According to the Polish embassy, Georgian citizens will no longer be able to obtain work visas in Poland through the simplified process. Georgia has been removed from the list of countries whose citizens are eligible for the streamlined employment procedure, as specified by the order of Poland’s Minister of Family, Labour and Social Policy.
The bill presented in Poland in August, which proposes ending the simplified employment procedure for Georgian citizens, states that the change is being introduced “in connection with the political situation in Georgia, ongoing work on possible restrictions to Georgia’s visa-free regime with the EU, and a decrease in the number of seasonal work applications and permits compared with 2024.”
Under the new rules, Georgian citizens who were already working in Poland under the simplified procedure can continue until the end of their authorised period. Applications submitted by Georgian citizens before the decree was published will still be processed under the previous simplified system.
Previously, Polish employers could hire citizens of Georgia, Armenia, Ukraine, Moldova, and Belarus through the simplified procedure without obtaining a standard work permit. The employer would submit an application to the relevant authorities stating that the foreign worker was assigned a specific job for up to 24 months.
Citizens of these countries could also take up seasonal work for periods of up to nine months.