[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"advice-en-blue-card-poland":3},{"slug":4,"title":5,"excerpt":6,"body":7,"datePublished":8,"dateModified":8},"blue-card-poland","EU Blue Card in Poland 2026: salary threshold and procedure","EU Blue Card in 2026: contract of at least 6 months, salary from PLN 160,264.08 per year, degree or experience. Requirements, fees, MOS application and duties.","\u003Cp>The EU Blue Card is a temporary residence and work permit for specialists from outside the EU, issued in Poland by the voivode. In 2026 it requires a contract for at least 6 months with annual gross remuneration of no less than PLN 160,264.08 (over PLN 13,355.34 per month) and higher qualifications — a diploma or documented experience. The application is submitted electronically through the MOS portal.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Ch2>How the Blue Card differs from a standard work permit\u003C\u002Fh2>\u003Cp>Formally it is a temporary residence permit for the purpose of performing work in a profession requiring high qualifications (Article 127 of the Act on Foreigners). It combines residence and work in a single decision, and the residence card bears the annotation \"EU Blue Card\". Compared with a standard residence and work permit, it offers several concrete benefits:\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>period without work\u003C\u002Fstrong> — after losing employment, the holder has 3 months to find a new job (6 months if employment ended after 2 years of residence on this basis), provided the voivode is notified,\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>mobility within the EU\u003C\u002Fstrong> — short-term work in another Member State (90 days within 180 days) without a work permit, and after 12 months the option to move to another EU country under long-term mobility,\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>faster path to resident status\u003C\u002Fstrong> — periods of residence with a Blue Card in different EU states can be combined, with the last 2 years spent in Poland,\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>family reunification\u003C\u002Fstrong> — family members can obtain a temporary residence permit on favourable terms.\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Ful>\u003Ch2>Requirements in 2026\u003C\u002Fh2>\u003Ctable>\u003Cthead>\u003Ctr>\u003Cth>Condition\u003C\u002Fth>\u003Cth>Details\u003C\u002Fth>\u003C\u002Ftr>\u003C\u002Fthead>\u003Ctbody>\u003Ctr>\u003Ctd>Contract\u003C\u002Ftd>\u003Ctd>employment contract or civil-law contract (e.g. mandate), concluded in writing for at least 6 months\u003C\u002Ftd>\u003C\u002Ftr>\u003Ctr>\u003Ctd>Remuneration\u003C\u002Ftd>\u003Ctd>no less than 150% of the average salary of the previous year; for 2026 applications: 1.5 × PLN 8,903.56 × 12 = PLN 160,264.08 gross per year\u003C\u002Ftd>\u003C\u002Ftr>\u003Ctr>\u003Ctd>Qualifications\u003C\u002Ftd>\u003Ctd>at least a 3-year higher-education degree or 5 years of experience; for professions on the list (including information technology specialists), 3 years of experience within the last 7 years is enough\u003C\u002Ftd>\u003C\u002Ftr>\u003Ctr>\u003Ctd>Health insurance\u003C\u002Ftd>\u003Ctd>NFZ (also upon taking up work) or a policy covering treatment costs in Poland\u003C\u002Ftd>\u003C\u002Ftr>\u003Ctr>\u003Ctd>Legal stay on the day of application\u003C\u002Ftd>\u003Ctd>excluding, among others, a tourist visa or a visitor visa\u003C\u002Ftd>\u003C\u002Ftr>\u003C\u002Ftbody>\u003C\u002Ftable>\u003Cp>The salary requirement concerns the amount stated in the contract, not actual bonuses or allowances outside it. If remuneration is set at an hourly rate, the contract must clearly guarantee an annual amount above the threshold. For regulated professions (e.g. doctor, architect), formal professional qualifications are also required.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>The list of professions where three years of experience is sufficient was announced by the notice of the Minister of the Interior and Administration of 3 June 2025 and corresponds to Annex I to Directive (EU) 2021\u002F1883. Experience can be documented with employment certificates, references or contracts with clients from the period of running a business.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Ch2>Who cannot apply for the Blue Card\u003C\u002Fh2>\u003Cp>Excluded from the procedure are, among others, people who already hold a permanent residence permit or EU long-term resident status, are staying in Poland on a tourist or visitor visa, benefit from national protection (e.g. consent for tolerated stay), apply for international protection, or are workers posted by a company from another EU state. People from Ukraine using temporary protection can apply only with valid \"UKR\" status. The application cannot be filed from outside Poland.