As a general rule, foreigners are entitled to work in Poland if they:
a) stay in Poland legally - based on one of the following: visa, visa-free movement or a residence card - issued by Poland or another Schengen country and
b) have a Polish work permit - if required.
Note: working in Poland is not permitted on the basis of a tourist visa or visa for the purpose of visitting family or friends.
Scientific jobs without work permit
There are three main situations when work permit is not required that is in case of:
- European Union member state nationals as well as nationals of Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Iceland and Norway,
- non-EU nationals who conduct research and teach at public research institutions such as: universities, institutes of the Polish Academy of Sciences and research institutes without work permit. This is regulated by the Act on Higher Education and Science.
- non-EU full-time students and doctoral candidates in doctoral schools, as well as alumni of these.
There are also other cases that may be related to scientific employment when work permit is not required:
- foreigners who run a training course, participate in professional training, fulfil an advisory or supervisory function or other function requiring special qualifications and skills within European Union programmes or other international aid programmes, also based on loans taken by the government of Poland,
- foreigners who conduct occasional lectures or presentations of a particular scientific or artistic value (up to 30 days in a calendar year),
- have temporary residence permit in order to join a family member in Poland, i.a. family members of scientists and highly-skilled professionals holding the EU Blue card permit,
- citizens of Armenia, Belarus, Moldova, Russia, Ukraine and Georgia: citizens of these countries can work in Poland without the work permit up to 6 months within subsequent 12 months. In order to employ a foreigner, the Polish employer has to register in a labour office (urząd pracy) a special declaration of intending to hire him/her,
- holders of the long-term EU resident permit,
- family members of the Polish and EU nationals,
- as well as refugees and persons covered by humanitarian protection.
As far as scientific employment is concerned, generally speaking, the work permit is required in the private sector, e.g. in private companies, factories, in industry, etc.
It is the employer who has to apply for the work permit for the hired foreigner. Work permits (like the residence permits) are issued by voivodship offices in the region of employer's location. The work permit authorizes the foreigner to work only for this particular employer specified in the work permit.
More on work permit
website of the Office for Foreigners