know what an employer’s file must show. We cannot guarantee a decision date or compensation. See our help with a delayed case.
How much does a work TRC cost
You pay the state two fees, and ONE PLUS support starts at PLN 800 net.
| Payment | Amount | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Stamp duty for the permit | PLN 440 | for applications filed from 5 March 2026 it is not refunded after a refusal or discontinuation |
| Residence card | PLN 100 | a separate payment; you attach both confirmations |
| Power of attorney | PLN 17 | if someone represents you |
| Amending the permit | PLN 220 | when you change employer or conditions |
ONE PLUS support: three packages at PLN 800, 1,800 and 2,000 net (plus VAT). Translations and other external costs are paid separately.
Can you work while waiting
Only in some cases. The filing certificate confirms legal stay, but it does not let you work for any company or travel within Schengen. You may work if your residence basis does not exclude work and one of these applies:
- you have a valid work permit and had the right to work right before filing;
- you have a registered employer declaration (oświadczenie, only for citizens of Armenia, Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine) and worked right before filing;
- you continue work under a declaration with the same employer in the same role on an employment contract for at least 3 months;
- you are exempt from the work permit requirement.
Is the TRC tied to one employer
Yes. The decision names the employer (or the user employer), the position, the minimum salary, working hours and contract type. The note “dostęp do rynku pracy” on the card does not change that, and working outside these terms is illegal. Free access to the labour market comes from permanent residence, EU long-term residence, marriage to a Pole or a Polish degree. A “card without an employer” built on a fictitious contract is risky: false data is a mandatory ground for refusal.
Work permit or work TRC
Your employer applies for a work permit (zezwolenie na pracę). It only lets you work, so you still need a visa or visa-free stay. You file the single permit yourself, and it covers both residence and work in one procedure. For only the right to work during your visa, see work permits in Poland. Highly qualified specialists may prefer the EU Blue Card.
Changing employer or losing your job
Before the decision
You do not file an amendment yet. You send the new Annex 1, the new contract and a notice of the change to the pending case. The new employer needs a separate legal basis to employ you from day one. If the office is not told, the decision comes on the old terms or is refused.
After you receive the card
- Notify the voivode in writing within 15 working days of losing your job (Article 121(1) of the Act on Foreigners).
- The employer named in the permit notifies the voivode separately, within 15 calendar days (Article 121(4)). Their notice does not replace yours.
- The notice must be in writing, on paper or through an official electronic channel. An email to the office or a new MOS application does not count.
- The application to amend the permit (wniosek o zmianę zezwolenia) is filed on paper, because MOS 2.0 does not support it yet. You need the form, a new Annex 1, a copy of the decision, an employment certificate and a PLN 220 fee.
- You may start with the new employer only after the amendment decision or on a separate work permit.
How long without a job
Under Article 123(1), for 30 days after you lose your job the permit cannot be withdrawn because you no longer work. This applies if you notified the voivode in time. The protection applies once per permit if you lose work with all employers named in it. It does not extend the card or let you work for anyone. Within those 30 days you need a basis for further stay and a lawful new job.
No amendment is needed when the employer changes its name, address or legal form. More scenarios in changing employer with a TRC in Poland.
Extending a work-based permit
A work-based permit is not renewed automatically: before it expires, you file a new application. The office looks again at your employer, contract, position, salary and working hours. We check the filing dates for your card at a consultation and prepare the documents early.
Which stay can you apply from
You can apply if your stay is legal on the filing day, including a visa-free stay. Visa-free stay gives no right to work, so you need a work permit or an exemption before starting the job.
Ukrainian citizens with UKR status
With UKR status you work on the employer’s notification. You can apply for a work-based TRC only while UKR status is valid; it ends with the decision. If you held UKR on 4 June 2025 for 365 days without a break, compare it first with the CUKR card: applications are open until 4 March 2027. Filing for CUKR automatically terminates a pending temporary residence case.
Why applications get refused
- Salary in Annex 1 below the minimum wage on the decision date.
- Position, hours or salary differ between contract and Annex 1.
- You do not actually work in the stated position.
- The application was never actually sent to the office: filing counts from sending, and the UPO only confirms receipt.
- Starting with a new employer before the permit is amended.
- A missed deadline for a wezwanie or the fingerprint appointment.
If a wezwanie arrives, reply before the deadline and send us the letter at once. After a refusal the appeal period is short, so send us the decision the day you receive it.
Workers hired through agencies
Since 1 June 2025 only a registered temporary work agency (agencja pracy tymczasowej) may place you with another company. If any other firm sends you to work for a third party, the voivode must refuse the permit (Article 117a). Check that the agency is in the KRAZ register.
Expert note
Tatiana Vyborna, President of the Management Board of ONE PLUS, has more than 12 years of practice in residence and employment matters for foreigners. She graduated in law from the University of Wrocław. She has represented clients in more than 25 inspections by the Border Guard (Straż Graniczna), the National Labour Inspectorate (PIP), the Social Insurance Institution (ZUS) and the Tax Offices (Urząd Skarbowy). Tatiana Vyborna’s profile.
In our experience, agency-hired workers rarely lack papers. More often the paperwork does not show who actually employs them. Before filing, we compare three names: the employer on the contract, the entity signing Annex 1 and the company where you physically work.
Send us your contract or describe your situation in the form below. More than 15,000 people have asked ONE PLUS for help, and our Google rating is 4.7. We will check the basis, salary and employer’s documents and tell you which package fits.
Updated: 20.10.2026. Sources: mos.cudzoziemcy.gov.pl (single permit, permit amendment), biznes.gov.pl/pl/portal/00210, gov.pl/web/udsc, eli.gov.pl (Act on Foreigners, Articles 117a, 121, 123; Act on assistance to Ukrainian citizens, Article 100d).
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