Employment in Poland is very attractive for our compatriots mainly because of the opportunity to get a fairly high income in a short time. Seasonal work in Poland in agriculture is especially promising in this regard. There are no special requirements regarding professional knowledge, experience or language proficiency for employees; both men and women are hired. Seasonal workers are provided with health insurance, and often the tenant pays for housing and travel. Of course, thousands of Russians agree to work on such conditions every year.
Main types of work in Polish farms
Work on Polish farms is very diverse both in complexity and in types. All activities are predominantly associated with two main branches of agriculture:
- crop production,
- animal husbandry.
Today, the most in demand are workers who will be able to perform the following types of work:
- In the field of crop production:
- weeding of beds;
- harvesting and sorting of crops (asparagus, blueberries, raspberries, mushrooms, apples);
- sorting and cleaning onions;
- workers in greenhouses;
- lawn mowers.
- On livestock farms:
- milkmaids;
- veterinarians;
- handymen;
- cattle care.
A specialized mink farm, pig farm or poultry farm usually requires workers to carry out complex work:
- caring for animals, cleaning the territory, cages, feeding;
- slaughter and butchering of carcasses.
Both women and men can find suitable farming jobs for themselves. Therefore, whole families often go to work in Poland: for example, if the farmer needs both an au pair and workers.
What is required from the applicant
Jobseekers who come to work in Poland are usually not required to have special skills. To perform such seasonal types of work as harvesting, sorting fruits and vegetables, weeding, working in greenhouses, qualifications are not required. Special skills can come in handy when working on livestock farms, for example, knowledge of the technique of milking cows or handling livestock.
Also, work experience and practical skills are necessary for an applicant in order to get a job as a tractor driver. This specialty is in great demand on Polish farms. The requirements for an applicant for this position are quite high: you must be able to drive a tractor and other agricultural vehicles, carry out their maintenance and repair, and also have a driver's license of the corresponding category.
However, in general, it is enough for the employer that the employee is:
- in good physical shape;
- responsible;
- disciplined;
- executive;
- hardworking;
- promptly coped with the assigned tasks;
- without bad habbits.
Despite the fact that knowledge of the language is not a prerequisite for hiring, knowing Polish will greatly facilitate contact with others and can be a significant advantage in the direction of getting a better job.
How much is paid on farms in Poland and what are the working conditions there
A decent salary is the main factor forcing Russian citizens to look for work in Poland. Employees are paid either in zlotys (Polish currency, PLN, 1 zloty is equal to about 17 Russian rubles), or in euros.
The rate fluctuates depending on the type of work performed, but cannot be less than PLN 13.7 for a full working day (according to the law as of 2021).
Thus, on a mink farm, a worker receives on average about two and a half thousand zlotys a month, working 5 days a week for 8 hours a day.
Wages for mushrooms can reach 3 thousand zlotys per month, while the final amount is influenced by the worker's labor productivity and the size of the harvest.
The wages of general laborers on agricultural farms are on average about PLN 3,000-3,500.
Working conditions for foreigners, according to the Labor Code of the Republic of Poland, do not differ from those for Poles:
- the employee has the right to rest at least 11 hours a day and 35 hours a week;
- 12-hour work is allowed only in special cases, for example, if it is justified by reasons of an objective or technical nature;
- you can work overtime, but no more than 4 hours a day;
- overtime work is paid at an increased rate.
Features of employment on a farm in Poland
For legal temporary employment on a farm in Poland, a foreigner must obtain a special invitation to work from a Polish company - sanctification. It allows you to apply for a work visa and officially work within Poland for 180 days a year. For the applicant, the approval is free - the employer pays a fee of PLN 30 for each invitation.
For citizens of the Russian Federation, Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, Georgia and Armenia, a simplified employment procedure is provided.
To work on the territory of Poland legally, they only need to provide a contract signed with the employing company and a receipt that all state duties have been paid by the applicant.
Since 2021, applicants from these countries, in addition to the above procedure, have the opportunity to get a seasonal job in Poland not for six months, but for 9 months. According to the new rules, an employer can issue such a permit if two conditions are met:
- offer a foreigner the same salary as a Pole in a similar position;
- will prove that he has not found a Pole applicant for this vacancy.
