Warehouse and Logistics Jobs in Poland for Foreign Workers (2026)

Poland has quietly become continental Europe's warehouse floor. Sitting on the east-west corridor between Germany and the rest of the EU, it now has one of Europe's largest stocks of modern warehouse space, and global e-commerce and retail groups run some of their biggest fulfilment operations there. Wages are lower than in the west - but for non-EU workers, Poland's permit system is by far the most accessible in this list, which changes the whole calculation.

The hub map

• Central Poland - Łódź and Stryków - the crossroads of the A1 and A2 motorways, packed with national and European distribution centres.
• Warsaw region - e-commerce fulfilment and retail distribution serving the capital.
• Upper Silesia - Katowice, Gliwice, Sosnowiec - industrial logistics tied to automotive and manufacturing.
• Poznań and Wrocław - western hubs serving German-bound flows; many centres here ship next-day into Germany.

Permits: Poland's real advantage

EU citizens work freely, but the striking thing is how workable Poland is for non-EU workers:

• Declaration of entrusting work - a simplified, fast procedure for citizens of several eastern-neighbourhood countries, allowing legal work for up to 24 months with minimal bureaucracy. Ukrainian workers, who form the backbone of Polish logistics labour, largely work under this or protection-based rules.
• Standard work permit (type A) - employer-applied, routinely granted for warehouse roles because genuine labour shortage is easy to demonstrate; workers from Asia, the Caucasus and Latin America are increasingly common in Polish fulfilment centres.
• Labour-market access via residence - unified residence-and-work permits for longer stays.

Processing backlogs are real and agencies play a big role - use registered ones only, and remember that no legitimate employer or agency charges workers for a job offer. Our guide to EU work permits and visas explains how a Polish permit relates to the rest of the EU (short version: it does not let you work elsewhere).

Pay in zloty, honestly

Poland's minimum wage has risen sharply for years and in 2026 puts full-time minimum earnings very roughly around 1,100 euros gross per month equivalent. Warehouse work typically pays at or somewhat above that - hourly rates commonly around 30 to 38 zloty gross with night and weekend supplements - and certified forklift operators earn more. That is a third of Dutch pay, but Polish living costs are commensurately lower, and workers with employer-arranged housing can save genuinely. Treat all figures as approximate.

The UDT forklift licence

Poland regulates forklifts strictly: operators need a licence issued after an exam before the Office of Technical Inspection (UDT), split by equipment category. Courses are cheap by western standards and widely available, some in Ukrainian or English. A UDT licence is a state document - stronger paper than many western employer certificates - and documented UDT experience is respected by employers across central Europe.

Conditions and cost of living

Large fulfilment centres run four-shift systems around the clock; peak season (October to December) brings heavy overtime, which is where earnings really accumulate. Shared accommodation arranged via agencies commonly costs a modest weekly deduction - get the amount in writing. Łódź and Silesia are cheap to live in; Warsaw noticeably less so.

Practical tips

• Take the UDT course early - it is the cheapest forklift licence you will ever buy in the EU.
• Basic Polish helps, but big international sites manage onboarding in English, Ukrainian and Russian.
• Peak-season contracts (September starts) are the easy way in; strong performers get kept on.

Poland as a first rung, not a last stop

Many workers treat Poland strategically: it is where you enter the EU labour market legally, build documented experience and certificates, and then decide whether to stay or step west. Staying has a case - Polish wages keep converging with the west, team-leader roles open quickly for workers who learn Polish, and years of legal residence count toward EU long-term resident status, which after five years can ease access to other EU labour markets. Stepping west has a case too, but understand the legal limits: a Polish work permit does not authorise work in Germany or the Netherlands, and posting arrangements that claim otherwise deserve careful scrutiny - genuine posting is temporary, employer-driven and keeps your Polish contract, while fake posting schemes are a known abuse. Whatever your plan, insist on formal employment (umowa o prace) rather than loose civil contracts where you can, because it builds the social-security record that every later step - permits, pensions, mortgages - stands on.

This is general information, not legal advice. Check current rules with the Polish Office for Foreigners (gov.pl) and your local voivodeship office before committing.

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