Digital Nomad Visa Poland

The aftermath of the pandemic and boom in remote work has led to a rapid growth in remote workers leaving their home countries and turning into “digital nomads.” Roaming the world with a laptop and remote income, a digital nomad is defined by working remotely from a country that is not his or her own—usually for clients or employers that are outside of the nomad’s current country of residence.

Poland’s digital nomad visa is a visa for self-employment, allowing freelancers to come to Poland and work as freelancers. Though not officially for digital nomads, it can be obtained by anyone with active remote income and thus is an excellent option for most digital nomads looking to make Poland their base.

Much like similar visas that are offered in neighboring Germany and the Czech Republic, Poland’s digital nomad visa will allow you to work for clients and businesses within Poland as well, making this visa an excellent choice for those looking to find work in Poland’s booming economy, such as English teachers and IT specialists. There are no limitations on where your clients can be based; your income can come from domestic and/or foreign sources.

This makes Poland’s digital nomad visa unique compared to other digital nomad visas around the EU, such as the ones offered by Estonia and Croatia, which expressly prohibit working for any local clients.

First of all, the limitations.

Because the visa is a freelance work visa and not simply a passive income visa, you must register your freelance activity in Poland. Not that you necessarily have to work for Polish clients, but you will have to register yourself in Poland’s business registry, most commonly as a jednoosobowa działalność gospodarcza, or sole proprietor.

As you probably can’t pronounce jednoosobowa działalność gospodarcza (it’s okay, we can’t either), we’re going to keep referring to this by its much shorter English translation of sole proprietor.

Though this has many benefits, it can also have many drawbacks, such as potentially incurring double taxation. If you already have a business entity registered in your home country, you should consult a tax advisor on the tax implications of registering as a sole proprietor abroad.

This visa is also, unfortunately, not available to everyone.

Much like a similar visa offered in the Netherlands, this visa is only a realistic option for US citizens. Although it is technically available for all nationalities, most other non-EU nationals are not eligible to register as a sole proprietor in Poland without already having residency in the country. Nationals of other countries can (in theory) obtain this visa by registering another form of business activity in Poland, but in practice, this is too costly and complex for most digital nomads to consider.

Most digital nomad visas expressly prohibit access to local social services such as healthcare.

In Poland, it is the opposite. As a sole proprietor, you are required to register in Poland’s national healthcare and social security system, giving you access to healthcare and all the other social benefits that Polish and EU citizens have.

This also allows you to obtain a European Health Insurance Card to access free public healthcare in the entire European Union. Pretty sweet deal, don’t you think?

Of course, this all does come at a cost (taxes, duh), but taxes are always an inevitable part of life. And as a digital nomad based in Europe, you’re usually better off paying taxes somewhere in the EU where you can actually benefit from the social services you’re paying for without going home!

Poland’s digital nomad visa is much faster and more straightforward to obtain than similar visas offered by other EU countries.

Poland does not require documents to be translated into Polish, notarized, or apostilled. Having a local bank account and apartment rental lease is also not required, which can make this a significantly easier visa to obtain for someone who isn’t yet on the ground in Europe. A criminal background check and medical certificate are also not required.

With the help of a lawyer to prepare your documents from within Poland, the one-year visa can be obtained from a Polish consulate in as little as 3-4 weeks. Unlike most other European countries, Poland does not require holders of one-year visas to register their stay upon arrival and apply for a long-term residence card.

Once you have your visa for Poland, that’s it—Poland and the EU are your oyster for a year.

If you want to stay longer, you can extend your stay by applying for a temporary residence permit, using basically the same procedure as above. This can be valid for up to 3 years. You can apply for long-term EU residence after 5 years and citizenship after 8 years, making this visa an excellent option for anyone intending to relocate to the EU for the long term.

Though the paperwork is a bit complicated, many people choose to work with a professional firm to help complete and submit all of the paperwork, as doing it alone would mean having to make a number of trips to various government offices in Poland. Even if you are here, the amount of paperwork required (which needs to be completed in Polish) is enough to deter most applicants from going at it alone.

Poland is part of the Schengen Area, meaning that your visa grants you free movement to 26 European countries. No need to worry about counting your days and the notorious “90/180 rule.”

If you want to escape Poland’s cold winters, you can head down to the Greek islands for a month. Or if you want to spend your summer near the sea, you can spend July and August on the Spanish seaside.

Now how many digital nomad visas offer that type of travel?

The number one requirement for applying for the digital nomad visa in Poland is that you must be registered as a freelancer in Poland and can prove to the Polish government that you can support yourself and your freelance activities through your own independent means.