How to find a job in Poland
A job seeker who wants to get a job in Poland has two options:
- Search for vacancies on the Internet yourself, without intermediaries. To do this, you need to know Polish at least at an elementary level and look through specialized Polish sites with job vacancies, for example, like this job portal in the field of agriculture.
- Contact an intermediary who will take over the search for a suitable job. The mediator can be:
- a specialized recruiting agency - for its services, it will require a certain amount from the applicant (usually within the range of 100-300 euros), but will also provide a full range of services - from organizing an invitation from a Polish company and preparing a package of documents to submitting and processing the necessary papers at the visa center;
- recruiter - unlike recruiting agencies, he does not take money from the applicant, his services are paid by the Polish employer. However, his help is only partial (translation of the resume into Polish and preparation of the invitation).
Having decided to contact the agency, you should first carefully study the reviews about it - this way you can avoid cooperation with unscrupulous performers.
Popular sites where you can see vacancies in Poland in agriculture, including from a direct employer: job24, headhunter, jooble, EuRabota.
What documents are required from the applicant
After the invitation to work has been received, it is necessary to issue a work visa - a document that will allow a foreigner to work in Poland. To open it, in addition to the invitation, you will need:
- international passport;
- photographs of the established sample (35 mm × 45 mm);
- international passport;
- TIN;
- insurance;
- completed visa application form;
- a receipt for payment of the consular fee.
Documents are submitted to the Polish embassy or visa center and are reviewed within 30 days.
Find out more about what other documents are needed and how a work visa to Poland is issued.
Before submitting documents, carefully check the spelling of each letter and the presence of all the necessary papers.It is also important to have information about your employer: in which city he is located, what position he offers you and with what salary. This may be necessary if the embassy conducts a check of applicants in order to identify those who are going to work illegally in the Schengen countries on a work visa.
Important points when applying for a job in Poland
It is quite possible to get a job in Poland. In order for everything to work out with a minimum investment of time, effort and money, you need to take into account the following:
- With a seemingly huge variety of vacancies on Internet sites, not all of them are so good that they will make it possible to earn extra money in a short time. Those proposals in which the salary is less than 8 PLN / hour can be ignored right away - it is unlikely that it will be possible to accumulate a decent amount on such a job.
- The work schedule is also important. It's great if the employer offers options for part-time work that are additionally paid.
- Keep in mind that farm wages often depend not on the number of hours worked, but on the amount of the worker's harvest. In addition to the fact that it is quite difficult and physically difficult, there may be days when the harvest has not yet ripened, which means that this time will remain unpaid.
- It is very important to pay attention to whether the housing is provided to the visiting workers and whether it will be necessary to pay for its rent. For example, living in a hostel will cost 150-200 zlotys per month, so it is better if the employer takes over these costs.
- Pay attention to such nuances as:
- accommodations,
- lunches at the expense of the company,
- paid travel.
If all the hassle of finding a job and applying for a visa is already over, when going on the road, do not forget to take a set of work clothes and shoes, ask if you need to take anything from household items with you. You shouldn't take food with you - they will not be allowed across the border anyway. The same goes for cigarettes and alcohol.
When you arrive in Poland, try to master the Polish language a little: although it is not necessary, it will make it easier to adapt in a foreign country.
To summarize: the advantages and disadvantages of working in Poland
Many foreigners, initially planning only a seasonal part-time job in Poland, later stay to live and work in this country. The advantages of employment in Polish farms lie not only in higher wages compared to Russia, but also in decent social security for foreign citizens, the opportunity to work even without knowing the Polish language and qualifications, as well as the chances to emigrate to Poland in the future.
Of course, the first time to be in a foreign country with different from Russian norms and traditions, and even without knowing the language is morally very difficult. Added to this is the fact that agricultural work, as a rule, is very tedious physically (by the way, this is why the locals rarely agree to it).
In addition, the applicant depends on the employer in everything, because it is the Polish company that gives him permission to work and stay in Poland. There is always a risk that in the event of a reduction, it will be a citizen of another state who will fall under it. However, despite these difficulties, every year more and more Russians leave their homeland to work in Poland.
