You signed a better contract. More money, better hours, a team that actually speaks English. You told your old boss, you start Monday — and then someone at the new company asks: "But what about your karta pobytu?" Suddenly, a simple job change feels like a legal minefield. The good news: it isn't. In Poland, changing employer with a work-based karta pobytu (single permit) is a defined process with clear steps. The bad news: almost nobody tells you exactly what those steps are — or how tight the deadlines are. This guide does.
Why Your Karta Pobytu Is Tied to Your Employer
Poland's work-based karta pobytu operates as a single permit (zezwolenie jednolite) — one document that covers both your right to stay in Poland and your right to work, but only for the specific employer named in the decision. See the full structure in our single permit guide. This means your permit is employer-specific by design. When you change jobs, the core condition of your permit changes — and Polish law requires you to act, not just hope no one notices.
This is different from, say, a permanent residence card (karta stały pobyt) or EU long-term resident status, where your right to work is unrestricted. With a temporary work permit, the employer's name is literally printed in the decision. A new employer = a new legal basis.
The official framework is set out in the Act on Foreigners and implemented through the Urząd do Spraw Cudzoziemców (UDSC) — Poland's immigration authority. Their guidance on permit modifications is the primary legal source for everything in this article.
💬 Skip the reading — talk to a human. WhatsApp +48 736 169 595 — we reply in 15 minutes, free, no commitment. Open chat →
The 15-Working-Day Rule: Your Most Important Deadline
This is the number that matters most. Once a change in your employment conditions occurs — a new employer, a different position, a significant change in salary — you have exactly 15 working days to notify the voivode (urząd wojewódzki) in writing.
15 working days is roughly three calendar weeks. It sounds like plenty of time. It is not, because you also need to gather documents from your new employer, fill out the MOS application form, and in many cases wait for your new employer to prepare a required attachment. Start the process on the day you sign the new contract — not two weeks later.
The notification obligation exists even if you are simultaneously filing a full modification application. They are two separate actions. Failing to notify can trigger withdrawal proceedings against your existing permit — independently of whether your new application is approved.
Can You Work at the New Company While the Application Is Being Processed?
This is the question everyone actually wants answered. The short answer: not automatically. Your existing karta pobytu authorises you to work specifically for your named employer. The moment you stop working there, that authorisation no longer covers you for a new employer.
To work legally at the new company before the modification decision arrives, your new employer needs to obtain a separate zezwolenie na pracę (work permit Type A) or a registered employer's declaration (oświadczenie o powierzeniu wykonywania pracy). This is a bridge document — it lets you work legally while the single permit modification is processed. Some employers know this. Many don't.
If your new employer cannot or will not get a bridge work permit, you legally cannot start working there until the voivode issues a new or modified permit. This can take weeks to months. Factor this into your job transition timeline before you hand in your notice.
Practical tip: Always ask your new employer — before you resign — whether they have experience hiring foreigners and whether they can provide a Type A work permit as a bridge. If they say 'it's not needed' without knowing your situation, that is a red flag worth addressing before you quit your current job.
The Modification Application: What You Actually Submit
Since January 1, 2026, all residence permit applications in Poland — including permit modifications — must be submitted exclusively via the MOS portal (mos.cudzoziemcy.gov.pl). Walk-in counters at the urząd wojewódzki no longer accept paper applications for modifications. If you submit on paper, it will be rejected.
Here is what a standard modification application requires:
- Completed online form in MOS — start at mos.cudzoziemcy.gov.pl under 'zmiana jednolitego zezwolenia na pobyt i pracę'
- Proof of stamp duty payment: 220 PLN — this is the modification fee (half the 440 PLN rate for a brand-new permit), confirmed effective from March 5, 2026
- Copy of your current karta pobytu (front and back)
- Copy of your passport (all used pages)
- Employment contract or binding offer from the new employer (signed, with start date, salary, and position)
- Information about the new employer: KRS extract or CEIDG printout confirming the company is active
- Staroste's information (if required in your voivodeship) — some offices still need confirmation the position was offered to local job market first
- Document confirming your place of residence (lease agreement, utility bill in your name, or landlord's statement)
The salary in the new contract must be at least the 2026 minimum wage of 4,806 PLN gross (31.40 PLN/hour) for full-time work. If the offer is below this, the application will be refused. Full income-proof requirements are covered in our stable income guide.
