Poland Ends Visa-Free Work Route for Georgia, Colombia and Venezuela

Poland has closed a popular hiring shortcut for citizens of Colombia, Georgia and Venezuela. As of Aug. 22, a visa-free entry stamp no longer counts as a valid basis for working in the country. Nationals of these three states who want to be employed in Poland must now hold formal work and residence authorizations instead of relying on their 90-day visa-free status.

What changed

Under a regulation from Poland's Minister of Family, Labour and Social Policy, the change rolled out in two stages during August. From Aug. 15, citizens of the three countries could no longer enter Poland visa-free if their stated purpose was work. From Aug. 22, anyone who had not already started a job lost the right to work on a visa-free stay.

Affected workers now need two separate authorizations:

• A labor authorization, such as a voivode-issued work permit or an employer declaration.
• A residence title that permits employment, such as a national D visa or a temporary residence and work permit.

Before the change, one document (a standard work permit) was enough; now two are required.

Who is grandfathered

Transition rules are narrow. A worker can keep working on a visa-free stay only if they physically started the job before Aug. 22, hold a valid permit, and continue under unchanged terms until their 90-day stay runs out. People who filed an in-country residence application before Aug. 22 and received an official submission stamp in their passport may also continue working while their case is processed.

Those holding an unactivated work permit, or anyone wanting to switch employers, must stop working and obtain a national D visa from a consulate outside Poland.

What it means for nomads

Tourism and short business trips are untouched. Citizens of Colombia, Georgia and Venezuela can still visit Poland for up to 90 days for tourism or business meetings under Schengen rules.

Importantly for remote workers, the source notes that people working entirely for foreign clients without local Polish contracts fall outside domestic labor authorization rules. That means a genuine digital nomad earning from clients abroad is not directly targeted by this change. Still, anyone staying in Poland should confirm their stay remains lawful under residency rules and stay within the 90-day visa-free window.

The practical takeaway: if you are from one of these three countries and planning to take up local employment or a Polish contract, the visa-free route is gone. Budget time to secure a national D visa or a residence-and-work permit before starting, and don't assume an unused permit or an employer switch can be handled from inside the country.

Originally reported by Stamped Nomad.