It's Friday, 4:40 p.m. Your manager hands you a termination letter and says Monday is your last day. You came to Warsaw from Manila (or Cebu, or Davao) for this job, your karta pobytu (Polish residence permit) still has more than a year left, and your stomach just dropped. The question looping in your head: I lost my job in Poland — what happens to my karta pobytu now? Short answer: nobody is going to ask you to leave on Monday. But a clock starts the moment that employment ends, and two deadlines inside it matter more than anything else in this article. Let's walk through them slowly, in plain English, so you can act today instead of panicking tonight.
So, do you lose your karta pobytu the day you lose your job?
No. Your card doesn't switch off after your last shift. But it was granted for a specific purpose: living in Poland and working for the employer named in your permit. When that purpose disappears, the voivode (the regional head of the urząd wojewódzki, the provincial office) has the legal right to cancel the permit. The law gives you a short safety window so that this doesn't happen automatically.
Here is the rule, as official guidance describes it: a foreigner staying in Poland on a temporary residence and work permit must notify, in writing, the voivode who granted the permit within 15 working days of losing work with any employer listed in the permit. If you do that, the permit will not be cancelled during the 30 days counted from the day you lost the job. You can read the official explanation on zielonalinia.gov.pl and find the general immigration information at gov.pl/web/cudzoziemcy.
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Two details people miss. First, this 30-day protection can be used only once during the validity of one permit. Second, this guide is about the work-based permit (zezwolenie na pobyt czasowy i pracę). If your card is for family reasons, study or permanent residence, the rules are different. Send us a message and we'll check which one you hold.
What exactly are the 15 working days and the 30 days?
They are two separate clocks that start from the same event: the moment your employment actually ends. Not the day you read the letter. If you're serving a notice period, count from the day the employment really finishes, and check the date in writing with your employer so nobody argues later.
- 15 working days: the deadline to send your written notification to the voivode who issued your permit. Don't wait for day 15. Send it in the first week.
- 30 days: the window in which your permit is not cancelled because of the job loss. Inside this window you need to find a new employer and file your new application.
- Your employer's duty: since 1 June 2025 your employer must also notify the voivode about your job loss within 15 days. Good, but never rely on it. It's your card and your deadline.
Think of it as a ticket and a journey. The notification is your ticket. The 30 days is the journey time. No ticket, no protection, and the voivode can start looking at cancelling the permit.
Once you have a new employer, the next step is a new application. Since 27 April 2026 applications are filed online only, through MOS. The state fee for a work-based permit is PLN 440, plus PLN 100 for the card itself. We explained the whole online flow in TRC Process in Poland 2026: Online Only Since 27 April, and the account setup in e-Doręczenia and MOS: What Filipino Applicants Must Set Up. Do the account setup now, while you're waiting for interviews, not on day 28.
What should you do in the first 7 days after losing your job?
The first week decides how calm the next three will be. Here's the order we'd follow if you were sitting in our Warsaw office:
- Write down the exact last day of employment. Keep the termination letter, your contract and, when you receive it, your work certificate (świadectwo pracy).
- Send the written notification to the voivode, the same urząd wojewódzki that issued your permit. Include your name, case number, the date the job ended and the employer's name. Keep proof that it was sent and received.
- Ask for your final pay and any unused leave in writing. Don't sign anything you don't fully understand, even if HR says it's just a formality.
- Start the job search the same day. Tell your community, friends and recruiters that you need an employer who can complete a work-permit procedure quickly.
- Prepare your document set for the new application: passport, current card, photos, rental proof, and the papers the new employer must give you. Our checklist is in Karta Pobytu for Work 2026: 9 Documents.
- Check your MOS and e-Doręczenia access so you can file the same day the new contract is signed.
You'll find the full list of papers in Karta Pobytu for Work 2026: 9 Documents, PLN 440 + 100 and One Page That Sinks Cases.
An illustrative example (a composite, not a real client): Maricel, a care worker from Cebu, was told on a Thursday that her employer was closing its Warsaw branch. She sent her written notification on the following Monday, put 30 calendar days on her phone, and told three recruiters she could start within two weeks. She signed with a new employer on day 19 and filed in MOS on day 24, with a week to spare. The idea isn't that it always goes this smoothly. The idea is that every step happened inside the window.
Practical tip: Send the notification in the first three working days, not the fifteenth, and write the 30-day deadline in your phone with two reminders. Calendar days disappear faster than they feel.
Can you work for a new employer while you wait?
This is where people get hurt. Starting at a new company before the legal basis for your work is in place can put you and the employer at risk, and the employer can face serious fines for illegal employment. Being enthusiastic is good. Starting on a handshake is not.
According to official guidance, during the waiting period a new employer may be able to register a statement on entrusting work (oświadczenie), but only if you come from a country covered by that scheme and haven't used up your allowed time, or it can file an application for a type A work permit. The oświadczenie scheme is limited to a short list of countries, so check yours before assuming. We explain the sequence in Changing Employer While Karta Pobytu Is Pending: 3 Steps, 1 New Document and what the company itself must do in Foreigner Changing Employer in Poland: 15 Working Days, What the Company Must Do. Show both to your future HR contact.
One more filter before you say yes: the pay. A contract that sits below the legal minimum can sink the whole application. The 2026 minimum wage is PLN 4,806 gross, and we break down how the office reads it in Minimum Wage in Poland 2026: PLN 4,806 Gross.
What about money, rent and your family while you search?
Losing a job is a legal problem and a money problem at the same time. A few honest points:
- Unemployment benefit: eligibility for foreigners depends on the type of permit and the conditions of the labour office (powiatowy urząd pracy). Many work-permit holders don't qualify, so ask the office before you build your budget around it.
- Final pay: you're entitled to your salary up to the last day and to compensation for unused leave. Request it in writing and keep a copy.
- Health insurance: cover that came through your employment usually doesn't end the same minute, but it does end. Check your options on nfz.gov.pl and keep your medical papers handy.
- Rent: tell your landlord early and calmly. Your address proof is part of your next application, so don't lose the lease.
- Family in Poland: if your spouse or children hold cards linked to your status, their situation may be affected. Message us before you decide anything.
For the health-insurance side, see the official NFZ website. For your region's office and its contact details, use uw.gov.pl.
Losing a job is stressful, but it's a problem with deadlines, and deadlines can be handled. Legal Solutions — 98% approval rate. Drop us a WhatsApp — we read every message.