Changed jobs or lost your job on a work-based residence permit? Your deadlines

Why this is one of the highest-stakes situations on this site

If your residence permit is tied to a specific employer — which applies to many, though not all, non-EU work-based permits — losing that job doesn't just mean losing income. It starts a strict legal countdown, and missing it can mean your stay becomes illegal, with real consequences (fines, deportation risk, and in some cases a multi-year entry ban).

The deadlines that actually matter

• You (and, since June 2025, your employer too) generally need to notify the voivode within 15 days of the employment ending.
• You then generally have a total of 30 days to either find a new qualifying employer and submit a new application, or otherwise regularise your situation — after which, if nothing is done, the existing permit basis can be treated as no longer valid and your stay can become illegal.

These are the general timeframes commonly described for this situation — because the exact rule depends on your specific permit type, always confirm your personal deadline directly with the voivodeship office as soon as your employment situation changes, rather than assuming.

The one exception that matters: full labour-market-access permits

Not every non-EU residence category has this restriction. If you hold certain permit types with full labour market access — for example, an EU Blue Card, or some temporary residence permits that already grant unrestricted work rights — you may be able to switch employers freely without applying for a new permit at all. This distinction is genuinely important and not widely known: check which category your specific permit falls into before assuming you're restricted.

What to do the moment you lose your job

1. Check your permit type immediately — is it tied to a specific employer, or does it grant full labour market access? This changes everything about what happens next.
2. If it's tied to your employer, start the clock: notify the voivode within the required window, and begin looking for a new qualifying employer straight away — 30 days moves faster than it sounds once paperwork is involved.
3. Don't wait to "see what happens" — the deadlines run regardless of whether you're actively job-hunting, and missing them is what actually creates the legal risk, not the job loss itself.
4. If you're unsure which category you're in, ask the voivodeship office directly, or a qualified immigration adviser — this is not a situation where guessing is a reasonable risk to take.

This is general information, not legal advice

The exact deadlines and consequences depend on your specific permit type and circumstances, and the rules have changed in recent years. If you've lost your job or are about to, treat this as urgent and confirm your specific deadline directly rather than relying on general timeframes like the ones above.