Check 1: your basis for staying
Check your passport, visa, card and decision, or the documents confirming your special status. The expiry date and conditions matter, not just possession of a plastic card. Saying “I have applied for a card” does not answer whether you can work now. EU/EFTA citizens and some foreign nationals with particular statuses follow different rules from someone with an ordinary temporary permit linked to work.
Check 2: the basis for employing you
Ask your employer to identify the document or exemption from the permit requirement. If a zezwolenie na pracę, or work permit, has been issued, obtain a copy and check the company, position, dates and conditions. If the employer relies on a special procedure or notification, request evidence that this specific procedure was completed. For Ukrainian citizens, just any PESEL number cannot be treated as proof of entitlement under UKR status.
Check 3: the contract before you start
Read the contract before your first working day. You need clear details of the company, duties, workplace, gross rate, recording of hours and payment date. Ask for explanations or a translation of unclear clauses; do not sign blank sheets. Keep your own copy separately from work correspondence. If you work through an agency, establish who is party to the contract and who pays you.
Umowa o pracę and zlecenie: the difference for your budget
An employment contract provides labour-law protections. Zlecenie is a civil-law contract: paid holiday does not arise automatically as it does for an employee. Compare not only the promised take-home amount but also hours, contributions, leave, termination and deductions for housing or transport. There is no universal gross-to-net conversion factor.
Pay in 2026
The minimum for full-time employment under an employment contract is PLN 4,806 gross per month. For civil-law contracts covered by the law, the minimum hourly rate is PLN 31.40 gross. The relevant rules apply to part-time work and exceptions. Do not compare the monthly minimum with hourly pay without knowing the number of hours.
When you change jobs
A new contract with another company does not update the previous document authorising your work. Before starting, establish whether an exemption applies or a new document or permit amendment is needed. Do not assume every card with access to the labour market permits work for any employer: read the decision under which it was issued.
If you have not been paid or are asked to work without formalities
Keep the contract, messages about the rate, rota, your own record of hours worked and payment statements. Send the employer a specific written request identifying the period and amount rather than making only a verbal complaint. Contact Państwowa Inspekcja Pracy, the National Labour Inspectorate, for advice on employment rights; civil-law claims may require a civil procedure. Do not leave your passport with the employer for safekeeping or sign false backdated timesheets.