Work in Krakow from A to Z: vacancies, employment and accommodation

More and more Russian citizens are thinking about moving to Poland with the prospect of employment. There is a shortage of personnel in this country: after joining the European Union, Poles got the opportunity to find jobs in the West and a vacuum has formed, which is filled by immigrants from Eastern Europe. A job in Krakow is attractive for foreigners, since jobs similar to those in Russia in this city allow them to earn more. Polish employers willingly hire people from neighboring countries, not only for blue-collar occupations, but also for qualified positions.

What makes Krakow attractive to job seekers

Krakow is considered the business and cultural center of Poland. The city is home to 800 thousand people, and this is the second largest indicator in the country in terms of population. The settlement is characterized by a large number of small and medium-sized enterprises.

Employers regularly need hired employees. About 800 vacancies were opened in Krakow this year alone; they are especially active in accepting foreign citizens for seasonal work.

During the tourist season, the city is visited by guests from Eastern and Western Europe, and the need for temporary workers is sharply increasing.

In addition, Krakow is characterized by high economic indicators, new jobs are created specifically for labor migrants in the services, finance and industry. Legal work for foreigners is also available in numerous factories and factories in Krakow.

In recent years, businessmen from the EU have poured several billion euros into the city's economy; offices of 50 international corporations have opened in Krakow, which has significantly increased the demand for specialists of various profiles.

How to find a job in Krakow

Since 2009, a simplified system for the employment of foreign citizens has been in effect in Poland. Individual entrepreneurs and legal entities need to apply for a work permit with the regional government, and the applicant himself is only required to have a visa. Many vacancies for women and men from the Russian Federation are freely available on the Internet.

Geographically located in any country in the world, jobseekers can send their CVs in Polish or English to employers in response to inquiries both on standard job search sites and on portals of specific companies. If the employer is interested, he will answer the applicant and offer a job.

In addition, many workers, specialists for the service sector, cashiers, loaders are hired "from the street": just walk up to the place of interest and ask if there is an open vacancy. Negotiations are also being conducted by phone and via Skype.

What documents are needed to work in Poland

A foreigner in Krakow can legally work on the basis of a category D national work visa. However, the fact of having a visa does not replace a work permit.

Since the beginning of 2021, the paperwork has become mandatory, and the responsibilities for collecting papers have been shifted to employers. Moreover, depending on the employing company, the applicant will receive a certain type of permit:

• Type A is issued to foreigners working for a local company, type B - to managers of employees of Polish companies who plan to perform duties for a period of 6 to 12 months.
• Type C is intended for migrant workers employed by foreign companies for a period of more than 30 days.
• Type D is issued for short-term labor trips to the territory of Poland for employees of firms from abroad.
• Type E gives the opportunity to work up to 6 months and is issued to specialists not associated with Polish employers (if none of the above types can be issued to them).

The applicant will need the following papers:

• copy of the passport of a citizen of the Russian Federation;
• international passport;
• visa application;
• insurance;
• two photos;
• work permit, type D national visa or residence and work permit.

Qualification papers, such as a diploma, are not required.

A work permit is issued directly at the voivodeship office, registered at the labor office and is an official document.

All the nuances and stages of obtaining an entry document are in the article "Working visa to Poland".

Recruitment agencies for employment in Krakow

Recruitment agencies cooperate with different employers: if a labor migrant has problems finding a job, contacting such a company becomes a solution. Several dozen companies are registered in Krakow, working in this area. You can communicate with them via email and in the office.

• The VSI recruitment agency operates in Krakow at al. Pokyu, 82. Seeks employees for both Polish employers and companies from Germany, Hungary and the Czech Republic. Specializes in seasonal and low-skilled jobs (handymen).
• Work and Job is an intermediary who is ready to provide temporary and permanent vacancies for welders, electricians, plumbers, builders, drivers and representatives of other specialties who came from the Russian Federation. The agency will help you with obtaining a Polish work permit. Contact with proposals and CVs at the address in Krakow: ul. Stanisława Worcella 6/3.
• SNK Group is engaged in consulting, sales representation and employment. This small company is located in Krakow, ul. Lenartowicza 4/5. Has been working since 2021 and offers many jobs for women, such as seamstresses, seasonal jobs. SNK Group's clients are supermarkets, construction and small private enterprises.
• Sfera Plus conducts job interviews at Kunickiego 5/201 in Krakow. The firm is registered as a recruiting agency, works with large enterprises without intermediaries, offers permanent work with growth prospects. Focuses on production specialties such as packaging sorters, assemblers and mechanics.

