Seasonal Work Permit Poland: Complete Guide

Poland's Seasonal Work Permit (Zezwolenie na pracę sezonową) lets non-EU workers take up short-term employment in agriculture, horticulture, hunting, fishing and tourism. It's one of the cheapest and fastest work permits in the EU — popular with workers from Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, Georgia, Armenia, and increasingly from Asia and Africa under Polish strategic recruitment programmes.

Key features:

• Up to 9 months per calendar year
• Issued by the local Powiatowy Urząd Pracy (county labour office) on employer's application
• Multi-entry visa via the Polish consulate
• PESEL number issued on arrival, opening the door to bank accounts, NFZ healthcare, taxes
• Path to converting to a Type A regular work permit if employer wants to retain you

Defined by Polish regulation PKD 2007:

• Agriculture — crop production, livestock care, harvest support, beekeeping (PKD 01)
• Horticulture & landscaping — nurseries, fruit picking, vegetable greenhouse (PKD 01.13, 01.30)
• Hunting — game management, hunting lodge operations (PKD 01.70)
• Forestry — limited roles in forest cultivation (PKD 02)
• Fishing & aquaculture — fish farms, mussel beds (PKD 03)
• Tourism, accommodation & catering — hotels, restaurants, campsites, event venues (PKD 55, 56)

Employer-side:

1. Employer files Form Załącznik 1 at the county labour office (Powiatowy Urząd Pracy) where the work will happen
2. PLN 30 fee (~€7) — extraordinarily low
3. Within 7 working days the office issues either:
   • Wpis (entry into the register) for nationals of Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine — no labour market test
   • Standard permit for other nationalities — labour market test applied (7-day local job advertisement)
4. Employer sends you the wpis/permit by email

Worker-side:

1. Apply for a Type 06 National Visa at the Polish consulate with the wpis/permit
2. Fee €80 (€60 for nationals of certain countries)
3. Processing 7–15 working days standard, longer in peak Q2
4. Arrive in Poland; employer registers your stay at the labour office within 7 days
5. Apply for PESEL (universal Polish ID number) at any urząd gminy

Minimum hourly rate: PLN 30.50/hour (≈€7.20) gross — Poland's minimum wage from January 2026 Typical seasonal rate: PLN 4,500–6,500/month gross (≈€1,060–€1,530) Working hours: 40/week, paid overtime 50%–100% above Holidays: 20 working days pro-rata Accommodation: can be employer-provided and deducted from gross (max 15% of wage) Social security: ZUS contributions deducted (≈25% employee + 21% employer); after a year of contributions you become eligible for partial Polish state pension

For the consulate visa application:

• Passport (≥3 months validity beyond stay, 2 blank pages)
• Wpis or work permit issued by Powiatowy Urząd Pracy
• Travel insurance (Schengen, ≥€30,000)
• Proof of accommodation in Poland (employer letter usual)
• Filled visa application form
• 2 photos (35 × 45 mm)
• Bank statement or proof of funds (PLN 75/day minimum, ≈€18/day)
• Apostilled criminal record (some consulates) + sworn translation

For PESEL registration on arrival:

• Passport
• Visa
• Address registration ("zameldowanie") with landlord or employer-provided housing
• Filled PESEL form

Polish government:

• Employer permit fee: PLN 30 (≈€7)
• Visa application: €80 (€60 for some nationalities)
• PESEL: free
• Type A conversion (later): PLN 100 (≈€24)

Workium service: €1,800 — includes employer matching to vetted Polish farms/hotels/restaurants, contract review, embassy appointment, PESEL coordination on arrival