Looking to live and work in Central Europe? Poland’s new freelance visa offers the best options!
With no restriction on where you work, who you work for, or how much you're earning, this visa can open the doors to one of Europe's hottest destinations and strongest economies.
Nobody likes to feel alone when moving to a new country, and navigating the bureaucracy of visa processes and self-employment certainly isn't for everyone. To accommodate the needs of freelancers relocating to Europe, English Wizards offers a number of levels of support services. This includes installment options to make this next journey as easy as possible.
Poland is a gorgeous country filled with medieval castles and town squares, breathtaking mountains and lakes, picturesque cobblestone streets, and culture and nightlife that puts much of Western Europe to shame. Oh yeah, and did we mention…it’s affordable.
Not only is the country incredibly beautiful and full of culture, but it also ranks as one of the most livable countries in Europe. The infrastructure is modern and developed, the streets are safe and crime-free, and the population of major cities is largely proficient in English.
Poland's teaching job market is perhaps the biggest and fastest growing in Europe, with more and more language schools opening everyday and looking for qualified teachers.
Just a warning: Many people come to Poland to teach for a semester and end up staying for years. It's just one of those places!
Poland is an incredibly affordable country for all. However, it is incredibly important to be realistic and keep in mind the costs of living. Nobody likes surprises, so below you’ll find the average cost of living in Poland. To make life even easier, English Wizards offers installment plans on all programs & addons.
Rent in Poland can be as low as €200 per month for a room in a shared flat.
A private apartment in a big city like Warsaw will cost between €500 and €700 per month.
It’s generally advised to budget €150 to €550 for a few weeks of temporary accommodation in a hotel or hostel when you first arrive so that you have time to see potential apartments and attend our Orientation Week. Also, keep in mind that most landlords will require a deposit of 1-2 month’s rent before moving in.
Public transport is excellent in Poland, so there’s no need to have a car. A monthly pass is around €25.
A mobile phone plan costs less than €8 per month, and home internet plans start at €15 per month.
After housing and commuting costs, a reasonable budget for living and having fun in Poland is between €300 and €800 per month, depending on your spending habits.
To join either the freelance teaching or digital nomad pathways and be fully legal to live and work in Poland, non-EU citizens are required to have:
Personal Income Tax in Poland is between 6% and 19%, depending on your income level and line of work. Most English teachers, as well as those in most creative professions, pay the lowest tier of income taxes.
If you are required to pay into Poland’s social security and national healthcare system, the cost of this is between 300 and 850 PLN (about €70 to €200) per month. In return, you’ll receive full access to public healthcare and social services in Poland and the entire European Union.
English Wizards takes care of accounting, invoicing, and tax management for our teachers, who are hired on freelance contracts.
Our ongoing monthly fee for this service is between 300 and 350 PLN (about €70) per month. This includes and covers:
You are also welcome to utilize the services of your own accountant; however, this rate is fairly standard for the Polish market. Feel free to read more about the administrative costs of being a freelancer on our blog.
For teachers hired on employment contracts, administration is managed by the school, so there is no additional cost, though the tax rate on this type of contract is considerably higher.
Absolutely!
English Wizards is happy to offer flexible installment payment options. A non-refundable down payment of €500 is due upon registration, however, the remaining balance can be split into installments. Add-ons (such as travel medical insurance and accommodation) can also be paid for as part of your plan.
We recommend splitting your payments into 3 monthly installments, however, we are happy to offer custom payment plans to suit your financial needs. Keep in mind however, that all installments must be paid at least 1 month prior to your arrival.
As a freelancer, you are free to come to Poland and start working whenever you’d like to; however, it’s important to keep visa processing timelines in mind.
For Americans, the visa process is incredibly fast and can be done in as little as 2-4 weeks. Citizens of visa-free countries (e.g., Canada) can also travel to Poland visa-free and submit all the paperwork after arrival; however, this is a more tricky process.
For nationals of countries that require a visa to enter Poland (e.g., South Africa), you can expect the process to take about 4–8 months.
English Wizards offers 3 options for freelancers and others (teachers included!) looking to work in Poland to obtain permission to work (and thus, be eligible to apply for a work visa:
For a full outline of the costs, benefits, drawbacks, and options available for each of the above visa pathways, click the link below, download our full informational here.
Once you’ve obtained permission to work using one of the above pathways, your next step is to go to your nearest Polish embassy and get a visa (Type-D), or if you are already in Poland, go to the Immigration Office to obtain a Temporary Residence Permit (TRC). For more information on these procedures and how we can help you, click here to download our basic guide.
Got more questions? Shoot us an email back and we’ll get back to you ASAP. There’s no such thing as too many questions when it comes to moving abroad!
Yes!
No matter which pathway you choose, you’ll have the same freelance work visa giving you access to the Polish market, so go for gold!
In most cases, yes, you can!
US citizens and citizens of other visa-free countries can come to Poland visa-free and apply for a Residence Permit on the basis of self-employment. Keep in mind that this is a significantly more difficult process than applying for a visa at the embassy in your home country, so if possible, we recommend making a trip to an embassy in your home country.
If you have a residence permit in the country you’re currently based in, and that country has a Polish embassy, then you might be able to get a visa there, but we can’t guarantee that. Contact your nearest Polish consulate or embassy to find out.
If your country of citizenship requires a visa to enter Poland, then unfortunately, you will need to apply for a visa in your home country if you are unable to apply in the country you’re currently based in.
