Many international students can work without a separate work permit, but “I am a student” is not a complete legal assessment. You must check the relevant exemption, your actual form of studies and the residence basis under which you are staying.
What changed in July 2026?
The Labour Inspectorate’s September 2026 notice says the transitional arrangements ended on 30 June 2026. For the full-time student exemption, the institution’s status now matters as well as the study mode. The regulation refers to approved institutions and institutions exempt from approval under the specified conditions, including the relevant absence of a ban.
Check the institution against the Ministry of Interior’s information and lists. Do not decide from whether the university is public or private alone, and do not reuse an assessment made under the earlier transitional period without checking it.
Which route are you relying on?
There are different legal reasons a person might be entitled to work. Someone may rely on a qualifying student exemption, an appropriate residence permit or another independent basis. A limitation on one route does not automatically decide every other route. The foreign employment legislation is the starting point for that wider assessment.
Part-time study, a language course and a full-time university programme should not be treated as equivalent. Read study types and residence routes before presenting your documents to HR.
A checklist for you and HR
- Confirm the current study mode and that you actually hold student status.
- Identify the institution by its full legal name and check its applicable status.
- Read your current visa or residence decision, including its purpose and validity.
- Identify the precise work basis or exemption being relied on.
- Record events that require a new check: graduation, interruption, removal from the student list, change of institution or residence status.
Keep current evidence of enrolment and the relevant documents. A student card can be useful evidence but should not replace a review of all the conditions.
What about hours and holidays?
Do not import a “20-hour” or “40-hour” immigration limit from another country into a Polish assessment. First establish the applicable Polish work basis; the employment arrangement and continued genuine study also matter. If someone quotes a limit, ask for the rule and the situation to which it applies.
For a pending residence case, see working while waiting. For the end of your course, see residence after graduation. Our student service helps connect the residence case with those changes.