Work permit type A in Poland — work under a contract with a Polish company
Work permit type A is needed when a foreigner works under a contract with a Polish employer: the company has a registered address, a branch or a representative office here.
The application is filed by the company, not by the employee. The portal is praca.gov.pl; the decision is issued by the voivode. This is not a residence card and not not MOS: a residence permit for work is a separate procedure.
Without a positive decision the foreigner cannot start work. The start date in the application cannot be later than 12 months after filing. The treasury fee is 200 PLN (work of up to 3 months) or 400 PLN (longer).
We assemble the pack, file and handle correspondence with the voivode. Consultation is free.
Consultation on a type A permit
We will take on the portal, the form and correspondence with the voivode — HR does not drown in the office's requests.
First we check whether you need type A, type B, a simplified work notification, or whether a residence card is already in place.
If we cannot deliver the service, we will refund you or file again at our own cost.
What a type A work permit is
Type A is the most common option when you hire someone onto the payroll or under a civil-law contract for work in Poland. The employer undertakes conditions no worse than those of comparable staff, and not below the minimum wage. Hours range from a quarter-time post to full time.
If the person already holds a card that itself gives the right to work, a separate permit is often not needed. We check this at the consultation so you do not pay a fee without need.
We will sort out the basis: type A, type B, a simplified work notification, or a card that already allows work. We do not file a spare form.
We will assemble the pack: the contract, hours, company and foreigner details, proof of the fee, the application form.
We will file electronically on praca.gov.pl. This is not MOS: a different account and different payment details.
We will answer the voivode's request and send extra documents on time, so the case is not closed for formal gaps.
We will pass the decision to the employer. A reminder: without it the foreigner does not start work; if needed we plan a residence card in parallel.
How the employer obtains a type A permit
From 1 June 2025 the application is filed electronically on praca.gov.pl (Act of 20 March 2025). Paper at the office counter is no longer accepted on this track. The application form is ZC-WWZ.
The voivode looks at the pack, not only at the intention to hire. If something is missing, a request will come — usually at least 7 days to reply. Processing time is a guide of 30 days, in complex cases up to two months, and only from a complete pack.
The decision is an administrative act. The employer must give the foreigner both the grant, the refusal and any change to the permit.
TYPE A PERMIT
from 1500 PLN / netto
Consultation is free
Employer support: the pack, filing on praca.gov.pl, correspondence with the voivode. The fee of 200 or 400 PLN is separate, to the voivodeship office account.
What the support includes
Support means reviewing the basis, a pack for the voivode and running the case after the application is sent.
- checking whether type A or another basis is needed;
- the contract, hours, salary comparison, company and foreigner details;
- the application form and filing on praca.gov.pl;
- the fee: where to pay 200 or 400 PLN and how to attach proof;
- replies to the voivode's requests;
- what to do next about stay (visa, card, MOS), if that is your next step.
Who needs a type A permit
Type A is needed by an employer in Poland who wants to assign work to a foreigner when the law does not give another basis: no card with labour-market access, no simplified work notification where that is enough, no exemption for EU, EEA and Swiss citizens.
Type A is about work in Poland in the company. If the person joins the management board and will perform that function for more than six months in any 12 — see a type B permit.
The foreigner cannot obtain type A in their own name: the applicant is the employer.
Pay, hours and the starosta certificate
Pay cannot be lower than that of comparable staff in the same role, and not below the minimum wage. Hours range from a quarter-time post to full time. The voivode checks the contract against the application.
A starosta certificate (labour-market test) is needed not always — only in cases the law expressly lists. People often write that you cannot proceed without the starosta: that picture is outdated or too general. We look at whether the certificate is required in your voivodeship and for this role.
A separate list covers refusals: sham employment, ZUS and tax arrears, penalties for illegal assignment of work, a start date later than 12 months after filing. Better to close these before sending the application.
The fee, the term of the permit and processing times
To the treasury: 200 PLNif you assign work for up to 3 months, and 400 PLNif longer. You pay to the voivodeship office account; the number is on that voivodeship's website. This is not a MOS fee and not the residence-card charge: a different payment and a different account.
A type A or B permit is usually issued for up to 3 years. Often they set a yearif the company has been operating for less than a year or certain conditions are not met. The foreigner does not start work until there is a decision.
The office's guide: a month, in complex cases up to two. Time runs from a complete application. We make sure the case does not go into formal defects at the start.
How type A differs from a residence card for work
A type A work permit gives the right to work for a specific employer on the conditions in the decision. It does not replace a visa and does not extend stay.
A residence card for work (single permit) is stay and work in one decision, the account MOS from 27 April 2026. A different applicant, different fees, a different card.
In practice both tracks are often needed: first or in parallel a work permit, then the card — or the other way round if the basis is already «the card». At the consultation we will set the order for your case, without mixing the portals.