There are currently no nationality restrictions; however, we have found that nationals of certain countries often encounter visa problems. For nationals of English-speaking countries (US, UK, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and South Africa), as well as most Spanish-speaking countries (Mexico, Argentina, Venezuela, Colombia, etc.), we have never had any problems. If you come from another country, we still invite you to apply and will advise you on any potential visa problems you may encounter.
Poland has two options for freelancers to register and get a visa, and while one option is restricted to only certain nationalities, the other option has no restrictions. Our team can advise on which is best for you.
Yes, assuming you meet the rest of the eligibility requirements. A bachelor’s degree is not required for any visas in Poland.
You must, however, have completed high school, secondary education, or your country’s equivalent. To find out more on the minimum standards with accepted education documents, click here.
There are no age restrictions. Age discrimination is illegal in the European Union.
Poland does not require health checks for any visa applications, so there are no medical restrictions. As a self-employed person, you may (depending on your country of origin) be covered by Poland’s national healthcare system through your taxes, and thus from a healthcare point of view, Poland will treat you just like one of its own citizens.
We also recommend looking into the private healthcare plans that we offer if you are concerned about the availability of medical services in Poland.
When it comes to finding work & our placement programs, if you do not have any medical conditions that will impact on your abiltiy to perform the work, your reliability or without detriment to others then please apply!
Those that are wheelchair bound, we truly sympathise with you however Poland’s schools are not known for having great accessibiliy options.
Absolutely! Poland never separates families.
Our standard visa assistance includes assistance for any dependent family members (minor children or non-working spouses) who wish to join you.
Note that this visa will not allow the family member to work. If your family member is also intent on working in Poland, he/she can apply for a freelance visa through us as well!
As this visa is (partially) designed for professionals coming to Poland to seek freelance job opportunities, there is no level of income you must have when applying at the embassy. However, if you are applying without an existing source of income, you will be asked to show that you have enough funds to support yourself as you seek work (usually a few thousand euros is sufficient).
In order to guarantee a comfortable standard of living and the smooth renewal of your visa should you decide to stay longer, we don’t recommend coming if you are not earning (or capable of earning) above 5000 PLN (about 1200 EUR/USD) per month.
On this visa, you will become a tax resident of Poland, meaning you will have to pay and file monthly taxes and (depending on your nationality and visa category) social security. However, our accounting team can process all of our taxes through our payroll system, so you’ll never have to deal directly with the tax office.
Income tax for freelancers in Poland is between 6% and 17%, depending on your type of work (English teachers and others working in education pay the lowest amount). For those covered by Poland’s national healthcare and social security system, social security is charged at a flat rate of between 350 and 700 PLN per month.
For managing taxes, our accounting service costs 300 PLN per month. You are of course welcome to find your own accountant; however, our prices and services are very competitive in comparison to what others offer in the Polish market.
Yes, it is possible, and in fact, it is very common in Poland.
Many companies in Poland, especially in the education, tech, and creative industries, hire full-time staff on freelance contracts (often called “B2B” or “business-to-business” contracts in Poland). About half of the freelancers on our program work exclusively for one company
That being said, since you are a freelancer, there is technically no way for a company to stop you from working another job on the side. The most they can do is threaten to fire you if they find out, as they have no power to cancel your visa or work permit.
If the company does want to hire you on an employment contract rather than a freelance contract, this is possible, of course, but it would require modifying your visa (normally the company takes care of this), and you would lose your above-mentioned privilege to change jobs as a freelancer.
Freelancers paying social security are insured by Poland’s public healthcare system (NFZ) and can utilize free public healthcare services in the entire European Union using a European Health Insurance Card. If you’re coming on the Support Package, our Polish-speaking staff will help you obtain this.
Poland has facilitated bilateral social security agreements with all European Union countries many other countries including the United States, Canada, and Australia, which will allow you to receive your social security benefits in your home country when you reach retirement age.
Absolutely!
All EU-issued visas are valid for travel in the entire Schengen Area, which includes all EU countries except Ireland. Furthermore, a number of other nearby countries such as Albania, Georgia, and Serbia, also accept EU-issued visas.
Maybe spend the winter up in Swedish Lapland with Santa Claus or the summer baking in the sun on the Greek islands? Europe is your oyster!
Absolutely!
English Wizards is happy to offer flexible installment payment options. A non-refundable down payment of €500 is due upon registration; however, the remaining balance can be split into installments. Add-ons (such as travel medical insurance and accommodations) can also be paid for as part of your plan.
We recommend splitting your payments into 3 monthly installments; however, we are happy to offer custom payment plans to suit your financial needs.
“The links to high-value blog posts already make the book worth it, never mind the amazing insight and context provided by Shawn. Must buy for #CodeNewbies looking to break in or senior engineers looking to grow!”
Peter was amazing! He shared wonderful tips, made the most out of our call, and was very attentive and kind! I'm still speechless about it!
Parikshit it honestly one of my favorite grown mentors. He is a wealth of knowledge, loves teaching and the most important part of all, he genuinely want to help and wants to see you succeed! It is always a pleasure to connect with him! I have truly learned so much in such a short amount of time!
“The links to high-value blog posts already make the book worth it, never mind the amazing insight and context provided by Shawn. Must buy for #CodeNewbies looking to break in or senior engineers looking to grow!”
Peter was amazing! He shared wonderful tips, made the most out of our call, and was very attentive and kind! I'm still speechless about it!
Parikshit it honestly one of my favorite grown mentors. He is a wealth of knowledge, loves teaching and the most important part of all, he genuinely want to help and wants to see you succeed! It is always a pleasure to connect with him! I have truly learned so much in such a short amount of time!
Have any questions about our programs or want to know more about English Wizards? Fill out the form and we will get back to you in the next 24 hours.
