Poland work visa from South Africa: documents, process, Procedure and documents and Pretoria submission

Short answer

Recruitment, the Polish work permit, e-Konsulat appointment allocation and the national D visa are separate stages controlled by different parties.

What this page covers

• Recruitment, the Polish work permit, e-Konsulat appointment allocation and the national D visa are separate stages controlled by different parties.
• 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 former term “Type A work permit” remains a familiar search phrase, but current procedures use updated electronic work-permit application names. The work permit is employer-side authorisation; it is not a visa.
• Who files it? MaViAl as the Polish employer. The candidate provides the passport and professional evidence required for the employer-side case.
• Since 24 April 2026, Pretoria uses an external video-verification tool for national-visa appointment registration. It verifies the applicant’s identity and identity document.
• Priority is not a guarantee. Video verification does not guarantee an appointment on a particular date and does not influence the final visa decision.

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