What If You Already Left Your Old Job Before Filing?
This is where things get complicated — and where we see the most stress from clients. If you left your old employer and have not yet filed the modification, you are in a gap: your karta pobytu still exists, your legal stay is still valid, but your work authorisation is technically broken.
Under Polish law, both you and your former employer are obliged to notify the voivode within 15 working days of the employment ending. The former employer's notification is separate from your modification application. If the voivode learns employment ended and sees no modification application, they may open withdrawal proceedings.
If you are already past the 15-day window: file the modification application immediately, include an explanation letter (wyjaśnienie) noting the delay was due to the job transition process, and make sure your new contract is solid. Voivodes have discretion — but they need a reason to exercise it in your favour.
Also note: your legal stay in Poland is not immediately cancelled just because you changed jobs. The karta pobytu continues to authorise your presence in Poland. What changes is the work authorisation, not your right to be here. But don't let that create false comfort — withdrawal proceedings can be initiated, and they are serious.
Processing Time and What to Expect
Standard processing time for a permit modification is 1 month, with a maximum of 2 months for complex cases. In practice, offices in Warsaw (Mazowieckie voivodeship) and Kraków often run longer — 2 to 4 months is not unusual based on current wait times.
From April 27, 2026, the old passport stamp that proved your application was pending has been replaced by a zaświadczenie (certificate) issued by the MOS system. This certificate serves the same legal function: it confirms your stay is legal while the decision is pending. Show it to your employer, your bank, and at any inspection. Keep it on you.
If you need the voivode to move faster — for example, your current permit expires soon — you can formally request acceleration under specific legal grounds. How to push for a faster decision is explained in detail in our guide to speeding up the voivode's decision.
Frequently Asked Questions
If my employer fires me, do I immediately lose my karta pobytu?
No — not immediately. Your karta pobytu and legal stay remain valid. But you and your employer both have 15 working days to notify the voivode that employment has ended. After that, the voivode may open withdrawal proceedings. If you have a new job lined up, file the modification application at the same time as the notification. Acting quickly is the best protection you have.
Can I change jobs if my karta pobytu application is still pending?
It depends on your current legal basis. If you have an active karta pobytu (not just a pending application), you can file a modification. If you only have a pending application, changing the employer mid-process means withdrawing that application and starting fresh with the new employer's documents. This restarts the clock and the costs. Avoid changing jobs while a first-time application is in progress if at all possible.
What is the fee for changing the employer on my karta pobytu in 2026?
The stamp duty (opłata skarbowa) for a permit modification is 220 PLN — confirmed as the current rate effective March 5, 2026, per official UDSC guidance. This is separate from the card issuance fee of 100 PLN, which is paid later when you collect the new card. Total expected cost: 320 PLN. Pay before submitting through MOS — the system will not accept the application without proof of payment.
Can I work for two employers at the same time with one karta pobytu?
Generally, no. A single permit covers one named employer. If you want to work for a second employer simultaneously, that second employer needs a separate work permit for you, or you need to apply for a modification that covers both. Speak to an immigration specialist before taking on a second job — doing it without the right documentation is a violation of your permit conditions.
Does the new employer's salary need to be higher than my old one?
There is no legal requirement that the salary must increase. It must simply meet the minimum conditions: at least 4,806 PLN gross per month for full-time employment (2026 minimum wage). The voivode will check that the new offer is genuine and that the conditions are real — not a contract on paper that does not match actual pay.
Changing jobs in Poland with a karta pobytu is manageable — if you move fast, file correctly, and get your new employer on board before you resign. Legal Solutions — 98% approval rate. Drop us a WhatsApp — we read every message.