Why employers obtain the permit with MIA Legal
Experience with employers
We know where the voivode usually asks for explanations: hours, salary comparison, dates, ZUS contributions. We close this before filing, not after a request.
We choose the basis first
Type A, type B, a simplified work notification or a residence card are different procedures. We pick the one that fits your case.
Electronic filing
From 1 June 2025 the application goes through praca.gov.pl. We connect the account and the form, and we do not confuse this with MOS.
Online and offices
Most of the case we run remotely. If needed — a meeting in Warsaw or Sopot.
Tied to the residence card
A work permit on its own does not replace stay. We will say when MOS is needed in parallel.
A clear status
You know what is already with the office, what to expect and what to reply if a request comes.
What the voivode checks
The voivode looks at whether there is a real company and real work, whether ZUS and taxes are paid, whether qualifications match a regulated profession, whether the foreigner is on the undesirable-persons list — and whether the job exists only for the sake of entry.
A separate risk is a start date later than 12 months from filing, and permit caps if they have been introduced for the year. If activity is suspended, the company is in liquidation or there are no funds to cover obligations on this hire, the decision will most likely be a refusal.
At the consultation we give an honest view of the chances before you pay for full support.
Which documents the employer collects
The set depends on the voivodeship and the contract, but the core is the same:
- the application via praca.gov.pl;
- employer and foreigner details, passport data;
- terms of work: role, place, hours, pay, type of contract;
- proof of the 200 or 400 PLN fee;
- where needed — a starosta certificate;
- company documents and, if you file through a representative, a power of attorney (in employment cases no stamp duty is charged on the power of attorney).
We give an exact checklist after the consultation: we do not collect extras, and we do not skip what is required.
Result guarantee
If for any reason we cannot deliver the service, we will refund you or file again at our own cost.
How working with us goes
A short call or message: who is hiring, for which role, whether there is already a card, a visa, a simplified work notification. Then — a document list and a deadline so the foreigner can start work on time.
We file electronically. We do not leave the office's status and requests unanswered in the personal account.
Who the applicant is and whether the foreigner can file
The applicant is the employerwho assigns the work. The foreigner does not file type A and does not obtain the permit in their own name.
You can go through a representative — we work under a power of attorney.
What happens after the decision
The employer gives the foreigner the decision. Work cannot start without it — even if the contract is already signed.
Next we look at stay: visa, visa-free, a card or a MOS filing for a single permit. If you need to change the conditions of an already issued permit — that is a separate procedure, not an edit in MOS.
If you need a work-based card — here is residence-permit support. If you need the management board — type B.
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Help obtaining a type A permit
Type A, the residence card and MOS are often mixed into one request: different accounts, different fees, different applicants. We separate the procedures and run type A as it is set up now: praca.gov.pl, 200 or 400 PLN, the applicant is the company.
Leave a request: we will look at your contract and say whether this is type A, type B or a card that is enough without a separate permit. Consultation is free, support — from 1500 PLN / netto.
Frequently asked questions
Who files the application for a type A permit?
Only the employer (or a company representative under a power of attorney). The foreigner does not obtain type A themselves.
Can work start before the voivode's decision?
No. Until there is a permit, work cannot be assigned. The start date in the application — no later than 12 months after filing.
Is this the same as a residence card for work?
No. Type A is a work permit via praca.gov.pl. A residence card is stay (and often work) via MOS. The portals, fees and applicants are different.
How much is the state fee?
200 PLNif the work is for up to 3 months, 400 PLN if longer. This is not 100 zloty and not the card fee. You pay to the voivodeship office account.
For how long is type A issued?
Usually up to 3 years. Often for a year if the company is young or certain conditions are not met. The exact term is in the voivode's decision.
Is a starosta certificate always required?
No, not always. A starosta certificate is required only in the cases listed in the law. At the consultation we will say whether you need one.
How does type A differ from type B?
A — work in Poland under a contract with a Polish employer. B — the management board, a commercial proxy, a general partner for more than 6 months in a year, and separate conditions on income and headcount.
Which portal to file from in 2026?
A work permit — praca.gov.pl (electronically from 1 June 2025). Residence cards — MOS. Type A is not filed in MOS.
Does the foreigner still need a residence permit?
Often yes. A work permit does not replace a visa or a card. If the aim is to live and work on one basis, we look at the single permit / MOS.
Can any salary be put in the contract?
No. Conditions must be no worse than those of comparable staff and not below the minimum wage, plus hours from a quarter-time post to full time. The voivode checks this against the application.
How long does the review take?
A guide is about 30 days, in complex cases up to two months. Time runs from a complete pack, not from an incomplete application.
How much does your support cost?
From 1500 PLN / netto. The fee of 200 or 400 PLN is paid separately to the office. A consultation on whether you need type A is free.
