Georgia, Colombia, Venezuela: work in Poland only with a visa — what has changed

Citizens of Georgia, Colombia and Venezuela can no longer come to Poland to work on their passport alone. Since 15 August 2026 entry in connection with work requires a visa, and since 22 August 2026 a visa-free stay is not enough to work on the basis of a work permit (zezwolenie na pracę). These are two separate changes, introduced by two regulations. We explain who they affect and what to do if you are already in Poland.

Change 1: a visa to enter for work (since 15 August 2026)

Visa-free travel (entry without a visa, on a biometric passport alone) normally lets you stay in the Schengen area for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. A regulation of the Minister of Foreign Affairs introduced an exception to this rule. Citizens of:

• Georgia,
• Colombia,
• Venezuela

who enter Poland in connection with being entrusted with work must have a visa (§ 2 and § 3 of the regulation).

In the Act, “entrusting work” (powierzenie pracy) is a very broad term. It covers not only an employment contract (umowa o pracę) but also, among others, a contract of mandate (umowa zlecenia), a contract for services (umowa o świadczenie usług), a contract for specific work (umowa o dzieło) and help with harvesting (Art. 2(9) of the Act on the conditions for entrusting work to foreigners). So you need a visa regardless of the type of contract.

Tourists and people visiting family can still enter without a visa — the exception applies only to entry in connection with work.

If you entered before 15 August 2026 — the previous rules apply to you (§ 4 of the regulation).

Change 2: no work on a permit while visa-free (since 22 August 2026)

The second regulation, issued by the Minister of Family, Labour and Social Policy, provides that citizens of Venezuela, Georgia and Colombia are not entitled to work on the basis of a work permit while staying in Poland visa-free (§ 1). A work permit from the voivode alone is not enough — you need another basis of stay, e.g. a visa or a residence permit.

Transitional rule (§ 2): if, during a visa-free stay and holding a work permit, you started work before 22 August 2026, you may continue on the previous terms — but only until your visa-free stay ends. The Ministry stresses that this rule does not protect people who were only planning to work or who obtained a permit later.

If you applied for a temporary residence and work permit

According to the Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy (PSZ portal, 20.08.2026), people who before 22 August 2026 held a valid work permit or a declaration on entrusting work (oświadczenie o powierzeniu pracy) may work while waiting for the decision on the temporary residence and work permit (zezwolenie na pobyt czasowy i pracę). Those who had no such document before cannot work on this basis while waiting.

Note: Georgia no longer uses declarations

Since 1 December 2025 Georgia has not been on the list of countries whose citizens can work on the basis of a declaration on entrusting work to a foreigner (oświadczenie o powierzeniu pracy cudzoziemcowi) (regulation Dz.U. 2025 item 1617). This simplified route now covers citizens of Armenia, Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine. A Georgian citizen therefore, as a rule, needs a work permit or a temporary residence and work permit.

What this means for you

If you are a citizen of Georgia, Colombia or Venezuela:

• Planning to come to work? First apply for a visa at a Polish consulate. Without a visa you do not meet the conditions for entry for work.
• Are you in Poland without a visa and holding a work permit? Check the date you started work and the date you entered. They determine whether you can keep working and until when.
• Do not start work “on trial” without the required documents. Work that your basis of stay does not allow is illegal and may harm your future residence cases.
• If in doubt, call the Zielona Linia helpline (19524) or consult an adviser.

If you are an employer:

• Before hiring a citizen of Georgia, Colombia or Venezuela, check their basis of stay (visa, residence card, passport stamp) and date of entry — a work permit alone is not enough.
• Keep a copy of the residence document in the employee’s records.
• Do not use the declaration on entrusting work when hiring citizens of these countries — that route does not cover them.
• Entrusting work to a person whose basis of stay does not allow work exposes you to sanctions (this is “illegal entrusting of work” within the meaning of Art. 2(2)(b) of the Act).

Legal basis: Regulation of the Minister of Family, Labour and Social Policy of 31 July 2026 on the list of countries whose citizens holding a work permit are not entitled to work during a visa-free stay in the Republic of Poland (Dz.U. 2026 item 1072) — in force since 22 August 2026; Regulation of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of 10 August 2026 establishing exceptions to the visa exemption (Dz.U. 2026 item 1086) — exception applied since 15 August 2026; Act of 20 March 2025 on the conditions for entrusting work to foreigners in the Republic of Poland (Dz.U. 2025 item 621 as amended), Art. 2(2) and 2(9), Art. 3(4); MRPiPS regulation (Dz.U. 2025 item 1617); MRPiPS information on the PSZ portal of 20 August 2026. Legal status as of 5 October 2026.