Moving to Poland
Poland country facts, largest cities, hub labels and reports.
Across 198 passports, 93 passports enter visa-free and 105 passports need a visa for Poland. Check your passport below.
- Visa-free
- 93
- Visa required
- 105
Visa and entry rules
Sources checked through 5 Sept 2026.
Work and income
What is the unemployment rate in Poland?
The national unemployment rate was 3.1 % in 2025. Source: Eurostat — Unemployment by sex and age — annual data (une_rt_a)14
This is the Eurostat labour-force survey series used as the canonical national answer. Other published definitions exist and are shown in the table below.
What is the median gross salary in Poland?
The median gross salary was 1,150 EUR/month in 2022.
Half of employees earn less than this. Mean gross and national-accounts averages use different definitions and are shown in the table below. national-accounts average — shown in the table below.
Typical city (median): about 4.4%
Unemployment rate (%)
Typical city (median): about 16.0 µg/m³
Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)
Typical city (median): about 2,452 incidents per 100,000 residents
Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents
Public employment service in Poland
Official job-search, registration, counselling and training routes. Private recruitment agencies are not included.
Public Employment Services Poland — Public employment service
A national service does not prove that an office exists in every city. City pages show an office only after an exact address is linked to that city. Sources checked through 10 Aug 2026.
Taxes in Poland
National rates and comparable published scenarios. Personal tax depends on income, household and residence circumstances.
Benefits newcomers may qualify for in Poland
Public schemes where an official source defines an eligible migration or residence status. Amounts and conditions are kept in their native terms.
| Programme | Published amount | Source and application |
|---|---|---|
Family 800 plus — Family and child support | 800 PLN / Monthly | |
Eligibility and amount detailsThe official Gov.pl Family 800 plus page states PLN 800 per month per child for a dependent child up to age 18, regardless of family income. The official ZUS 2026 notice states: ‘obywateli tzw. państw trzecich (spoza UE/EFTA oraz Wielkiej Brytanii [osób objętych umową wystąpienia]), którzy przebywają legalnie na terytorium Rzeczpospolitej Polskiej i mają dostęp do rynku pracy’. The same notice separately names ‘obywateli Ukrainy ze statusem UKR’. For that route it states that rodzic lub opiekun musi być aktywny zawodowo, dziecko musi realizować obowiązek szkolny w polskiej szkole, and rodzic lub opiekun oraz dziecko muszą mieszkać na terenie Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej. and ukrainian_citizen_with_ukr_status_in_poland_meeting_2026_800_plus_conditions; it does not generalize to all foreigners. | ||
Reception social assistance for applicants for international protection — Arrival and reception support | Amount set per household by formula | |
Eligibility and amount detailsThe official Office for Foreigners page states: ‘Social assistance is available to every applicant and the person on behalf of whom he / she is applying when submitting an application for international protection in Poland.’ It lists source-defined exclusions, including applicants already holding subsidiary protection or specified residence permits, and explains that an applicant may request a cash benefit or report to the Foreigner Service Team or the nearest centre for foreigners. exact profile international_protection_applicant_in_poland_eligible_for_reception_assistance and does not generalize to ordinary foreign residents or recognized protection holders outside the reception rules. The current official Office for Foreigners page lists accommodation and full board or a monetary equivalent for food of PLN 9 per day, a daily-expense allowance of PLN 50 per month, a fixed allowance for home and personal-care products of PLN 20 per month and a one-time clothing and footwear allowance of PLN 140; the actual package depends on the reception arrangement and source-defined exclusions. | ||
Skorzystaj z pomocy społecznej — housing-related shelter and supported-housing services — Housing support | In-kind support | |
Eligibility and amount detailsThe current Gov.pl social-assistance service lists housing-related support as source-defined in-kind or locally assessed assistance, including shelter, a meal, necessary clothing, a special-purpose allowance and supported or training housing. No single national PLN rate is published for this package; the local authority assesses the form and amount under the applicable social-assistance rules. The current Gov.pl social-assistance service uses the exact categories ‘cudzoziemcy, którzy mieszkają i przebywają w Polsce’ with ‘zezwolenie na pobyt stały’ or ‘zezwolenie na pobyt rezydenta długoterminowego UE’; it separately names foreigners residing in Poland in connection with obtaining ‘status uchodźcy’ or ‘ochronę uzupełniającą’. For the humanitarian/tolerated route it states that a foreigner with ‘zezwolenie na pobyt ze względów humanitarnych’ or ‘zezwolenie na pobyt tolerowany’ receives ‘schronienia, posiłku, niezbędnego ubrania i zasiłku celowego’. , foreign_national_with_refugee_or_subsidiary_protection_for_polish_housing_social_assistance and foreign_national_with_humanitarian_or_tolerated_stay_for_polish_shelter_assistance; it does not generalise to every foreign resident. The local needs, income, household and statutory conditions still apply. | ||
