Losing your job does not usually mean you must leave Europe immediately, but the time you have is short and the deadlines are strict. In Poland, a holder of a temporary residence and work permit must notify the voivode within 15 working days, and the permit is protected only if the period without work does not exceed 30 days, once during its validity. In the Czech Republic, an employee card holder has 90 days to report a new employer. In Sweden, a worker has three months to find a new job and apply for a new permit. Under EU law, single permit and EU Blue Card holders should not lose their permit for unemployment alone within three months, or six months after two years. This guide explains what to do first, the rules in each country and the options if you cannot find work in time. All rules were checked on 11 November 2026.

What to do in the first few days

The first days after a job ends are when most mistakes happen. Work through this list before anything else.

1. Get the end date in writing. Ask for a termination letter or a written confirmation of the last working day. Your deadlines usually start from that date.
2. Check your permit type. A single permit, an employee card, a Blue Card and a seasonal permit can each follow different rules.
3. Write down your deadline. Use the country sections below and the official pages linked in them.
4. Make any required notification. In Poland, for example, you must notify the voivode within 15 working days.
5. Collect your documents. Keep your contract, payslips, permit decision, residence card and any correspondence with the employer.
6. Do not work without a valid basis. Taking cash work while you look for a permitted job can damage your status and later applications.

What counts as losing your job

For immigration purposes, losing your job usually means that the employment named in your permit has ended, whatever the reason: dismissal, resignation, the end of a fixed-term contract, the employer closing or the employer failing to start the job. Some countries treat these situations differently, for example by asking whether the job ended through no fault of the worker. Read the official page for your country carefully, because the reason can affect what you are allowed to do next.

A reduction in hours or pay can also matter. If your pay falls below the level stated in your permit, the authority may treat the permit conditions as no longer met, even though you still have a job. Ask the authority if you are unsure.

Comparison table

Poland

The notification

If you hold a temporary residence and work permit and your job ends, you must notify the voivode who issued the permit within 15 working days. Official guidance for foreigners explains that the permit is not withdrawn if the period without work does not exceed 30 days, and that this protection can be used only once during the validity of the permit (Office for Foreigners guidance).

What to do in the 30 days

Thirty days is short. Use it to find a new employer who can obtain a change of your permit, or another valid basis for work. A new employer cannot simply take you on under your old permit, because the permit names your former employer (Zielona Linia). If you are a citizen of Armenia, Belarus, Moldova or Ukraine, a new employer may be able to register a declaration of entrusting work instead (Zielona Linia).

Other Polish permits

If you work in Poland on a work permit together with a visa, rather than a residence permit, the work permit covers only work for the employer named in it, so it cannot be used for another job. Your right to stay then depends on your visa. Check the visa end date and conditions straight away.

Czech Republic

If you hold an employee card and your employment ended on or after 2 August 2025, you have 90 days to report a new employer to the Ministry of the Interior (Ministry of the Interior). The earlier limit was 60 days. The new job must be a vacancy listed in the central database (Ministry of the Interior), and the change must be reported with the new employer's confirmation (Czech public administration portal).

The general rule that a change of employer is possible from six months after the first card was issued still matters here. If you lose your job early, check with the Ministry how the rules apply to your case. If you do not report a new employer within 90 days, the employee card can be cancelled.

Sweden

Three months to find new work

If your employment in Sweden ends, you have three months to find a new job and apply for a new work permit. If you do not, the Swedish Migration Agency may withdraw your permit (Swedish Migration Agency).

The new job must meet today's rules

A new permit application is assessed under the rules in force when you apply. Since 1 June 2026, that generally means a salary of at least 90% of the median, which is SEK 34,470 per month from 16 June 2026 (Swedish Migration Agency). A job that would have met the previous 80% level may no longer qualify, unless the occupation is one of the exempt occupations that need only 75% (Swedish Migration Agency).

If your permit is about to expire

If your permit expires before the three months end, you have less time. An application for a new permit should be filed before the current permit expires. Check your expiry date on your residence card.

