Information guide for international students, not individual legal, tax or medical advice. Check amounts, forms and deadlines on official sources before acting.
Operational framework
In Poland, citizenship, course form, duration, address and work determine different procedures. For an Italian, the process starts from registering the EU citizen’s stay in the Voivodeship; for a non-EU citizen from a national visa and zezwolenie na pobyt czasowy for full-time studies. The following guides separate the two cases and indicate where the rule varies.
EU
Rule:Italians have free access to the market.
What to do:Written contract, tax and ZUS required.
Operational verification:Before closing the «EU» step, connect the current source, the document presented and the receipt; Note the next deadline and who can fix a mistake.
Non-EU full-time
Rule:The permanent student with a suitable visa/study permit can work without a work permit.
What to do:Show title and student card.
Operational verification:In the «Extra-EU full-time» file you keep the complete version, date and issuing authority. If it shows title and student card. this is not possible, ask in writing which alternative test is accepted.
Other courses
Rule:Niestacjonarne, postgraduate or visa for another purpose may require authorization.
What to do:Check before the shift.
Operational verification:Check «Other courses» before paying or signing: identity of the other party, competent territory, amount, deadline and consequence of non-compliance must be from a verifiable source.
Umowa o pracę
Rule:It gives Labor Code, vacation, sick and hourly protections.
What to do:Request a copy before starting.
Operational verification:For «Umowa o pracę» a verbal confirmation is not enough. Save the institution’s response, case number and proof of delivery; reevaluate the transition when you change address, course or job.
Umowa zlecenie
Rule:It is a civil contract with different protections; Students under 26 may have special ZUS rules.
What to do:Don’t confuse it with paid employment.
Operational verification:Before closing the «Umowa zlecenie» step, connect the current source, presented document and receipt; Note the next deadline and who can fix a mistake.
Tongue
Rule:The employer must provide the foreigner with comprehensible content before signing according to applicable rules.
What to do:Keep bilingual version.
Operational verification:The complete version, date and issuing authority are kept in the «Language» file. If it maintains a bilingual version. this is not possible, ask in writing which alternative test is accepted.
Pay
Rule:Monthly/hourly minimum wage changes annually.
What to do:Check PIP and payslip.
Operational verification:Check «Pay» before paying or signing: identity of the other party, competent territory, amount, deadline and consequence of non-compliance must be from a verifiable source.
Hours
Rule:Record hours, breaks, nights, Sundays and overtime.
What to do:Compare contract.
Operational verification:For «Timetable» a verbal confirmation is not enough. Save the institution’s response, case number and proof of delivery; reevaluate the transition when you change address, course or job.
PIT/ZUS
Rule:The employer communicates taxes and contributions according to contract/status.
What to do:Check PUE ZUS and PIT-11.
Operational verification:Before closing the «PIT/ZUS» step, connect the current source, the presented document and the receipt; Note the next deadline and who can fix a mistake.
Safety
Rule:BHP training and medical examination are typical obligations before employment.
What to do:Don’t pay to get around them.
Operational verification:The complete version, date and issuing authority are kept in the «Security» file. If not you pay to get around them. this is not possible, ask in writing which alternative test is accepted.
Exploitation
Rule:Threats on time off, withheld pay and fake contract go to PIP/welfare.
What to do:Save evidence.
Operational verification:Check «Exploitation» before paying or signing: identity of the other party, competent territory, amount, deadline and consequence of non-compliance must be from a verifiable source.
End of relationship
Rule:Notice and remedies depend on the contract.
What to do:Do not sign porozumienie without understanding it.
Operational verification:For “termination of employment” a verbal confirmation is not enough. Save the institution’s response, case number and proof of delivery; reevaluate the transition when you change address, course or job.
2026 student-work and pay rules
From 1 January 2026, the employee minimum is PLN 4,806 gross monthly and the minimum hourly rate for covered civil contracts is PLN 31.40. The monthly rate is national. A full-time higher-education or doctoral student may work without a work permit while holding the qualifying study visa/Article 144 permit, or during a correctly legalised pending application. A student card alone is insufficient; part-time, postgraduate and language study do not inherit the exemption.
A graduate of Polish full-time studies is exempt from a work permit but still needs lawful residence. The graduate job-search/business residence permit is issued once for nine months and must be requested personally, during lawful stay, directly after graduation, with insurance, address and funds.
Umowa o pracę carries Labour Code hours, leave, sickness and termination rights. Umowa zlecenie is civil. A student under 26 may owe no ZUS on zlecenie, so a higher net amount can mean no health cover from that contract. Check tax, contributions and insurance separately.
Personal payroll audit
Each pay cycle compares rosters, hours started/finished, breaks, classification, base rate, increases, allowances, deductions and net received. Record mandatory training, opening/closing and work requested out of shift separately. Don’t wait months: small repeated errors become difficult to reconstruct and some actions have short deadlines.
Keep evidence in a personal account, not just in the employer’s app. Download agreement, payslip and roster; Photograph timesheets if permitted and save messages about changes. Don’t bring customer data or company secrets: document your relationship without violating other people’s privacy.
Evaluate an offer
Before accepting, ask for the company’s legal name/number, location, duties, employment status, guaranteed hours, rate, pay cycle, proof, notice and responsible person. Compare travel costs and times with study and visa. A seemingly high contractor salary may be lower after tax, insurance, leave and non-billable time.
Refuse payments to obtain shifts, mandatory purchase of sponsorship, refund of cash and withheld documents. Do not sign blank sheets or fake timesheets. If housing and work depend on the same person, prepare an alternative plan: losing both increases the power of blackmail.
Proportionate escalation
For a simple error, send calculation and request with a reasonable deadline. For lack of salary, security, discrimination or migratory threat, immediately use the competent body, union, community legal service or student support. In an emergency, protect the person before the tests. Don’t accept a settlement or resignation without understanding waivers, taxes and visa consequences.
Official sources
Verified: 2026-08-14.