Social assistance for foreigners in Poland — Minimum-income support | 823–1,010 PLN / Monthly | |
Eligibility and amount detailsThe current Polish Ministry page states that from 1 January 2025 the social-assistance income criterion is PLN 1,010 for a person living alone and PLN 823 per person in a family; the payable benefit is assessed against the applicable threshold, household income and the benefit-specific rules. The Polish official social-assistance page states that foreigners who reside and remain in Poland qualify for general social assistance when they hold a permanent residence permit or an EU long-term resident permit; it also lists foreigners who obtained refugee status or subsidiary protection in Poland. Foreigners with a residence permit for humanitarian reasons or a tolerated-stay permit receive the bounded forms of shelter, a meal, necessary clothing and a special-purpose allowance. These are the source-defined profiles, subject to the income, difficult-life-situation and benefit-specific conditions. | ||
Zasiłek dla bezrobotnych — Unemployment support | Amount varies | |
Eligibility and amount detailsBasic 100%: PLN 1,783.90 for the first 90 days and PLN 1,400.90 for subsequent days; increased 120%: PLN 2,140.70 and PLN 1,681.10 respectively. The official Polish government guidance on labour-market benefits for foreigners lists these source-defined qualifying profiles for unemployment benefit, once registered as unemployed and meeting the statutory benefit conditions: ‘refugee status holder in Poland’; ‘permanent residence permit holder in Poland’; ‘long-term EU resident permit holder in Poland’; ‘temporary residence permit for work in Poland’; ‘beneficiary of temporary protection in Poland’; and ‘beneficiary of subsidiary protection in Poland’. The same guidance lists additional EU/EEA/Swiss, UK-family and family-member categories; only the six profiles named here are published in this row. | ||
ImmigrationDB shows published rules; it does not decide personal eligibility. Confirm your status, contribution record and household circumstances with the responsible authority before applying. Sources checked through 12 Aug 2026.
Can migrants receive medical care in Poland?
Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Poland when the official insurance or residence conditions are met.
Language courses and integration in Poland
Government programmes, public integration services and exact provider records. The section expands only from fields present in the source; missing prices, refunds or contacts are not replaced with estimates.
Polish language classes for foreigners seeking international protection — State Language Course
Office for Foreigners of Poland
For foreigners seeking international protection and receiving social assistance, temporary-protection beneficiaries receiving support.
Polish-language and adaptation courses for repatriates and their families — Newcomer Adaptation
Centre for the Development of Polish Education Abroad (ORPEG)
For repatriates, repatriate family members.
Adaptation courses — Support for integration of foreigners in Mazovia — Civic Orientation
Mazowiecki Voivodeship Office
For foreigners in Mazovia.
Polonicum open Polish-language courses for foreigners — State Language Course
Centre of Polish Language and Culture for Foreigners Polonicum, University of Warsaw
For foreigners, persons applying for residence or Polish citizenship, foreign spouses and family members.
Living and moving context for Poland
Annual PM2.5 was 22.4 µg/m³ in 2025. Average gross salary was €1,423 per month in 2024, while national median net income was €765 per month. The 2024 groceries price level index was 67.5 on an EU27=100 basis. Monthly estimates put groceries at €216 and utilities at €82; household electricity was €0.311/kWh and gas was €0.043/kWh. A separate 2025 median monthly net salary was €1,600. The national unemployment rate was 3.1% in 2025. Life expectancy was 78.4 years in 2024, with 4.031 doctors per 1,000 people. For 2024, the employee calculation gave €5,300 a year in income tax and €8,500 in social contributions. Household net-income estimates were €1,340 per month for one person, €1,610 for a couple and €1,860 for a family.
Poland cities by population
The largest published cities appear first. Population is taken from the reusable official city layer; hub labels come from the existing city taxonomy.
All published cities in Poland
Reports with this country
Accepted report pages with a row for this country.
Poland facts
Current source-backed observations, grouped the way the city pages are, with geographic scope and observation periods.
Population and profile
How many people live in Poland?
The published population was 36,559,233 people in 2024. Source: World Bank43
National, resident population scope. Foreign-resident and migration-background figures are separate metrics in the table below.
How many foreign residents live in Poland?
The foreign-resident population was 425,104 people in 2025. Source: Eurostat5
Residents without Poland citizenship. The migration-background population is a broader measure and appears in the table below.
