Short answer: There is no public Polish website where you can check a work permit by passport number. Some regional offices run case-status pages, but they ask for a case number and an access code. The Polish Embassy in India says it does not verify work permits. So check the document type, the employer and the visa steps instead.
In March 2026, Business Standard reported how 55 Indians fell for a Europe job scam run from Noida. Fake visas were sent over WhatsApp and about ₹3.5 lakh was asked for "work visas" to Poland and Finland. The workers found out only when they checked with the embassies.
This guide covers what a real Polish permit is, what you can check from India, how the visa step works, the warning signs, and a checklist to use before you pay anyone.
Can you check a Polish work permit by passport number?
No public Polish tool checks a work permit by passport number, as far as we could find. Some voivodeship (regional) offices offer online case-status pages, but they need the case number and an access code, which the employer has. The Polish Embassy in New Delhi says neither it nor the Ministry of Foreign Affairs verifies the authenticity of work permits.
Those case-status pages, such as the Poznań office's tool or Opole's tool, are regional and mainly built for residence cases. The Embassy's fraud warning confirms it does not verify work permits.
You can still check a lot yourself: whether you hold the right document for an Indian citizen, whether the employer and agency appear in official Polish registers, and whether the permit matches your contract.
No public lookup? Have an expert check the file →
What is a Polish work permit, and who holds it?
A Polish work permit (zezwolenie na pracę) is a decision issued in Poland to your employer, not to you. The voivode (regional governor's office) issues it at the employer's request. Type A covers work for an employer based in Poland, for up to three years, and can be extended. The employer must then pass the decision on to you.
- Who issues it. The voivode issues types A to E. Seasonal permits are issued by the district labour office (starosta) (Office for Foreigners). The Embassy and Ministry of Foreign Affairs do not issue work permits (Embassy).
- How the employer applies. Under the Act of 20 March 2025, employers file permit applications only electronically through praca.gov.pl. Applications sent any other way are left unprocessed (Act, Dz.U. 2025 poz. 621).
- Who pays. The employer pays the fee: PLN 400 for work over three months, PLN 200 for up to three months, PLN 100 for a seasonal permit (Regulation of 20 November 2025). It isn't a fee a worker pays an agent.
- What the employer must do next. Since 1 June 2025, the employer must pass the permit decision to the worker, sign a written contract, and send a copy to the authority before work starts (Warsaw labour office summary).
- Labour market test. The same summary says it has been largely abolished for new applications.
Can an Indian citizen get an oświadczenie instead of a work permit?
No, an Indian citizen can't get an oświadczenie: since 1 December 2025, the oświadczenie (declaration) covers only citizens of Armenia, Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine. Georgia was removed from the list. An Indian citizen normally needs a work permit or a seasonal work permit. If an agent offers you one, ask why: it's the wrong document for your passport.
Sources: psz.praca.gov.pl, biznes.gov.pl.
| Document | Who issues it | Open to Indian citizens? | What the worker receives |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work permit (type A) | Voivode, at the employer's request | Yes | The permit decision, passed on by the employer |
| Seasonal work permit | District labour office (starosta) | Yes | The permit, passed on by the employer |
| Oświadczenie (declaration) | Simplified route via the labour office | No: only Armenia, Belarus, Moldova, Ukraine | Nothing, if you hold an Indian passport |
What can you check before the visa stage, and what can't you?
From India you can check the employer, the Polish agency, whether the permit matches your contract, and whether the visa process is real. You cannot publicly confirm that a permit decision exists for you, or see its status without the employer's case number and access code. A PDF also cannot show a document's security features.
| You can check | How | You can't check publicly |
|---|---|---|
| The employer exists and matches | the KRS company register, CEIDG for sole traders (searched on Biznes.gov.pl), and the VAT "white list" | Whether a permit decision exists for you |
| The Polish agency is licensed | KRAZ register of employment agencies | The permit's status without the case number and access code |
| The permit matches your contract | Compare employer name and address, position, pay, hours, contract type and dates | Security features, which a PDF or photo can't show |
| The visa process is real | Your own e-Konsulat registration; a VFS appointment by email after the draw |
Ask the employer, not the agent, for the case number and the name of the voivodeship office. Then contact that office through its official website, never through a phone number or link the agent gives you.
What should a real Polish work permit show?
Every Polish work permit states the type of agreement, the position, full-time or part-time work or the working hours, and the lowest salary. A real permit should also name the issuing voivode, a case number, the employer and you. These details should match your employment contract exactly. Mismatches are a reason to stop.
