Poland visa free work ban for Colombia, Georgia, Venezuela

Since 22 August 2026, nationals of Colombia, Georgia and Venezuela holding a Polish work permit may not work while staying in Poland visa free. The rule comes from labour ministry regulation Dz.U. 2026 poz. 1072. From 15 August 2026 these nationals also lost visa free entry when entering Poland for work, so a work visa is the entry route.

The failure mode: a valid permit and an unlawful start

A Georgian worker holds a valid Polish work permit, enters visa free in September 2026 and starts work. Under Dz.U. 2026 poz. 1072 that work is unauthorised, even though the permit itself is valid. If the employer then files a single permit application to regularise the stay, the application gives no right to work while it is pending, because the worker had not worked on a permit or a registered declaration before 22 August.

The permit is no longer the only document that decides legality. The entry basis now decides it too, and an employer that checks only the permit misses the change.

Who is affected and what changed

The minister issued the list of states under Article 3(4) of the Act of 20 March 2025 on the conditions for entrusting work to foreigners, published as Dz.U. 2025 poz. 621. The labour ministry regulation is dated 31 July 2026.

A separate regulation of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, in force from 15 August 2026, sets an exception from the visa waiver for Georgian, Colombian and Venezuelan nationals entering Poland for work. Both changes concern stays of up to 90 days in any 180 days. A longer stay needs a voivode residence permit or a national visa.

Calendar for an employer recruiting from the three states

1. Before the offer: confirm the worker's nationality and the planned entry basis. A visa free entry is not a basis for work for these three nationalities.
2. Work permit: obtain the permit as before, for example the Type A permit described in our guide to the Poland Type A work permit from the voivode. Seasonal roles follow the route in our note on the Type S seasonal work permit.
3. Visa: the worker applies for a national visa at a Polish consulate with the permit. Entry for work without a visa is closed since 15 August 2026.
4. Start date: the worker starts only after entering on the visa. The visa processing time therefore sits between permit and start, and the start date should be set after the visa is issued.
5. Stay beyond the visa: the employer files for a single permit with the voivode in time. The right to work while it is pending depends on the worker's history, as shown in the table above.

Checks for current staff

An employer with Colombian, Georgian or Venezuelan staff on site should check each file for the date work began and the entry basis. A worker who began before 22 August 2026 on a visa free stay may continue only until that stay ends; the employer should know that end date and have a visa or residence permit in progress before it.

The official explanation is on the public employment services page and the notice of the Polish embassy in Colombia. Green Line answers legality questions on 19524 and at zielonalinia.gov.pl. Open roles in Poland are on the Werklist job board.