Seasonal Invitation to Poland

Zaświadczenie (up to 9 months)

What it is: A document used to obtain the national D/05b visa for seasonal work. It’s issued after the employer registers the offer with the PUP (Powiatowy Urząd Pracy) and is validated by the county authority’s stamp (starosta).

What counts as seasonal work: agriculture (e.g., strawberry/apple picking), horticulture/animal husbandry, forestry/fisheries, tourism and the hotel/restaurant sector.

Important: Companies placing workers in factories or warehouses cannot issue this type of invitation.

Who files: The Polish employer submits the application to the PUP; once registered, you receive the zaświadczenie and proceed to the visa application.

Calendar constraint: Valid within the current calendar year.

• Filed in January → typically a full 9 months.
• Filed in July → valid only until 31 December (e.g., ~6 months).
• A full 9 months becomes available again from October (apply from mid-October).

Timelines: PUP 7–14 business days (workload-dependent); consular visa ~14 business days after submitting a complete file.

Fee: €235