What EU law guarantees

Single permit holders

Under the revised Single Permit Directive, unemployment alone should not be a reason to withdraw a single permit if the total period of unemployment during the permit's validity does not exceed three months, or six months if the person has held the permit for more than two years. Member states may allow longer periods and may require proof of sufficient resources for unemployment beyond three months (European Parliament legislative summary).

This is a minimum standard. The national rule may be more generous, and it may add a duty to notify. Because some countries had not completed transposition by the May 2026 deadline, check the national law before relying on the directive. See our article on EU single permit rules after May 2026.

EU Blue Card holders

The EU Blue Card Directive provides that unemployment is not in itself a reason to withdraw a Blue Card unless it lasts more than three consecutive months, or more than six consecutive months for holders who have had the card for at least two years (EUR-Lex). The holder must inform the authorities about the start and, where required, the end of unemployment.

An example: job loss in Poland

The example below shows how the Polish deadlines work together. It is an illustration only, so always check the dates against your own documents.

1. A worker with a temporary residence and work permit is told that their employment ends on a Friday.
2. The 15-working-day period for notifying the voivode runs from the end of the job. Weekends and public holidays are not working days, so the period covers about three calendar weeks.
3. The worker sends the notification within the first week, keeping proof of sending.
4. The worker then has a gap of no more than 30 days before the protection against withdrawal ends. During that time, a new employer must obtain the required change of permit or another valid basis for work.
5. Because the protection applies only once during the permit's validity, the worker notes that a second job loss under the same permit will not be protected in the same way.

Talking to a potential new employer

When you contact employers after a job loss, explain your situation honestly and early. Tell them which permit you hold, when your job ended and how much time you have. Give them a copy of your permit decision and residence card, so that they can see which procedure applies. A serious employer will want to know this before making an offer, because it affects how quickly you can start. Be cautious of anyone who says the deadlines do not matter or that you can start work straight away without any formal step.

Seasonal workers

Seasonal permits work differently. They are usually tied to a short period and a specific employer, and EU law limits seasonal stays to between five and nine months in any 12-month period (Seasonal Workers Directive). If a seasonal job ends early, check whether another seasonal employer can take you on within the permitted period. See our guide to seasonal work permits in Europe.

Money you are owed

Losing your job does not cancel your right to be paid for work already done. Ask for your final payslip and a written statement of any amounts still due, such as unpaid hours or holiday pay where national law provides for it. If your employer refuses to pay, contact the labour inspectorate in the country where you worked. In Poland, the National Labour Inspectorate deals with complaints about pay and employment conditions (National Labour Inspectorate).

Whether you can receive unemployment benefits depends on national social security law and on how long you have contributed. Ask the public employment service in your country. Do not assume that receiving or claiming a benefit is either required or forbidden for your permit, because the rules differ.

Housing linked to your job

Many foreign workers live in accommodation arranged by the employer. When the job ends, the employer may ask you to leave. Ask for the notice period in writing and check your rental agreement. If you need to register a new address, do it within the time your country requires, because your address is often used to deliver official letters about your permit.

Your options if you cannot find work in time

• Another permit type. You may qualify for a different basis of stay, for example family reasons or study. Each has its own conditions and application process.
• A different country. A permit in one EU country does not usually allow you to work in another. A new employer elsewhere would need to apply under that country's rules.
• Leaving and applying again. Leaving before your right to stay ends protects your record. Overstaying can be recorded and can make later applications harder.

If an application is refused after a job loss, our guide on why work permits are refused in Europe explains common reasons and links to appeal guides.

Mistakes to avoid

• Waiting for the employer to tell the authorities. Your own notification duty usually remains.
• Counting calendar days when the rule uses working days, as in Poland.
• Starting with a new employer before the permit step is complete. See our guide on changing employer on a work permit in Europe.
• Accepting an offer that asks you to pay for a job or a permit. Read how to spot a fake job offer for Europe.
• Throwing away documents from the old job. You may need them for the next application.

For employers

An employer who ends the employment of a non-EU worker should check whether it must report the end of employment and by when. In Poland, the voivodeship offices set seven-day deadlines for some employer notifications (West Pomeranian Voivodeship Office). A clear written end date and prompt final pay help the worker meet their own deadlines. Our article on employer duties after hiring a non-EU worker explains the wider duties.