Poland Work Permit from Vietnam: Typ A Permit, Hanoi Embassy and 2026 Costs

Is Poland realistic for Vietnamese workers in 2026?

Yes. Poland has one of the largest Vietnamese communities in Europe, decades old, and Polish factories, warehouses and construction firms have recruited directly from Vietnam for years. The permit route is faster than Italy and the quota is not the bottleneck. The bottleneck is the visa appointment: the Polish embassy in Hanoi has had long queues, and appointment slots have at times been resold by middlemen, which is itself a scam to recognise.

Wages are above Romania and below Germany; a legal Polish job with accommodation sorted is one of the more reliable ways into the EU for a Vietnamese worker without special qualifications.

The legal route: zezwolenie na pracę typ A, filed by the employer

In Poland the employer applies to the voivode (the regional governor's office, urząd wojewódzki) for a work permit, the zezwolenie na pracę typ A, naming you. Since the 2025 reform the process is electronic through the praca.gov.pl system and the labour market test has been largely removed, which cut waiting times; the employer must still offer at least the minimum wage and the same conditions as to a Polish worker. The simplified "declaration" route (oświadczenie) is only for six nationalities (Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, Georgia, Armenia) and does not apply to Asian origins; you need the full permit.

With the permit, you apply for a national visa type D at the Polish mission competent for your country. After arrival you can switch to a temporary residence and work permit (zezwolenie na pobyt czasowy i pracę) at the voivode's office, which ties your stay to the job rather than to the visa. Authority: gov.pl (Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy) and the Office for Foreigners, udsc.gov.pl. Realistic timeline: two to four months for the permit, then the visa appointment, which in some missions is the slowest step.

Applying in Vietnam

The Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Hanoi is competent for Vietnamese citizens; appointments are booked through the official e-Konsulat system, free of charge. Documents:

• Passport: valid beyond the visa, free pages.
• Work permit typ A: the original issued to the employer, plus the employment contract or binding offer.
• Criminal record: Phiếu lý lịch tư pháp, recent.
• Legalisation: Vietnam is not in the Hague Apostille Convention: notarised translation, Vietnamese MOFA certification, legalisation at the Polish embassy.
• Health insurance: valid for Schengen, minimum €30,000 cover, for the entry period.
• Proof of accommodation: from the employer.

Fees and the real total

The Polish national visa fee is €80 (roughly 2.1 to 2.3 million VND). The work permit fee (about 100 PLN) is paid by the employer. Your costs in Vietnam:

• Judicial record: about 200,000 VND.
• Legalisation and translations: about 2 to 5 million VND.
• Health insurance: about 1 to 2 million VND.
• One-way ticket Hanoi to Warsaw: about 15 to 25 million VND.
• Licensed export-labour company fee: capped by Vietnamese law; get the written schedule and a receipt.

Legal total: the equivalent of €900 to €2,500 including a lawful company fee. The appointment itself is free; anybody charging for a slot is reselling what the embassy gives away. As of October 2026, check fees on the embassy's page.

Trades where Poland hires Vietnamese workers

Warehouse and logistics around Warsaw, Łódź and Poznań; electronics and automotive assembly in Silesia and Lower Silesia; food processing; construction; and the restaurant trade inside the Vietnamese community itself. Forklift (UDT) and welding certificates earn more; say which you hold.

After you land: PESEL, the residence card and your rights

Register your address at the municipal office to get a PESEL number, which you need for the bank, the tax office and the doctor. Your employer must register you with ZUS (social insurance) within seven days; ask to see the ZUS confirmation, it is the proof your job is legal. Before your visa runs out, apply at the voivode's office for the temporary residence and work permit (karta pobytu); the receipt stamp in your passport lets you stay and work while it is processed, which can take months in Warsaw and Wrocław. Polish labour law gives you a written contract, paid overtime, 20 or 26 days of leave, and sick pay. Agency work (agencja pracy tymczasowej) is legal and common, but the agency, not the warehouse, is then your employer and your permit names it. Also in the first weeks: a Polish SIM and a bank account in your own name (banks accept a passport and a PESEL), photographs of every page of your contract and every payslip, and the address of the nearest State Labour Inspectorate (PIP) office, which takes complaints about unpaid wages and unsafe housing from foreign workers and does not ask about your permit status to do so. The Vietnamese community in Warsaw (around Wólka Kosowska and the old stadium markets) is the fastest source of truth about which agencies and employers are honest.

A monthly budget that is honest. A minimum-wage contract leaves roughly €800 to €950 net a month as of 2026; warehouse and factory jobs with shifts and overtime often reach €1,000 to €1,300. Shared accommodation arranged by an agency costs €100 to €200 a month; food €150 to €250; transport €20 to €40. Vietnamese workers in Poland commonly send home €300 to €500 a month after the first months of fee repayment. Compare these with the figure the company promised you; if the promise is far above, ask where the difference comes from.

Scams aimed at Vietnamese workers going to Poland

• Paid appointment slots: the embassy's booking system is free. A fee for a slot is a fee for nothing.
• Company fee above the legal cap: compare with the MOLISA cap and demand a receipt.
• A 'permit' that is only an application: ask to see the issued decision with your name, not a filing confirmation.
• Employer swap on arrival: the permit names the employer; a different one is a new permit or an illegal job.

How to check the employer before you pay anything

Polish companies are in the National Court Register (KRS, ekrs.ms.gov.pl) or, for sole traders, in CEIDG; both are free to search online and show the company name, address, representatives and whether it is active. Every employer also has a NIP (tax number) you can check in the Ministry of Finance white list. A temporary work agency must be in the KRAZ register (stor.praca.gov.pl); if your employer is an agency and is not there, it cannot legally place you.

Before you sign anything

First, four things people get wrong:

• Myth: a Polish work visa lets you work anywhere in the EU: fact: it lets you work in Poland, for the employer on the permit. Working in Germany on a Polish permit is illegal.
• Myth: the permit belongs to you: fact: it is issued for a named employer and position. Changing jobs means a new permit, which is possible but must be done before you start.
• Myth: you must speak Polish to get the permit: fact: no language test is required. Warehouses and factories hire with English or none; language matters for promotion and for the long-term permit later.

Then the checks that take ten minutes and save months:

• Named employer with a NIP or KRS number: checkable in Poland's registers.
• Written contract: salary, hours, accommodation cost, who pays the ticket.
• Your passport stays yours: always.
• Keep receipts: for every payment to the company.

Where this leaves you

If you have read this far, you already know more than most people who hand money to an agent. The pages below go one level deeper on the pieces that matter for your case.

• Poland work visa 2026: types, cost, processing time, how to apply
• Poland work permit processing time
• Warehouse and logistics jobs in Poland
• Welder jobs in Poland for foreign workers

The Workuro profile is free, employers search it and contact you, and nobody is ever charged to be listed - create a free profile.