Work · Visas
EU Blue Card in Poland: conditions, salary, and how it differs from a residence card
Poland Path editorial team — Reviewed by a practising immigration consultant7 min
What it is and who it suits
The EU Blue Card (Niebieska Karta UE) is a variety of residence card for highly qualified workers. It's essentially the same stay-and-work permit, but with higher requirements and a couple of meaningful upsides.
Basic conditions:
- Higher education (usually 3+ years of study) or proven professional experience in your field
- An employment or civil-law contract for at least 6 months
- A salary at or above the set threshold — 150% of the national average wage
Why it beats the ordinary card
This is what people take it for:
- EU mobility: after 12 months of working on a Blue Card in Poland it's easier to move to another EU country on the same kind of card
- Time on a Blue Card counts towards pobyt stały
- Family reunification is easier
- Less tied to one employer when changing jobs after the first year
The catches
For the first months the card is firmly tied to a specific employer and role: changing jobs requires a notification, and sometimes a new decision.
Official source: www.gov.pl