15 working days to notify the Voivode
When your job with the employer named in your permit ends, you have 15 working days to notify the Voivode who issued it. The clock starts when the job ends, not when you find a new one. Since 1 June 2025 your employer must also notify, but that doesn't release you.
30 days of protection to find a new job
If you notify the Voivode, your permit won't be revoked for that reason for 30 days after losing the job. In that time you need a new employer and must file an application to change the permit. This protection applies only once during the permit's validity.
Permit change — 220 zł, on paper
An application to change a work and residence permit costs 220 zł, and the card's validity stays the same. It's filed on a paper form with the Voivode, not through MOS. A change application filed within 15 working days of losing the job also counts as notification.
When no change is needed
People with full labour market access don't need to change their permit when changing jobs — for example, spouses of Polish citizens (on that basis), permanent and EU long-term residents, and graduates of full-time studies in Poland. Check your basis before changing jobs.
Changing jobs while your case is pending
If your card application is still pending, notify the Voivode and submit a new Annex 1 from the new employer. Otherwise the office will assess your application against a job you no longer have. The filing certificate confirms legal stay but not the right to work for any employer.
Step by step
- note the date your job ended,
- within 15 working days notify the Voivode or file the change application,
- find a new employer within 30 days,
- prepare a new Annex 1 and contract with them,
- file the permit change application (220 zł).
Alternative: a separate work permit
Instead of changing the single permit, your new employer can get a separate work permit for you via praca.gov.pl. Your card stays the basis of your stay and the new job has its own permit. Sometimes this is faster — it depends on the situation.
Changing terms with the same employer
Changing your job title, pay or working hours with the same employer may also require a permit change. Before signing an annex, check that the new terms fit the decision.
A real-life example
Oleg lost his job on 3 March. He notified the Voivode on 10 March, signed with a new company on 25 March and filed a permit change with a new Annex 1. He met both the 15 working days and the 30-day protection, so his permit wasn't revoked.