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EU Blue Card Poland: salary threshold, requirements and application

EU Blue Card – temporary residence permit for highly qualified work

In short

The EU Blue Card in Poland is a single residence and work permit for highly qualified jobs. For applications in 2026 the contract must pay at least PLN 160,264.08 gross a year (above PLN 13,355.34 a month), last at least 6 months, and you need a 3-year degree or 5 years of relevant experience. Turkish citizens are exempt from the local surplus-occupation list.

Apply on MOS – Moduł Obsługi Spraw (Office for Foreigners e-application portal) checked 23 October 2026

Key facts

Maximum stay
3 months longer than the work contract, from more than 6 months up to 3 years
Validity
More than 6 months to 3 years; not renewed automatically
Fee
PLN 440Stamp duty paid on application, plus PLN 100 for the residence card. No separate work permit fee.
Funds required
PLN 13,355.34 per monthGross pay must exceed 150% of the 2025 average national wage: at least PLN 160,264.08 a year, i.e. above PLN 13,355.34 a month (1.5 x PLN 8,903.56 x 12) for 2026 applications.
Processing time
Within 60 days of a complete application
Work
Yes, in the highly qualified job covered by the permit, without a separate work permit
Family
Family members can apply for family reunification at once, even at about the same time as the Blue Card application
Path to permanent residence
EU long-term residence after 5 years; with the 2+3 rule, Blue Card years in other EU states can count if the last 2 years were in Poland
Where to apply
In Poland via MOS during a legal stay (not on a tourist or family-visit visa)

Who qualifies

Third-country nationals with high professional qualifications who will work in a job requiring specialised knowledge. Qualifications come from completed higher education of at least 3 years at a recognised university, or from 5 years of professional experience at a comparable level; for certain IT occupations listed by the Interior Minister on 3 June 2025, 3 years of experience suffice.

The contract — employment, home-work or civil-law contract — must be concluded for at least 6 months. In regulated professions you also need the professional recognition required in Poland.

Salary threshold for 2026

Annual gross pay under the contract must be at least 150% of the average wage in the national economy in the year before the application. For applications submitted in 2026 that means at least PLN 160,264.08 a year, or more than PLN 13,355.34 gross a month.

How and where to apply

The Blue Card is applied for in Poland, in the MOS portal, while you are staying legally; stays on a visa for tourism or for visiting family or friends are excluded. The voivode of your place of residence decides within 60 days. Stamp duty is PLN 440 plus PLN 100 for the card.

The job must not be on the starost's list of surplus occupations, but this does not apply to Turkish citizens, to people continuing the same job, or to those who have worked 2 years on a Polish Blue Card.

  1. Sign a contract of at least 6 months paying above PLN 13,355.34 gross a month, and gather proof of your degree or experience.
  2. Create a MOS account and log in via login.gov.pl with a trusted profile, e-ID or qualified electronic signature.
  3. Fill in the temporary residence application, enter your employer's e-mail and send Annex 1 to the employer, who completes and signs it electronically.
  4. Pay the stamp duty and the PLN 100 card fee into the voivodeship office's two separate accounts and attach the proofs.
  5. Sign and submit the application during your legal stay in Poland and download the official receipt (UPO); your stay remains legal while the case is pending.
  6. Attend the voivodeship office when summoned (at least 7 days' notice) to show your passport, give fingerprints and a signature specimen, and supply any documents requested within the deadline (at least 14 days).
  7. After a positive decision, collect your residence card at the office.

Duties

Notify the voivode in writing within 15 days of the changes listed in the decision, such as losing the job. Work outside the conditions of the permit is unlawful.

Family and mobility

Spouses and children of Blue Card holders can get a family reunification permit without a waiting period and may file almost simultaneously, within 3 days of your own application. Blue Card holders also benefit from easier moves to other EU states and a faster path to EU long-term resident status.

Refusal and appeal

A voivode's refusal can be appealed to the Head of the Office for Foreigners within 14 days of delivery, in writing through the voivode (not via MOS). The appeal should be decided within 90 days. Without an appeal or another basis of stay, you must leave Poland within 30 days of the decision becoming final.

Documents

Required documents

Identity

  • Temporary residence application filled in and signed in MOS via login.gov.pl
  • Current digital photo (JPG) and a scan of all pages of a valid passport (PDF); original passport shown at the visit

Money

  • Proof of payment of the stamp duty and of the PLN 100 residence card fee

Work

  • Employment or civil-law contract for at least 6 months stating pay above the 2026 threshold

Study

  • Diploma of at least 3 years of higher education, or proof of 5 years of relevant experience (3 years for listed IT occupations)

Insurance

  • Health insurance in Poland, or the contract showing you will be insured by law

Other

  • Sworn Polish translations of any foreign-language documents

Supporting documents (where they apply)

Work

  • Professional recognition for regulated professions

Frequently asked questions

Can I apply for the Blue Card from abroad?

The MOS portal accepts the application only from people staying legally in Poland, and not on a tourist or family-visit visa. Ask the Polish consulate responsible for your place of residence which national visa fits your entry to start the job.

Is a foreign university degree accepted?

Yes, if it confirms at least 3 years of higher education completed at a university recognised in its country.

Does the salary threshold change every year?

Yes. It is 150% of the previous year's average national wage, so the figure is recalculated annually; PLN 13,355.34 a month applies to 2026 applications.

Can my spouse work in Poland?

Your spouse gets a family reunification permit; check the work conditions printed on it with the voivodeship office.

Official sources

Summarised from the official sources above. Rules, fees and processing times change: confirm with the embassy or the official portal before you apply.

Other visa types for Poland

Visits and short stays

Business and self-employment

Study and training

  • Student visa Maximum stay: D visa up to 1 year; residence permit 15 months at first, then the length of studies plus 3 months (max. 3 years)
  • Language course visa Maximum stay: As stated on the D visa, at most 1 year; 90 days in any 180 in other Schengen states
  • Researcher visa Maximum stay: Permit for the duration of the research, from more than 3 months up to 3 years
  • Internship and trainee visa Maximum stay: Intern permit: from more than 3 up to 6 months; D visa up to 1 year

Work

  • Work visa Maximum stay: D visa up to 1 year; single permit from more than 3 months up to 3 years
  • Job seeker visa Maximum stay: 9 months, granted once
  • Intra-company transfer visa Maximum stay: Up to 3 years for managers and specialists; up to 1 year for trainee employees
  • Seasonal work visa Maximum stay: At most 9 months per calendar year, counted from the first entry into Schengen that year

Family

Residence

Protection

Poland visa guide