In-demand jobs in Krakow

The greatest demand is observed in the field of physical and low-skilled labor. The salary for such vacancies does not satisfy the average Pole, many leave for labor migration to the countries of Western Europe. And enterprises that are ready to hire a person without special education or with a narrow (specialized) training suffer most of all from the shortage of personnel.

However, in addition to this, Krakow suffers from a shortage of highly qualified personnel in areas that are just beginning to develop intensively, for example, IT. Employers of different levels often employ foreigners: in 2021, in Krakow, a citizen of another country (and most often people from Eastern Europe are looking for work) with a work visa can legally get a job for any vacancy. The main thing is to meet the requirements. International firms with offices in Krakow are looking for job seekers all over the world.

About the most requested vacancies in Krakow:

• Builders, plasterers, painters and representatives of other construction specializations have been in great demand in Poland for many years. They are hired by small businesses and large companies. Krakow continues to be actively built up with business offices, so the number of proposals addressed to concrete workers, heaters, steeplejacks, auxiliary workers also does not dry out. Employers, as a rule, require applicants to have a secondary education, work experience of at least one year at home and practical skills in the specialty.
• Men can get jobs as drivers and truckers.The payment is decent, but the requirements are higher: for example, Ukrainians need at least two years of experience in working on trucks, experience in transporting on semi-trailers is desirable. You cannot do without a driver's license of category C, E and secondary education.
• Judging by statistics over the past year, it has become problematic in Krakow to find a nanny, nurse or guardian who would take care of the elderly or sick people. Poles tend to invite women from 35 to 55 years old with life experience to such work. No special education is required, the schedule is flexible. Knowledge of Polish at a conversational level is encouraged.
• IT, due to active development, also needs personnel. The biggest shortage of Java professionals, software developers, and young people with a computer security background. Diplomas from Russian universities are quoted in Poland, and practical skills remain the most important for the employer.

In addition, cooks, plumbers, specialists in the installation of metal-plastic windows, electricians, advertisers and SEO specialists can easily find a job in the city.

Salaries in Krakow

The most modest salaries in Krakow for those working at home - the salary of a nurse or a cleaner is at the level of two thousand zlotys (450 euros), while specialists in the construction sector receive about three thousand zlotys.

Large enterprises often calculate the salary by the hour, for example, IKEA has set a tariff of 20 zlotys per hour for its employees in Krakow - for a month of such work a specialist gets about 3300 zlotys. At Tesco, technicians already receive a monthly salary of PLN 2,900 per month.

Note that the official wages in Poland from 2021 cannot be lower than two thousand zlotys (453 euros). The average salary of employees of enterprises across the state in 2021 exceeded 4 thousand zlotys.

You will find more details in the analytical material "Salary in Poland".

Accommodation cost and prices

Krakow is very popular with tourists, so the locals are accustomed to foreigners, for whatever purposes they visit the city. This attractiveness is reflected in the pricing policy: in Krakow there are entire districts where it is better not to go if you do not want to overpay.

The main thing is to avoid shopping outlets near attractions, because not far from fine and expensive restaurants, there are also more budgetary establishments for locals. As far as food is concerned, a somewhat paradoxical situation has developed in Krakow - prices in supermarkets are lower than in markets.

Accommodation prices in Krakow are highly dependent on the area.

Comparison of cities in Poland

Krakow is considered quite expensive to live in, while food in Poland is about 30% cheaper than in Western Europe.

The popularity of tourism and the concentration of business in Krakow influenced the cost of consumer goods and services for the population.

Gdansk is still considered the most expensive city in Poland, Warsaw is in second place, and Krakow closes the top five.

For 90 zlotys in Krakow, they will offer lunch in an expensive establishment for one person, but for the same money in Lublin you can order dinner for two in a respectable restaurant. A cappuccino in Gdansk will cost as much as 10 zlotys, while in Krakow not much, but cheaper - 8 zlotys.

It is advised to buy clothes in the most inexpensive cities in Poland, such as Katowice or the already mentioned Lublin: you can save about 150 zlotys on jeans alone.

But it will not be possible to do this on utility bills when renting an apartment: on average, residents of Krakow pay 400 zlotys per month for them, and the same amount will cost four nights in a hostel for foreign workers.

Conclusion

Poland remains open to labor migrants from Eastern Europe. For Belarusians, Russians and Ukrainians, not only low-paid vacancies are offered, which the Poles themselves refuse, - now almost all doors are open for foreign citizens. Legal work involves obtaining a work visa and a work permit (employer's responsibility).

Krakow is a great choice for people looking for not only high-paying jobs, but also a pleasant place to live. The city is full of attractions, it always needs new workers during the busy tourist season and, finally, it is a promising business center.