Legal, tax and other context
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median net salary, monthly | 1,600 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2025 | Eurostat6Official · national figure |
| Public healthcare access for foreign residents | Conditional | 3 Aug 2026 | Narodowy Fundusz Zdrowia (National Health Fund, Poland)25Official · national figure |
| PM2.5 — annual mean | 22.4 µg/m³ | 31 Dec 2025 | OpenAQ51Independent · national figure |
| Area | 313,930 km² | 31 Dec 2023 | World Bank44Official · national figure |
| Cost level against the capital | 67.5 index (EU27=100) | 31 Dec 2024 | Eurostat — Comparative price levels and HICP (prc_ppp_ind, prc_hicp_midx)10Official · national |
| Gross-to-net pay for a sample household | single person no children — 105,738 gross → 79,900 net a year (2025, national currency) | 31 Dec 2025 | Taxing Wages 2026 — labour taxation decomposition40Official · country household scenario |
| Population by year | 37,976,687 people (2018) | 1 Jan 2018 | Population on 1 January by age and sex (DEMO_PJAN)36Official · country annual series |
| Religious affiliation of residents | Not determined — 0.042 % (2021) | 31 Mar 2021 | Przynależność do wyznania religijnego — NSP 2021, Tablica 537Official · country religion category |
| Salary by profession | Service and sales workers — 811 EUR/month (2022) | 31 Dec 2022 | Mean monthly earnings by sex, occupation and size class of the enterprise (2022)23Official · country occupation |
| Doctors per 1,000 residents | 4.03 per 1,000 | Not stated | Physicians (per 1,000 people), World Development Indicators35Official · national figure |
| Household electricity price | 0.311 EUR/kWh | 31 Dec 2024 | Eurostat — Household energy prices (nrg_pc_204 electricity, nrg_pc_202 gas)12Official · national |
| People employed in agriculture, forestry and fishing | 1,204,900 people | 2024 | ec.europa.eu2Official · national figure |
| People employed in mining and quarrying | 187,900 people | 2024 | ec.europa.eu2Official · national figure |
| People employed in manufacturing | 3,333,800 people | 2024 | ec.europa.eu2Official · national figure |
| People employed in electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning | 182,100 people | 2024 | ec.europa.eu2Official · national figure |
| People employed in water supply, sewerage and waste management | 181,700 people | 2024 | ec.europa.eu2Official · national figure |
| People employed in construction | 1,245,800 people | 2024 | ec.europa.eu2Official · national figure |
| People employed in wholesale and retail trade; motor vehicle and motorcycle repair | 2,305,500 people | 2024 | ec.europa.eu2Official · national figure |
| People employed in transportation and storage | 1,181,000 people | 2024 | ec.europa.eu2Official · national figure |
| People employed in accommodation and food services | 395,300 people | 2024 | ec.europa.eu2Official · national figure |
| People employed in information and communication | 699,800 people | 2024 | ec.europa.eu2Official · national figure |
| People employed in finance and insurance | 466,500 people | 2024 | ec.europa.eu2Official · national figure |
| People employed in real estate | 152,100 people | 2024 | ec.europa.eu2Official · national figure |
| People employed in professional, scientific and technical services | 831,100 people | 2024 | ec.europa.eu2Official · national figure |
Common questions
Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.
What is the unemployment rate in Poland?
The national unemployment rate was 3.1 % in 2025. Source: Eurostat — Unemployment by sex and age — annual data (une_rt_a).
How many people live in Poland?
The published population was 36,559,233 people in 2024. Source: World Bank.
What is the median gross salary in Poland?
The median gross salary was 1,150 EUR/month in 2022. Source: Eurostat (Structure of Earnings Survey, earn_ses_monthly).
Is the air quality good in Poland?
The annual PM2.5 mean is 22.4 µg/m³. The WHO 2021 guideline is 5 µg/m³ and the EU limit value is 25 µg/m³, so this reading is above the WHO guideline but within the EU limit. Source: OpenAQ.
Cite this page
Open a format to select or copy this ImmigrationDB compilation citation. The native disclosure and text fallback work without JavaScript.
APA citation
ImmigrationDB. (2026, September 12). Moving to Poland: salary, cost of living [ImmigrationDB compilation; snapshot approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; version approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/countries/poland/ Retrieved 2026-09-12. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_moving-to-poland-salary-cost-of-living_d0cfbeea23a4,
author = {ImmigrationDB},
title = {Moving to Poland: salary, cost of living},
publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
year = {2026},
date = {2026-09-12},
version = {approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0},
snapshot = {approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0},
url = {https://immigrationdb.com/countries/poland/},
note = {Retrieved 2026-09-12. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}Markdown citation
[Moving to Poland: salary, cost of living](https://immigrationdb.com/countries/poland/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; snapshot approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; version approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; retrieved 2026-09-12; built 2026-09-12.This citation identifies the ImmigrationDB compilation/page. Underlying source publishers and datasets retain their own terms; inspect the Sources section and cite those records separately. View the underlying source records.
