During the war, more and more Ukrainians look at Poland not only as a country of temporary refuge, but as a place for long-term life, work and integration into European society. In 2025, Poland offers citizens of Ukraine a unique chance to build a stable professional future thanks to the updated procedure for obtaining the Blue Card of the European Union. It is a real mechanism for obtaining long-term stability, social guarantees and legal protection.
What is a Blue Card and why is it needed?
The EU Blue Card is a special type of temporary residence permit created for highly qualified foreigners from countries outside the European Union. Its main goal is to facilitate legal involvement in the labor market of those specialists who have education, in-demand skills and work experience in their specialty. Poland introduced the Blue Card in 2012. Since June 2025, the system has undergone significant changes that have made this program even more accessible and profitable for foreigners, in particular, for Ukrainian citizens.
The main advantage of the Blue Card is not only legalization of stay in Poland. This status provides stability, an opportunity to obtain a permanent residence permit faster, simplifies the procedure for changing jobs, opens wide access to the labor market for family members and guarantees faster integration into Polish society.
Who can apply for a Blue Card in 2025
The Blue Card in Poland is aimed at specialists who have a higher education, sufficient professional experience and have concluded an employment contract with a Polish employer. In 2025, important changes took place that expanded the range of potential applicants.
The most noticeable change is the shortening of the minimum term of the employment contract. If earlier a minimum one-year contract was required to apply for a Blue Card, now it is enough to sign an agreement for six months. Thanks to this, even those candidates who are accepted for a probationary period or a short-term project have the right to apply for this status.
In addition, the state has set a clear financial bar. In 2025, the minimum wage for Blue Card candidates is PLN 12,272.58 gross per month. This level of salary is equal to 150% of the average salary in Poland for the past year. This requirement was introduced so that only qualified specialists applied for the Blue Card, and employers could not undercut wages.
Professional experience remains an important condition for obtaining a card. Five years of experience in the relevant profession is usually required. However, in 2025, Poland published a new list of professions for which a simplified approach applies: three years of experience in the last seven years is sufficient. This list includes programmers, database administrators, cyber security specialists, IT managers, specialists in AR/VR, digital forensics, medical informatics and other related fields.
What documents are required to obtain a Blue Card
Obtaining a Blue Card requires a complete package of documents. It is important to collect all documents carefully, as any inaccuracy can seriously delay the processing of the case or lead to rejection.
The applicant must submit an official application form for obtaining a temporary residence permit, appendix #1 (to be filled out by the employer with company data, position, salary level, and contract term), appendix #2 (to be completed by the applicant himself, indicating personal data, education, experience, address in Poland, and stay plans). A valid foreign passport with copies of all pages, up-to-date photos measuring 3.5×4.5 cm, employment contract for at least six months, documents on education with a sworn translation into Polish, certificates of professional experience, proof of residence in Poland, health insurance policy (state ZUS or private), receipts for the payment of the state fee for processing the case and making a card must be attached. In some cases, an elder’s opinion may be required, but for the Blue Card this requirement is more often waived.
How to apply for a Blue Card
The application is submitted in person to the Voivodeship Office for Foreigners at the place of residence or work. Pre-registration is usually done online. After submitting the documents, the applicant submits biometric data. While the case is pending, a certificate is issued that legalizes the stay in Poland.
Although by law the procedure should take one month, in practice the review period is usually several months. However, Blue Card applications are often processed faster than other categories of residence permits.
The term of validity of the Blue Card is directly linked to the term of the employment contract. If the contract is for a minimum of six months, the permit is issued for nine — that is, three months are added in case of delays, with a subsequent extension. The maximum validity period of the card is three years. After this period, the card can be extended by submitting a new application before the expiration date.
What to do when changing jobs or employment conditions
One of the key advantages of the Blue Card is flexibility after two years of its validity. After this period, the card holder has the right to change the employer, position or even the field of activity without obtaining a new permit. It is enough to simply inform the voivode about the changes within 15 days. If the changes take place earlier, a separate permission of the voivode is required.
New rules have also been established in case of job loss: after two years of work, the Blue Card holder gets six months to find a new place of employment — previously this period was only three months. However, in case of serious violations – work outside of the specialty, violations of contractual obligations, or problems with tax or social benefits on the part of the employer – the card can be canceled.
What rights does the Blue Card give to the owner’s family
The blue card allows legal stay in Poland not only for the specialist himself, but also for his family. The couple receives a residence permit with the right to work in Poland without restrictions and a separate permit. Children have the right to study in public schools and universities on an equal basis with Polish citizens. If the card holder comes to Poland from another EU country, where he already had this status, family members can be legalized in Poland within 30 days after arrival.
What innovations have appeared since June 2025
Since June 2025, the Blue Card system in Poland has received a number of important updates that significantly changed the rules of the game:
The minimum term of the contract was reduced to six months. The professional experience requirements for the IT field have been simplified: three years of experience in the last seven years. For the first time, it is allowed to open one’s own business — to register an individual entrepreneurial activity while maintaining a valid employment contract. New concepts of mobility were introduced: short-term (up to 90 days) work in other EU countries without additional permits.
In addition, the mandatory linking of the card to a specific employer after two years of stay has been abolished. The term of job search after dismissal has been increased to six months. The procedure for transferring to a Polish Blue Card has been simplified for those who previously had it in another EU country – the review period is limited to 30 days, and in case of refusal, there is the right to appeal within 60 days.
The 2025 reform made the Blue Card not just a work permit, but actually a tool for professional integration, long-term stability, protection of family rights and gradual transition to permanent status in the EU. For Ukrainian specialists who plan to build their lives in Poland, this card is the most effective legal mechanism.
