If your job ends while you hold a Polish temporary residence and work permit, you must notify the voivode who issued the permit within 15 working days. Your permit will not be withdrawn if the period without work does not exceed 30 days, but you can use this protection only once during the permit's validity. A new employer cannot simply take you on under your old permit, because it names your former employer, so the new job needs a change of permit or another valid basis before you start. This guide explains the deadlines, how to count them, how to look for lawful new work quickly and how to protect the money and documents you are owed. All rules were checked on 11 November 2026 against official Polish sources.

Who this guide applies to

This guide is for foreign workers in Poland who hold a temporary residence and work permit (zezwolenie na pobyt czasowy i pracę), which combines the right to stay and the right to work. It also gives pointers for people who work on a work permit with a visa, on a declaration, or on an EU Blue Card, because each of these follows different rules. For a comparison with other European countries, see our article on losing your job on a work permit in Europe.

The two key rules

Notify the voivode within 15 working days

If you lose your job while holding a temporary residence and work permit, you must notify the voivode who granted the permit within 15 working days (Office for Foreigners guidance). The notification tells the authority that you are no longer working for the employer named in your permit.

The 30-day protection, once only

Official guidance explains that the permit is not withdrawn if the period without work does not exceed 30 days, and that this protection applies only once during the validity of the permit (Office for Foreigners guidance). In practice, this means you have about a month to start lawful work again before the authority may withdraw your permit.

How to count the deadlines

The 15-day notice period counts working days. Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays are not working days, so 15 working days usually covers about three calendar weeks. The 30-day period is counted differently, as a period without work. Write down the date your job ended, as stated in your termination letter or contract, and calculate both dates on a calendar. If you are unsure how to count them in your case, ask the voivodeship office, and send your notification early rather than late.

What to do in the first days

1. Get the end date in writing. Ask for a termination letter or a written confirmation of your last working day.
2. Collect your documents. Keep your permit decision, residence card, contract, payslips and any messages from your employer.
3. Send the notification to the voivode. Use the method the voivodeship office accepts and keep proof of sending.
4. Ask for your final pay. Request a written statement of any amounts still owed.
5. Do not take informal work. Working without a valid basis can damage your current and future applications.
6. Start looking for a new employer immediately. The 30-day period passes quickly.

Finding a new job lawfully

Why the new employer needs a formal step

Your permit names your employer and the conditions of your job. Zielona Linia explains that a change of employer under a temporary residence and work permit requires action before you start work for the new employer (Zielona Linia). The voivodeship office in Poznań lists a change of employer, a change of the user employer and changes to the conditions stated in the permit, such as the position or pay, as situations that affect the permit (Wielkopolska Voivodeship Office).

Options a new employer may use

• A change of your permit or a new permit. The new employer and you take the formal step required by the voivodeship office before you start.
• A work permit. In some cases the new employer may apply for a work permit through praca.gov.pl (Zielona Linia). See how to apply for a Poland work permit online.
• A declaration. If you are a citizen of Armenia, Belarus, Moldova or Ukraine, the new employer may be able to register a declaration of entrusting work for up to 24 months (Zielona Linia). See the declaration of entrusting work in Poland.

Whichever option applies, do not start work until the step is complete and your employer confirms that you may begin.

What to tell potential employers

Be open about your situation. Tell employers which permit you hold, when your job ended and how many days you have left. Give them a copy of your permit decision so they can see which procedure applies. A serious employer will want to know this, because it affects how quickly you can start.

Money you are owed

Losing your job does not cancel your right to be paid for the work you have done. Ask for your final payslip and a written statement of any amounts still due. If your employer does not pay, you can complain to the National Labour Inspectorate, which deals with pay and employment conditions (National Labour Inspectorate). Keep copies of your contract, time records and bank statements as evidence.

Whether you can receive unemployment benefits depends on your insurance history and the rules of the public employment service. Ask your local labour office. Do not assume that a benefit claim either helps or harms your permit without checking.

Your employer's duties

When employment of a foreign worker ends, the employer also has duties. Voivodeship offices set seven-day deadlines for some employer notifications, for example where work ends early (West Pomeranian Voivodeship Office). The employer must also deal with your social insurance registration. Your own duty to notify the voivode remains, even if your employer also informs the authorities. Do not wait for your employer to act for you.

If you hold a different document

A work permit with a visa

If you work on a work permit issued to your employer and stay on a national visa, the work permit covers only the employer named in it. Your right to stay depends on your visa. Check its end date at once, because you may have very little time.