Sources
Every number above comes from one of these records. Open the original source for its geographic scope and publication date.
- BMG and Deutsche Rentenversicherung social security rates 2026 bundesgesundheitsministerium.de · checked 2026-07-14
- ec.europa.eu ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-12
- EF EPI ef.com · checked 2026-08-03
- European Medicines Agency ema.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-03
- Eurostat ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-20
- Eurostat ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-07-14
- Eurostat ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-07
- Eurostat ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-05
- Eurostat ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-05
- Eurostat — Comparative price levels and HICP (prc_ppp_ind, prc_hicp_midx) Eurostat · ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-07-14
Show 41 more sources
- Eurostat — Distribution of income by household composition (ilc_di04) Eurostat · ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-07-26
- Eurostat — Household energy prices (nrg_pc_204 electricity, nrg_pc_202 gas) Eurostat · ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-07-14
- Eurostat — National accounts aggregates (nama_10_a10) and employment (nama_10_a10_e) Eurostat · ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-07-26
- Eurostat — Unemployment by sex and age — annual data (une_rt_a) Eurostat · ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-07-26
- Eurostat (Structure of Earnings Survey, earn_ses_monthly) ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-03
- Eurostat crim_off_cat (ICCS0101, NR) ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-09-05
- Eurostat demo_pjan ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-09-05
- Eurostat earn_mw_cur ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-09-06
- Eurostat hbs_exp_t121 ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-09-06
- Eurostat ilc_di03 ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-09-06
- Globalization and World Cities (GaWC), Loughborough University gawc.lboro.ac.uk · checked 2026-08-03
- Hospital beds (per 1,000 people) data.worldbank.org · checked 2026-08-13
- Mean monthly earnings by sex, occupation and size class of the enterprise (2022) ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-07-30
- MIPEX mirovni-institut.si · checked 2026-08-03
- Narodowy Fundusz Zdrowia (National Health Fund, Poland) nfz.gov.pl · checked 2026-08-03
- OECD oecd.org · checked 2026-08-03
- OECD sdmx-pp.oecd.org · checked 2026-08-03
- OECD Centre for Tax Policy and Administration sdmx.oecd.org · checked 2026-08-03
- OECD Directorate for Science, Technology and Innovation sdmx.oecd.org · checked 2026-08-07
- OECD Directorate for Science, Technology and Innovation sdmx.oecd.org · checked 2026-08-07
- OECD Directorate for Science, Technology and Innovation sdmx.oecd.org · checked 2026-08-07
- OECD Directorate for Science, Technology and Innovation sdmx.oecd.org · checked 2026-08-07
- OECD Directorate for Science, Technology and Innovation sdmx.oecd.org · checked 2026-08-05
- Physicians (per 1,000 people) data.worldbank.org · checked 2026-08-13
- Physicians (per 1,000 people), World Development Indicators api.worldbank.org · checked 2026-07-14
- Population on 1 January by age and sex (DEMO_PJAN) ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-07-29
- Przynależność do wyznania religijnego — NSP 2021, Tablica 5 Przynależność do wyznania religijnego · stat.gov.pl · checked 2026-07-30
- Social Insurance Institution (ZUS), Poland zus.pl · checked 2026-08-03
- Statistics Poland — Local Data Bank, variable 398594 Statistics Poland · bdl.stat.gov.pl · checked 2026-07-29
- Taxing Wages 2026 — labour taxation decomposition Taxing Wages 2026 · sdmx.oecd.org · checked 2026-07-29
- WHO GHO RS_196/RS_198 ghoapi.azureedge.net · checked 2026-09-05
- WHO GHO RS_196/RS_198 ghoapi.azureedge.net · checked 2026-09-05
- World Bank api.worldbank.org · checked 2026-08-02
- World Bank api.worldbank.org · checked 2026-08-02
- World Bank api.worldbank.org · checked 2026-08-02
- World Bank Data data.worldbank.org · checked 2026-07-14
- World Bank Open Data api.worldbank.org · checked 2026-08-07
- World Bank Open Data api.worldbank.org · checked 2026-08-07
- World Bank SP.POP.TOTL api.worldbank.org · checked 2026-09-05
- OECD — Taxing Wages (DF_TAXINGWAGES) tax wedge and net income OECD · oecd.org · checked 2026-07-14
- OpenAQ openaq.org · checked 2026-07-14