EU Blue Card in Poland: requirements, salary threshold and fees
The EU Blue Card is a temporary residence and work permit for highly qualified non-EU workers. For applications in 2026 your gross pay must be at least 160,264.08 zł a year (more than 13,355.34 zł a month), you need a contract of at least 6 months, and the stamp duty is 440 zł plus a 100 zł card fee.
Qualifications
- A completed higher-education programme of at least 3 years, shown by a diploma or equivalent document.
- Or 5 years of professional experience at a level comparable to higher education.
- For some professions 3 years of experience within the last 7 years is enough. The Ministry publishes the list of these professions.
- For regulated professions you must also meet the legal conditions to practise.
Other requirements
- A contract for the job in a highly qualified profession for at least 6 months. It can be an employment or a civil-law contract.
- Annual gross pay of at least 150% of the average national wage from the year before you apply: 160,264.08 zł for 2026 applications (1.5 × 8,903.56 zł × 12).
- Health insurance, or confirmation that an insurer covers treatment in Poland.
- Your occupation must not be on the local closed list. This does not apply if you are a Turkish citizen, continue the same job with the same employer, or worked at least 2 years on a Blue Card in Poland.
Fees, time and validity
- Stamp duty 440 zł and a card fee of 100 zł, paid to separate accounts outside MOS.
- The office should decide within 60 days of a complete application.
- The permit is valid for 3 months longer than the work period, from over 6 months up to 3 years. It does not renew automatically, so apply for a new one before it expires.
How to apply
The steps are the same as for the temporary residence and work permit: MOS account, application and Annex No. 1 signed by the employer, scan of your travel document, photo, proof of both fees, then a visit at the office for fingerprints. Read that guide for the details. You must sign and submit the application yourself.
Why people choose it
MOS says the Blue Card makes it easier to move within the EU and to reach EU long-term resident status faster. If you change employer, you must tell the voivode. See changing employer and the EU long-term resident permit.
Sources
- MOS: EU Blue Card permit
- MOS: Information on fees
- Legal basis: Act on Foreigners art. 127–128 (Dz.U. 2025 item 1079); Stamp Duty Act annex part III, item 2b; Communiqué of the President of Statistics Poland of 9 Feb 2026 (M.P. 2026 item 192: average wage 2025 = 8,903.56 zł); MSWiA notice of 3 Jun 2025 on professions (M.P. 2025 item 549)
Facts checked against the official MOS portal on 25 Oct 2026. Rules and amounts change, so check the source before you act.