Poland work visa from Serbia: work permit, visa-free rules, documents and Belgrade submission

Short answer

Recruitment, the work permit and the document that legalises the stay are separate. The correct route depends mainly on how long the candidate will stay in Poland.

What this page covers

• Recruitment, the work permit and the document that legalises the stay are separate. The correct route depends mainly on how long the candidate will stay in Poland.
• For employment by a Polish entity, the employer submits the work-permit application and attachments electronically through praca.gov.pl to the competent Voivode.
• The old expression “Type A work permit” remains a familiar search term, but current Polish procedures use updated application names. The work permit is employer-side authorisation and is not a visa.
• Who files it? MaViAl as the Polish employer. The candidate supplies the passport and professional documents required for the employer-side case.
• Serbian citizens are generally visa-exempt for short stays in the Schengen area for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. Polish rules allow a visa-exempt foreigner to enter for employment if the person has the required work authorisation and satisfies border-entry requirements.
• Important: visa-free entry is not permission to work by itself. It only removes the short-stay visa requirement.

Current legal framework

• Work authorisation, a national visa and legal stay are separate requirements.
• The employer handles the correct work basis; the applicant must follow the instructions of the competent Polish mission.
• An employer document does not guarantee a visa, entry or a favourable authority decision.

Practical next steps

1. Identify the exact purpose and the applicable procedure.
2. Reconcile the employer, nationality, work, place, contract and legal stay.
3. Check the current requirements in the official sources below.
4. Send orders, technical briefs and questions only to Contact.

Official sources

• ELI: Dz.U. 2025 poz. 621
• Gov.pl: Polish missions abroad
• Praca.gov.pl: employing foreigners