Which comes first in Poland - work or residence permit?

Hello Laviolet! The move to Poland sounds exciting! As you say, visa and work permit processes can seem complicated. The answer to this depends on your circumstances.

Citizens from other EU countries don't need to apply for work permits and visas – where are you from? Citizens from non-EU countries do. Normally, these foreign citizens need a work permit to work in Poland, and for this, you would most often need a job already organised. In this case, employers sort out most of the work permit process. However, it is possible to apply for a visa, rather than a work permit, without a job in place (which is in your case).

Expat Arrivals has pages on Visas and Work Permits for Poland. The pages are basic guidelines, and the Visa page describes residence permits for Poland. If you meet certain criteria, such as moving for family, work or study reasons, and are able to sustain yourself financially while living there, the application should be successful.

Your best bet may be contacting the nearest embassy. They should be able to direct you to the latest info and find a visa that suits you. Maybe someone on this forum has personally gone through the application for visas in Poland and has some advice. Have you lived in/been to Poland before?

Kind regards,

Claire