Source: public employment services leaflet, which also says the employer applies for the permit and hands it to the worker.
The Embassy's visa checklist asks for the "original and valid work permit and its copy" (Embassy). Compare it line by line with the offer and contract. If the employer, job title, salary, workplace or dates differ, ask the employer directly before you pay.
A PDF can't show security features or whether the employer is real. Get your documents checked →
How do you check a Polish job offer and permit from India, step by step?
Work through six checks: identify what you actually hold, look up the employer, check the agency, compare the permit with the contract, get the case number from the employer, and register for the visa yourself. Each step uses an official Polish or Indian source. If one step fails, stop paying until you have a clear answer.
1. Identify what you have
Offer letter, contract, work permit, "oświadczenie", "embassy authorization letter" or visa scan? The Embassy says it issues no authorization letters (fraud warning).
2. Check the employer
Search CEIDG (linked in the table above) or the KRS register by name, NIP or KRS number. The name and address must match the permit and contract. Find the employer's contact details yourself.
3. Check the agency
A Polish employment agency must be listed in KRAZ. Polish agencies may not charge you for finding work; they may only recover actual costs such as travel, visa, medical exams or translation (Opole regional labour office; National Labour Inspectorate). Your Indian recruiting agent should be registered on the Ministry of External Affairs' eMigrate portal.
4. Compare the permit with the contract
Employer, position, place of work, pay, working hours, contract type and dates should be the same on every document.
5. Ask the employer for the case number
Ask which voivodeship office handled the permit, then contact that office through its official website.
6. Register for the visa yourself
Register in e-Konsulat yourself (details in the next section). The Embassy says it doesn't arrange appointments or work with agents (notice).
Checked all six and still unsure? Verify your documents →
How does the Polish work visa step work for Indians?
A Polish work visa starts with your own e-Konsulat registration, then an electronic draw, then submission at VFS on the date you're emailed. The Embassy says a national visa is decided within 15 days of submission, extendable to 30. You pay only the visa fee to the Embassy plus the VFS service charge. The Embassy does not work with agents.
- Where to apply. The Embassy in New Delhi covers northern and eastern states. The Consulate in Mumbai covers western and southern states, including Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Gujarat and Maharashtra (D-type national visa – work).
- Registration and draw. Since 26 June 2024, work-visa applicants register in e-Konsulat and receive a confirmation within 48 hours. As of 8 October 2026, New Delhi runs its draw weekly (Mondays, 10:00 IST) and Mumbai every two weeks (Thursdays, 10:30 IST). Successful applicants get a VFS email with their date (new registration procedure). The schedule changes, so check the Embassy page.
- Key documents. The checklist includes the original and a copy of the work permit, proof that the employer is registered (KRS), an original employment letter with company details, and travel medical insurance of at least €30,000 (checklist via the Embassy page).
- Decision time. Normally within 15 days of submission, extendable to 30 days in justified cases (Embassy). Getting a visa date depends on the draw, so the total wait can be longer.
- Fees and emails. You pay only the visa fee to the Embassy plus the VFS service charge, and genuine Embassy emails end in @msz.gov.pl (fraud warning). Check the current fee on the Embassy's own pages.
What are the warning signs of a fake Polish job offer?
The clearest warning signs are an oświadczenie offered to an Indian citizen, a "permit" or "authorization letter" said to come from the Polish Embassy, an agent who sells your visa appointment, and permit details that don't match your contract. Any one of them is a reason to stop before you pay more.
- An oświadczenie for an Indian citizen (the route is limited to Armenia, Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine).
- A "work permit" said to be issued by the Polish Embassy, Consulate or Ministry of Foreign Affairs. They don't issue permits.
- An "authorization letter" or "pre-approval" from the Embassy. The Embassy says it issues none.
- The agent books or sells your visa appointment, or you are never asked to register in e-Konsulat yourself.
- Emails "from the Embassy" that don't end in @msz.gov.pl.
- Permit details that differ from your contract or offer: employer, position, salary, place of work or dates.
- An employer you can't find in KRS or CEIDG, or an address that looks like a virtual office with no activity matching the job.
- A Polish agency missing from KRAZ, or an agency asking for a fee "for the job" or "for the permit".
- An "online verification link" that isn't on a gov.pl or uw.gov.pl domain.
- Your passport collected "for processing", as in the Noida case.
Have Indians been cheated with fake Polish work permits?
