If my employer fires me, is my karta pobytu cancelled straight away?

Not straight away, but the time is short. After work ends you have a limited window (usually described as 15 working days) to inform the voivode or apply for an amendment. Don't let it pass. Send us your dates and we'll check the exact deadline.

My new employer says 'start Monday'. Can I?

Wait. Your permit may be tied to the old employer. Starting before you've confirmed in writing what the law allows in your case risks illegal work. Send us the papers first.

How long does an amendment take, and is it guaranteed?

The law generally gives the voivode 60 days, but in practice it can take longer depending on the office, and we don't promise any exact timeline. If the case stalls, there are tools like ponaglenie (a reminder complaint).

Does the same rule apply to a Blue Card or family card?

Not necessarily. A Blue Card, for example, has its own notification rule when you change employer. First check what your card is based on, then ask us.

TRC Employer Change Poland: First 15 Days (2026)

Tuesday morning, the warehouse supervisor tells you, 'No more shifts from next month.' You have a karta pobytu (Polish residence card, or TRC) with ten months left. But that card is tied to one employer. So what now? Is it cancelled? Can you start at another company next week? The question 'what happens to my TRC if I change employer in Poland' lands in our WhatsApp every week. The good news: in many cases there's a route. The catch: there are deadlines, and what you do in the first 15 days decides a lot.

This post is for workers already in Poland — factories, warehouses, delivery, hotels, construction. We only talk about the residence card stage. We don't arrange visas or work permits; those are handled by the employer or the consulate. For anything on the Nepal side, check with the official bodies there.

What changes for your TRC when you change employer?

Most workers hold a combined permit for residence and work: zezwolenie na pobyt czasowy i pracę, also called zezwolenie jednolite (single permit). It rests on a decision of the voivode (urząd wojewódzki, the regional office), and that decision names your employer, position, minimum pay, working time and contract type. So the card isn't a ticket to 'work anywhere'. According to official guidance, switching employer normally means asking the voivode to amend that decision (zmiana decyzji). See biznes.gov.pl and mos.cudzoziemcy.gov.pl.

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Three things to keep in mind:

Your card may rest on a different basis — work, Blue Card, family, study or business. Each has its own employer rules. Check which one is yours.
The voivode's decision is what counts, not just the front of the card. Pull out your decision letter.
Starting work at a new place before you've confirmed what the law allows in your case can count as illegal work, and that can hurt later applications.

Read your voivode decision line by line — employer, position and pay are all written there, and your TRC rests on them.

Lost your job: what to do in the first 15 days?

Your card doesn't become useless on the day work ends. Official guidance gives a short window to inform the voivode in writing or to apply for an amendment — usually described as 15 working days. Don't wait it out. Sources differ on whether that means working or calendar days, so we check the exact date against your decision.

Day 1: photograph the termination (or contract-end) document and write the date down.
Days 1-3: put your TRC, voivode decision, passport and recent letters in one folder.
Days 3-7: if you have a new employer, ask for a written offer and the contract draft plus company details. If not, the deadline still runs.
Within 7 days: message us on WhatsApp so we can count the dates and plan which notice or application to file.

Practical tip: never throw away the paper that shows when your job ended. When the voivode asks 'when did work stop?', that document protects your deadline.

Already waiting on a decision? Read Waiting for Your TRC in Poland? 60 Days by Law, and 5 Moves While You Wait (2026).

After a job ends, sort your papers first — dates and proof are your best protection.

Already found a new employer? How to move without risk

Most people make the same mistake: start first, sort the papers later. The safer order is this: agree the terms with the new employer in writing, file the application to amend the decision at the voivode, and get written confirmation of when the law lets you start in your situation. It can differ from case to case, so don't guess.

Ask the new employer:

Is the company registered and does it pay tax and ZUS? Get the name and NIP.
Is the pay and contract type at least what your decision requires?
Is the position and working time clearly written? Even a changed job title can need a notice.
Who prepares which document, and by what date?

Example (illustrative, composite): Suresh, a Nepali warehouse worker in Mazowsze, contacted us eleven days after his company closed. He had the termination paper, his old decision and a written offer from a new company. We put the steps in the right order and he avoided both illegal work and a missed deadline. This is not a real client story — it's a generalised example.

More on protecting your status when you switch: Changing Employer in Poland: 3 Steps to Protect Your TRC (2026).

Renewal pending (stamp in passport) and you change employer?

This is the most delicate case. The voivode is checking your renewal on the basis of the old employer, and if that basis changes, your case changes too. Don't decide alone. Send us your MOS case number, the filing date and a photo of the stamp first. What extra documents are needed depends on the case.

To follow your case, see Poland Residence Card Application Tracking 2026: How to Check Your MOS Case. For the official picture, check the UdSC page on changes in the Act on Foreigners, because rules keep moving.

If a refusal arrives, the appeal window is short — normally 14 days. See Karta Pobytu Refused? 14 Days to Appeal — Or Apply Again (2026).

Documents from Nepal: apostille or legalization?

This matters if you bring family or need a marriage or birth certificate issued in Nepal. Sources we checked say Nepal is not a party to the Hague Apostille Convention, so an apostille isn't enough and the document needs consular legalization. Poland has no mission in Nepal; the Polish embassy in New Delhi is described as covering Nepal. That information comes partly from general sources, so confirm with the HCCH list and the embassy before you send anything. After that, you need a sworn translation into Polish (tłumacz przysięgły).

Official list of member states: HCCH Apostille status table. We don't advise on procedures inside Nepal.

A foreign document needs the right stamp, legalization and sworn translation — all three must match.

Full first-application guide for Nepali workers: Karta Pobytu for Nepalis in Poland: 5 Steps Before Your Card Runs Out (2026).

Lost your job or planning to switch? Ask before a deadline passes — we read every message, and you can write in your own language on WhatsApp: +48 735 248 525. Legal Solutions — 98% approval rate.