Changing job on a residence card: when you can change employer and what to file
Changing job on a residence card starts with the decision: employer, post, rate, hours. If a work card is tied to a firm, you cannot start in a new place without changing the permit: there is a risk of a fine and problems with status.
There are cards with an open labour market: permanent residence, EU resident, a Karta Polaka with lawful stay, often CUKR and a family residence permit. Then you can change employer without a new permit «for the sake of a new firm». We read your decision and say which scenario is yours.
Consultation on changing job in Poland
We will save you time and take the difficult parts on ourselves.
We will review the documents and propose the best option for your situation.
If we cannot deliver the service, we will refund you or file again at our own cost.
Is a residence card tied to the employer?
A single stay-and-work permit almost always names a specific employer. To change the firm, the post, the type of contract, the hours or pay below what is in the decision, you usually need to go through a change of the permit (art. 120 of the Act on Foreigners). The term of the card itself, as a rule, is not extended: they change the conditions of work, and do not issue new years of stay.
When you do not need to change the permit (an employer notification within 15 days is often enough): the company was renamed, the firm’s address changed, the enterprise passed to another owner, a civil-law contract was replaced with an umowa o pracę, the rate was raised in proportion to the hours, the job title changed with the same duties. A new employer is not in this list.
A free labour market is usually held by permanent residence, EU long-term resident status, holders of a Karta Polaka with lawful stay, often by CUKR and some family cards. We check a Blue Card separately: the decision can also have conditions. UKR — work without a separate permit, but the employer often has to notify PUP; that is not the same procedure as changing a single residence-and-work permit.
Changing job with a residence card: a step-by-step guide
If the decision is tied to the employer, we usually do this:
- The new employer prepares the appendix (załącznik nr 1). The previous one — świadectwo pracy, if you have already left.
- Stamp duty for changing of the permit is given in the MOS instructions as 220 PLN (this is not the fee for a new card from scratch). The account is that of your voivodeship.
- An application to change an already issued a single permit, the MOS portal for now does not accept online — the pack goes to the voivode on paper or through e-Doręczenia. A new work card «from a clean sheet» is filed from 27 April 2026 via MOS, and there the employer signs the appendix in the system.
- You wait for the decision. The term of the card is usually the same. A new plastic is not always ordered — it depends whether the data on the card change.
If you lost the job under the current decision, the office must be notified, as a rule, within 15 days. An application to change filed in time often covers this duty. We will say where to take the pack in your voivodeship: changing a card already issued is not in MOS.
CHANGING JOB ON A RESIDENCE CARD
from 1500 PLN / netto
We read the decision | Whether you can change firm without a new permit
A pack for the change: the employer’s appendix, a fee of 220 PLN
If the case is still in MOS — a letter to the voivode
Support in Warsaw, Gdańsk, Kraków, Łódź, Wrocław and online across Poland
Changing job while waiting for a residence card: what matters
While the first an application for a work card is still under review, a change of firm is not filed in MOS. Under the UDSC FAQ it is a letter to the voivode outside the portal: paper or e-Doręczenia. Otherwise the case runs against the previous employer.
The office may refuse if the purpose of stay has fallen away and a new appendix was not attached. Sometimes it is enough to replace the party in the current case, sometimes it is better to wait for the decision. At the consultation we will work out which option suits you, before you resign.
A CUKR application stops the current work case discontinues. Changing employer and moving to CUKR are different procedures; they are not filed together «just in case».
Who can change job without a change of the permit
If you have permanent residence, EU resident status, a Karta Polaka plus lawful stay, often CUKR or a family residence permit with access to the market — the new employer takes you on as a person with the right to work, without waiting for a new decision. An employment contract, PIT and ZUS still remain. The art. 120 queue is not needed in that case.
CUKR and a single work card are often confused: with CUKR it is easier to leave for another employer, but you have already lost UKR status. With a single card the change is harder, but the ground «work» is already in the permit. At the consultation we will compare both options if the question of changing the type of card arises.
What to watch when changing job
What we usually look at in advance:
- notify the office of a resignation within 15 days;
- do not file CUKR on top of an almost ready work case — it will be discontinued;
- do not confuse a company rename with a new employer (a different NIP);
- do not file a change of an already issued permit through MOS — the portal does not accept that application yet;
- the term of the card is usually not extended when it is changed.
At the consultation we will go through this on your decision.
Why legalise your stay with MIA CONSULT GROUP
Experience and expertise
A clear reading of your situation and expert help from specialists with 10+ years of practice.
Individual approach
We solve the case as a whole — for you and your family, in line with your plans.
Professional advice
Our specialists propose the most suitable legalisation path for your current situation and long-term plans.
Easy communication
Our offices are in Warsaw and Sopot. Most services are available online, from home or the office, with a short turnaround.
Full range of services
We help with legalisation as well as company setup, accounting, tax and HR in Poland.
Multilingual specialists
We work in Polish, English and Russian and act as your representative before the relevant authorities.
Changing job in Poland after obtaining the card
The card is already in your hands — we look at what is written in the decision.
- a single work permit — almost always a change of the permit before starting in the new place;
- rate, post, hours, type of contract at the same firm — also often a change;
- free access to the market — you change job without changing the permit (address and PESEL are separate duties).
A copy of the decision, a new contract, insurance, sometimes proof of qualifications for a regulated profession we collect for your voivodeship. If the card is tied to the employer, it is not worth starting in the new place before the decision.
Advantages of a residence card when changing job
A single work card lets you live and work on the conditions of the decision, and not in any job in Poland. NFZ and social rights apply while there is a ground of stay and insurance.
If you change firm by the rules, lawfulness lasts until the permit expires. If you start before the decision — a risk of withdrawal and problems with status. We help you through the procedure so that the card stays in force.
How we will help when changing job on a residence card
What we do when changing job:
- we read the decision and say whether a change of the permit is needed or the market is already open;
- we prepare the pack and the new employer’s appendix;
- if the case is still under review — a letter to the voivode, not a second application in MOS;
- if a new work card from scratch is needed — MOS and the employer’s signature in the system;
- voivodeship times differ; starting work before the decision is a risk, we say so in advance.
Our company also provides extra legalisation services:
What it is important to remember when changing job on a residence card
MIA CONSULT GROUP helps you change employer so that the residence card stays valid.
- 15 days to report a resignation;
- we do not confuse MOS for a new card with paper / e-Doręczenia for changing one already issued.
Leave a request. At the consultation we will look at the decision and say which path is yours: an open market or a change of the permit (art. 120).
Need help changing job on a residence card?
Leave a request — we will call you back within 10 minutes.
Opening hours: Mon–Fri 08:00–16:00