Along with this, you’ll need to provide the embassy with the following:

• Valid Passport: With at least 18 months of validity
• 2 passport-style photos
• Freelance Registration: That ​​jednoosobowa działalność gospodarcza that we mentioned earlier
• ZUS & NFZ Registration: You’ll need to register with Poland’s social security (ZUS) and healthcare (NFZ) institutions
• Accommodation: It Doesn’t need to be for the entire duration of your stay, but they’ll want to see that you at least have something booked for when you arrive
• Funds and/or Income: You must prove that you have enough funds to cover your stay in Poland. Proof can be provided in the form of bank statements, contracts with clients (see below), credit card limits, or a combination of multiples of the above. The funds must cover:

○ General expenses (about 750 PLN per month)

○ Accommodation (about 1500 PLN per month)

○ A return flight home in case of an emergency (about 2000 PLN)

• Contracts and/or Letters from clients You’ll need something in writing from your client(s) acknowledging that they agree to pay you as a sole proprietor in Poland. If you are coming to Poland to look for freelance work on the ground, you can instead attach correspondence with local businesses expressing interest.
• Medical Insurance: You’ll need to have travel medical insurance valid for the entire European Union covering your first 1-2 months before your national healthcare coverage kicks in.
• Letter of Intent: A short letter explaining your freelance work and your intentions for moving to Poland.
• Completed Application: If applying through an embassy, it can be done online and in English. If applying within Poland, it must be done in Polish.

Additionally, if applying within Poland at the immigration office, you’ll also need to provide:

• Photocopy of Passport: This must include all pages with any stamp or visa affixed
• Long-Term Accommodation: This time, a simple hotel or Airbnb reservation won’t cut it. You’ll need an actual rental agreement signed by a landlord (not an agency). If you are staying with a friend or family member for free, they can write a letter satisfying this requirement.
• Business Plan—including income projections and an expense ledger.
• Proof that your sole proprietor doesn’t have any overdue taxes
• Income Statements: this time you must show that your sole proprietor has active income coming into your Polish bank account. This must amount to at least the median income of your vocation.

● Sworn Translations: Any documents in English or any foreign language must be accompanied by a sworn translation into Polish if applying within Poland.

First and foremost, you need to have your freelance activity registered in Poland before

Anyone will even look at your visa application, so it’s best to start here.

This can only be done from within Poland, so if you are applying from your home country, you will need to use the services of an accountant or lawyer to register you via power of attorney. This takes approximately 1-2 weeks.

If you are in Poland, you can do this in a single visit to any Urząd Miasta (city hall). Though we still recommend enlisting the services of a lawyer or accountant as the paperwork can be quite cumbersome (and it’s all in Polish).

Now it’s time to gather and prepare the other documentation you’ll need to support your application. Your accountant or lawyer can probably help you with some of it.

If you’re applying from within Poland, documents concerning proof of income and lack of missed taxes can (and should) be provided later in the application process, as the office will not expect you to already have income and tax records to show since you’ve only just registered.

Once you’ve got everything ready, it’s time to schedule an appointment. If you’re applying from your home country, you can do this online here along with completing the application form.

If applying from within Poland, contact your city’s Office of Foreigner Affairs to inquire about appointments, as each office has their own system for booking visits. Some require the application to be submitted by mail, and they’ll call you for an appointment at a later date of their choosing. You must apply at the office in the city where you’re living (and have a rental contract to prove that), and within 90 days of entering Poland visa-free.

If all goes well, your visa should be approved! If you applied through a Polish embassy or consulate, your 1-year visa will be ready in a maximum of 2 week’s time. 

The processing of applications made within Poland is considerably longer (about 6–8 months in Krakow and Warsaw), but on the day you apply, they’ll give you a piece of paper or stamp to put in your passport that will act as your “temporary” visa while you wait. And the longer wait might be worth it—visas issued from within Poland (coming in the form of a plastic residence card) are valid for 3 years.

If you’re a freelancer or digital nomad and looking to make a new home for yourself in one of Europe’s best digital nomad destinations, or just looking for a good Schengen digital nomad visa, look no further than Poland.

At English Wizards, we’ve assisted over 100 freelancers and digital nomads to successfully obtain this visa. We’ve got a tried and tested methodology to help you prepare the more complicated parts of your application and supporting documentation and manage the visa process, and we’ll take care of the bureaucratic headaches of registering your sole proprietorship and translating documents into Polish if necessary. 

Ready to get started as well? Contact us and let’s get the ball rolling!