Highly Qualified Employment in Poland
Poland provides an EU Blue Card pathway for qualifying third-country nationals who intend to live and work in Poland in a profession requiring high professional qualifications.
The EU Blue Card combines residence and employment authorisation and forms part of the wider European Union framework for attracting highly qualified international professionals.
CETO Global Immigration Consulting & Partners assists international professionals and Polish employers in assessing EU Blue Card eligibility and coordinates the immigration process together with qualified legal and immigration professionals.
The EU Blue Card is a residence and employment permit designed for highly qualified third-country nationals.
In Poland, the permit is officially issued as a: TEMPORARY RESIDENCE PERMIT FOR THE PURPOSE OF PERFORMING WORK IN A PROFESSION REQUIRING HIGH QUALIFICATIONS.
It allows qualifying professionals to:
The EU Blue Card can potentially be available to qualifying:
The actual profession and applicant must satisfy the applicable requirements.
The applicant must demonstrate the professional qualifications necessary to perform the proposed highly qualified occupation. Qualifications can generally be demonstrated through:
3 Years Minimum
The applicant has successfully completed a qualifying higher-education programme lasting at least 3 years.
The education must be completed at a higher-education institution recognised in the country where it operates.
5 Years Minimum
Higher professional qualifications can also potentially be demonstrated through at least 5 years of professional experience at a level comparable to higher-education qualifications.
For certain specified professions, professional qualifications may potentially be demonstrated through 3 years of relevant professional experience acquired within the 7 years preceding the application. The occupation must fall within the applicable official list.
Where the proposed occupation is regulated in Poland, the applicant must also satisfy the applicable Polish requirements for performing that profession.
The applicant must have a qualifying agreement for work requiring high professional qualifications. The agreement must generally be concluded for at least 6 months.
Depending on the circumstances, qualifying agreements can include:
The agreement must relate to a profession requiring high qualifications.
The EU Blue Card has a substantially higher salary requirement than Poland's ordinary Temporary Residence & Work Permit.
For applications submitted in 2026, the annual gross remuneration must be at least 160,264.08 PLN. This corresponds to monthly gross remuneration of more than 13,355.34 PLN.
160,264.08 PLN Gross Per Year
The statutory threshold is based on 150% of the average remuneration in the Polish national economy during the year preceding the application.
For 2026 applications, the calculation is based on: 1.5 × 8,903.56 PLN × 12 months, resulting in 160,264.08 PLN GROSS PER YEAR.
The applicable salary threshold can change each year and should always be verified before preparing a case.
Designed for a broad range of qualifying employees.
The 2026 general minimum remuneration requirement is substantially lower.
Designed specifically for highly qualified professionals.
For 2026, the salary requirement is 160,264.08 PLN GROSS PER YEAR.
Additional qualification requirements apply.
The Polish employer plays an important role. The applicable employer attachment (Annex No. 1) must contain information concerning the employer, position, professional activity, employment conditions, working time, and remuneration.
Under Poland's current MOS procedure, Annex No. 1 is completed electronically and must be electronically signed by the person authorised to represent the employer.
The employment conditions stated in the employer attachment must correspond to the actual employment agreement.
Applications are submitted electronically through Poland's MOS – CASE HANDLING MODULE. The applicant must generally be legally staying in Poland and satisfy the applicable procedural requirements.
Where the application is being submitted from within Poland, it should be submitted no later than the last day of legal stay. The employment must justify residence for more than 3 months.
EU Blue Card holders benefit from a more flexible professional mobility framework than under some ordinary employment residence categories.
However, changing employer, position, employment conditions, or salary can still trigger notification or immigration requirements. The applicable procedure should be reviewed before changing employment.
One of the major advantages of the EU Blue Card is access to the European Blue Card mobility framework.
A person who has already held an EU Blue Card in another participating EU Member State for more than 12 months may potentially relocate to Poland under Long-Term EU Blue Card Mobility.
Where the applicant has already exercised mobility in another Member State, the required prior period can potentially be reduced to 6 months.
The applicable Polish EU Blue Card mobility procedure must still be completed; an EU Blue Card from another Member State does not provide automatic unrestricted employment in Poland.
The EU Blue Card framework provides advantages for family members, who may accompany or join the holder under Polish and European rules.
It also allows holders to combine periods of legal residence in different EU Member States when progressing toward EU Long-Term Resident status, making it attractive for internationally mobile professionals.
An experienced software professional receives a qualifying employment offer for at least six months with remuneration exceeding the threshold. If they demonstrate high professional qualifications, they may qualify.
An international professional without a university degree who can demonstrate at least 5 years of qualifying professional experience equivalent to higher professional qualifications may potentially satisfy the requirement.
We review the applicant's education, professional experience and proposed occupation.
We determine whether qualifications can be demonstrated through Higher Education or Professional Experience.
The Polish employer, position and employment agreement are reviewed.
We verify whether the remuneration satisfies the applicable EU Blue Card threshold.
The required employer documentation and electronic Annex No. 1 are coordinated.
Professional, employment, healthcare and immigration documents are prepared.
The EU Blue Card application is coordinated through Poland's electronic MOS system.
Additional documentation and procedural requirements are coordinated where necessary.
Family residence and future EU Blue Card mobility options are assessed.
Future EU Long-Term Resident options are reviewed as part of the immigration strategy.
No. A high salary alone does not guarantee eligibility. The applicant must satisfy the applicable professional qualification, employment, salary and immigration requirements.
The threshold is updated according to Polish remuneration data and should be verified at the time of application.
No. An EU Blue Card issued by Poland does not automatically provide unrestricted employment rights throughout the European Union.
Highly Qualified Immigration in the European Union
Poland's EU Blue Card provides a dedicated immigration pathway for highly qualified international professionals.
For eligible applicants, the Blue Card can combine professional opportunities in Poland with family, European mobility and long-term residence advantages.
CETO can assess the applicant's professional qualifications, employment offer and salary and coordinate the immigration process together with qualified legal and immigration professionals.