A declaration

A declaration is registered for a specific employer. A new employer needs its own declaration or another basis for you to work.

An EU Blue Card

Blue Card holders follow separate rules on notification and on periods without work. See EU Blue Card in Poland: requirements for 2027 and check the current rules with the voivodeship office.

Housing linked to your job

If your employer provided accommodation, you may be asked to leave when the job ends. Ask for the notice period in writing. If you move, register your new address where the rules require it, because official letters about your permit will be sent to your address or MOS account. Missing a letter can mean missing a deadline.

If you cannot find work in time

If you do not start lawful work within the 30-day period, the voivode may withdraw your permit. Before that happens, check whether you qualify for a different basis of stay, for example a permit for family reunification or studies. Each has its own conditions, and an application must be filed during your legal stay. If no option is available, plan to leave Poland before your legal stay ends. Leaving on time protects your record for future applications.

An example timeline

1. Day 0 (a Friday): the job ends. The worker gets a written termination letter.
2. Week 1: the worker sends the notification to the voivode and keeps proof of sending.
3. Weeks 1 to 3: the worker applies for jobs and shares the permit decision with interested employers.
4. Week 3: a new employer agrees to hire the worker and starts the required formal step.
5. Before day 30: the worker starts the new job only after the employer confirms the formal step allows it.

The worker also notes that the 30-day protection has now been used and will not be available again during the same permit.

Writing the notification

Keep your notification short and factual. Include your full name as in your passport, your date of birth, your passport number, the case number or details of your permit decision, the name of the employer named in the permit, and the date your employment ended. Attach a copy of the termination letter if you have one. Send it in the way the voivodeship office accepts, and keep proof of sending and delivery. If you later start a new job, keep copies of the documents that show when the new work began, because the 30-day rule depends on the length of the gap.

If your employer ended your job unfairly

Losing your job can be stressful, especially when your residence depends on it. If you believe the termination broke your contract or Polish labour law, keep all evidence and seek advice. The National Labour Inspectorate can advise on employment rights (National Labour Inspectorate). Challenging a dismissal does not stop the immigration deadlines from running, so continue to meet the notification duty and look for lawful new work at the same time.

If you hold a residence card linked to temporary agency work

Temporary agency workers are employed by the agency and assigned to a user employer. If an assignment ends but your employment with the agency continues, your situation may be different from a full job loss. However, a change of user employer affects a temporary residence and work permit (Wielkopolska Voivodeship Office). Ask the agency in writing whether your employment continues and what formal step is needed before any new assignment.

Polish terms you will see

• Utrata pracy: loss of employment.
• Powiadomienie wojewody: notification to the voivode.
• Dni robocze: working days.
• Cofnięcie zezwolenia: withdrawal of the permit.
• Świadectwo pracy: certificate of employment issued when employment ends.

Questions to ask yourself in the first week

• When exactly did my job end, according to the written documents?
• Have I used the 30-day protection before during this permit?
• Have I sent my notification, and do I have proof?
• Which employers could hire me quickly, and which formal step would they need?
• When does my residence card expire, and is a new application needed soon anyway?

Where to get official help

• Zielona Linia, the information centre of the public employment services, answers questions about employing foreigners on 19 524 and publishes guidance at zielonalinia.gov.pl.
• The voivodeship office handling your case can answer questions about residence procedures and deadlines.
• The MOS portal has a contact form for questions about residence procedures and the portal itself (MOS portal).
• The National Labour Inspectorate deals with complaints about unpaid wages and employment conditions (National Labour Inspectorate).

Your next steps

1. Write down the end date of your job and calculate the 15-working-day notice deadline.
2. Send the notification to the voivode and keep proof.
3. Collect your final pay and documents.
4. Contact potential employers and share your permit details.
5. Start new work only after the required formal step is complete.

Remember that the 30-day rule protects your permit only while you actively move into lawful new work. It is not a period in which you can work informally or wait without acting. Use every day of it, and keep written evidence of each step you take.

Common mistakes

• Counting 15 calendar days instead of 15 working days.
• Assuming the employer's notification replaces your own.
• Starting a new job before the permit change or new basis is in place.
• Accepting cash work while searching, which can harm your status.
• Paying someone who promises a new permit quickly. Read how to spot a fake job offer for Europe.
• Forgetting that the 30-day protection can be used only once.

If the change you face is not a job loss but a change of pay, position or contract with the same employer, see changing job terms in Poland without losing your permit.