Work While Studying in Poland: The New 2025 Rules

Part-Time Work in Poland for Indian Students: The December 2025 Rule, Pay Rates and Which Universities Qualify

Until late 2025, every full-time student in Poland could work without a work permit. A regulation that took effect on 1 December 2025 changed that. Now the exemption depends on where you study: public universities qualify automatically, private universities only if the Interior Ministry has approved them.

1 Dec 2025

new rule in force

30 Jun 2026

end of the transition period

PLN 31.40

minimum hourly rate, 2026

PLN 32.30

minimum hourly rate, 2027

The rule in one sentence

A foreign full-time student may work in Poland without a work permit if the university is approved by the Minister of the Interior for admitting foreigners, or is not required to be approved, which covers public academic universities (regulation Dz.U. 2025 item 1620, in force since 1 December 2025).

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What it means for the universities on our list

University	Status	Work without a permit
All public universities (UW, Jagiellonian, technical, economics and medical universities)	Exempt from approval	Yes
Kozminski University	On the register, 5 years from October 2025	Yes
SWPS University	On the register, 5 years from October 2025	Yes
PJAIT	On the register, 5 years from April 2026	Yes
Lazarski University	On the register, 4 years from April 2026	Yes
Vistula University	On the register, 1 year from May 2026	Yes, until renewal is due

Approval can be withdrawn or not renewed. Check the current list before you sign up, and again before you apply for your next residence permit.

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A counsellor calls you back within one working day. Free, no obligation.

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What students earn

Most part-time jobs open to English speakers are in logistics, food delivery, hospitality, retail and customer service centres. Pay is usually close to the minimum hourly rate, PLN 31.40 in 2026, which is about ₹760 an hour. Twenty hours a week at that rate gives about PLN 2,500 a month before tax, enough to cover a modest budget outside Warsaw. For comparison, the average gross wage in the enterprise sector was PLN 9,382 in the third quarter of 2026.

Students under 26 on a civil contract (umowa zlecenie) usually pay no income tax and no social contributions, which makes such contracts common. Ask the employer which contract you are signing.

Things that cost students their permit

Working so much that you fail exams or stop attending: the permit depends on genuine full-time study.
Switching to a part-time or extramural course.
Studying at a private university that drops off the MSWiA register.

After graduation the rules change again: see after graduation in Poland.

Work while studying in Poland: Frequently Asked Questions

Can Indian students work in Poland while studying?

Yes, if you are a full-time student at a public university, or at a private university on the MSWiA list of approved units. You then need no work permit. Students of private universities not on the list need a permit like any other foreigner.

How many hours can a student work in Poland?

The exemption itself sets no weekly limit. In practice your course timetable and attendance rules are the limit; failing a year can cost you your residence permit.

What is the minimum wage in Poland?

PLN 4,806 gross a month or PLN 31.40 an hour in 2026, rising to PLN 4,950 and PLN 32.30 from 1 January 2027.

How do I check if my university is on the MSWiA list?

The Interior Ministry publishes the list of approved study units on gov.pl; the latest version is dated 5 October 2026. Look for the university's Polish legal name and the approval period.

Does the rule apply to students already in Poland?

The transition period that also covered some other students ended on 30 June 2026. From then on, only approved or approval-exempt universities qualify.