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Ch2>Procedure step by step\u003C\u002Fh2>\u003Col>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Verification of the offer.\u003C\u002Fstrong> Before signing the contract, it is worth comparing the annual remuneration against the 2026 threshold and checking whether the position really requires high qualifications.\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Application in MOS.\u003C\u002Fstrong> The foreigner fills in the form with Annex no. 2 and gives the employer's email address. The employer receives Annex no. 1 (conditions of entrusting work) to complete and signs it electronically. Only then does the foreigner sign and submit the whole package with a trusted profile or qualified signature.\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Attachments.\u003C\u002Fstrong> A scan of all passport pages, a digital photograph, the contract, proof of qualifications (a diploma or documents confirming experience) and documents on insurance. Foreign-language documents require a sworn translation.\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Fees.\u003C\u002Fstrong> The stamp duty for granting the permit is PLN 440, and the fee for issuing the residence card is usually PLN 100.\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Visit to the voivodeship office.\u003C\u002Fstrong> Presentation of the passport, fingerprints and a signature specimen.\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Decision.\u003C\u002Fstrong> The statutory deadline is 60 days from completion of the application. The permit is granted for the period of work plus 3 months — from over 6 months up to 3 years.\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Fol>\u003Cp>The permit does not renew automatically. A new application must be submitted before the current document expires, during legal stay.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Ch2>Obligations after receiving the card\u003C\u002Fh2>\u003Cp>A Blue Card holder has 15 days to notify the voivode in writing of a loss of employment, a change of entity entrusting work, ceasing to meet the conditions or starting long-term mobility in another state. Neglecting this obligation is one of the typical reasons for withdrawing the permit. The new job must still meet the salary threshold and concern a profession requiring high qualifications.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Ch2>Example: a data analyst from India\u003C\u002Fh2>\u003Cp>Mr Ravi is in Poland on a national work visa and receives an offer of a 2-year employment contract with a salary of PLN 14,000 gross per month. Annual remuneration is PLN 168,000, above the threshold of PLN 160,264.08. He has a bachelor's degree (3 years of studies), so he does not need to document experience. He files the application in MOS before his visa expires, pays PLN 440 and obtains a permit for 2 years and 3 months. If the employer offered PLN 13,000 per month, the proper route would be a standard temporary residence and work permit.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Ch2>Most common reasons for refusal\u003C\u002Fh2>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>Contract salary below the threshold in force in the year of application.\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli>Contract shorter than 6 months or inconsistent with Annex no. 1.\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli>A position that does not require high qualifications despite an attractive salary.\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli>Insufficiently documented professional experience.\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli>Employer arrears in ZUS or taxes, or sham activity of the entity entrusting work.\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Ful>\u003Cp>Detailed rules, including the current salary threshold, are published by the \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.mos.cudzoziemcy.gov.pl\u002Fkategorie-informacji\u002Fmozliwosci-legalizacji\u002Fspoza-ue-kontynuacja-pobytu\u002Fzezwolenie-czasowy\u002Fpraca\u002Fniebieska-karta\u002F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">MOS portal of the Office for Foreigners\u003C\u002Fa>.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Ch2>How Good Balance helps\u003C\u002Fh2>\u003Cp>We check whether the job offer meets Blue Card conditions, prepare the MOS application together with the employer and represent the client at the voivodeship office — details in our service \u003Ca href=\"\u002Fen\u002Fservices\u002Flegalization\u002Fblue-card\">EU Blue Card\u003C\u002Fa>. If the threshold cannot be met, we handle a case for a \u003Ca href=\"\u002Fen\u002Fservices\u002Flegalization\u002Fresidence-permit-employment\">temporary residence and work permit\u003C\u002Fa>. We cover moving an entire family and company in our guide \u003Ca href=\"\u002Fen\u002Fadvice\u002Frelocation-to-poland\">Relocation to Poland\u003C\u002Fa>.\u003C\u002Fp>","2026-10-09"]