Yes, Indians have been cheated with fake Polish work permits: Indian outlets reported several 2026 cases involving promised Polish jobs. In Noida, workers received fake visas over WhatsApp after paying for Poland and Finland "work visas". In Kerala, a recruitment agency's chief executive was detained at the airport over promised jobs in Poland. The details below are as reported.
- Noida, March 2026. 55 workers, passports taken, fake visas sent over WhatsApp, about ₹3.5 lakh asked per Poland or Finland "work visa" (Business Standard).
- Kerala, September 2026. Mathrubhumi reported that the chief executive of a Kerala-based agency was detained at Thiruvananthapuram airport over promised jobs in Poland and Armenia (Mathrubhumi).
What should you check before you pay?
Before you pay an agent anything more, confirm that you hold a work permit rather than an oświadczenie, that the employer is in the Polish registers and matches the permit, that the employer gave you the case number, and that you register for the visa yourself. If any line fails, pause.
- I hold a work permit or seasonal work permit, not an oświadczenie
- The employer is in KRS or CEIDG, with the same name and address as the permit
- The permit matches my contract (employer, position, pay, hours, contract type, dates)
- I have the case number and voivodeship office from the employer, not the agent
- Any Polish agency involved is listed in KRAZ
- My Indian agent is registered on eMigrate
- I registered in e-Konsulat myself
- Nobody has given me an "embassy authorization letter"
- I have not paid anyone for a visa "slot"
- Every "Embassy" email I received ends in @msz.gov.pl
- My passport is still with me
Already paid and think it's a fraud? Report it on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal, cybercrime.gov.in, or call the National Cyber Crime Helpline 1930 (PIB), and file a police complaint.
Verify before you pay. Verify your documents →
What if you can't check it yourself?
If the agent won't share the case number, you only have PDFs or screenshots, or your family needs an answer before the next instalment, an independent document check can help. Testiy examines the documents themselves after you have done the official checks above.
Testiy is an independent document check for overseas job offers, work permits and visas, run by ARK Tech & Logistics in Thrissur, Kerala. Testiy is not affiliated with any embassy, VFS Global or immigration agency. An AI scan helps a human expert in Germany find signs of editing, and the expert, not the AI, gives the verdict, often after contacting the employer named in the document. The verdict comes within 24 hours, with a certificate and a public verify link, from ₹1,600 incl. GST.
See who runs the service, pricing and the refund terms.
What the check doesn't do: issue permits, contact the voivode, the Embassy or VFS for you, book visa dates, or guarantee a visa.
FAQ
Can I check a Polish work permit by passport number?
A Polish work permit can't be looked up by passport number: we found no public Polish tool that does this. Some voivodeship offices have case-status pages, but they need the case number and an access code. The Polish Embassy in India says it does not verify work permits.
Who issues a Polish work permit?
A Polish work permit is issued by the voivode (regional governor's office) to the employer in Poland, after the employer applies online through praca.gov.pl. Seasonal work permits come from the district labour office (starosta). The Polish Embassy and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs don't issue work permits.
Can an Indian get an oświadczenie (declaration) to work in Poland?
An Indian citizen can't get an oświadczenie (declaration) to work in Poland. Since 1 December 2025, the oświadczenie route covers only citizens of Armenia, Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine. Indian citizens normally need a work permit or a seasonal work permit.
What should a real Polish work permit show?
A real Polish work permit shows the issuing voivode and case number, the employer's details, your name and passport details, the position, place of work, contract type, working time, minimum pay and validity dates. These details should match your employment contract exactly.
How do I get a Poland work visa appointment from India?
A Poland work visa appointment from India starts with your own registration in e-Konsulat under "National visa – register the form" for New Delhi or Mumbai, depending on your state. Dates are assigned by an electronic draw and confirmed by email, and you then submit at VFS. The Embassy says it doesn't arrange appointments or work with agents.
How much does a Polish work permit cost, and who pays?
A Polish work permit's application fee is paid by the employer: PLN 400 for work over three months, PLN 200 for up to three months and PLN 100 for a seasonal permit. Polish employment agencies may not charge you for finding a job, only certain actual costs such as travel, visa or translation.
How long does a Polish work visa take?
A Polish work visa (national visa) is decided within 15 days of submission, extendable to 30 days in justified cases, according to the Polish Embassy. Getting a visa date depends on the e-Konsulat draw, so the total wait can be longer.
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Last checked against official sources: 8 October 2026.