Looking for an internship in Poland? Find out how and where to look for opportunities, learn about visa requirements, working conditions, and more in this article.
Poland is one of Europe's most dynamic economies. The country's business-friendly environment has attracted many foreign and multinational companies over the years. Along with local and national companies, these also provide a lot of internship opportunities, especially in the fields of business services, tourism and hospitality, IT, education, and more. Note that you stand more chances of landing an internship position if you have a good command of English and if you understand Polish.
Procedures
Internships are a relatively new form of employment in Poland. But with booming local and international business, the country is experiencing more and more need for new talent ' and interns are welcome in many companies in the country.
Prior to arranging your internship, it is best to enquire about visa requirements for Poland, depending on your country of residence. For instance, citizens of countries belonging to the European Union, can work and intern in Poland visa-free; while others may need to apply for a visa prior to coming to Poland as well as apply for a work permit.
Find an internship
There are various ways of looking for an internship in Poland. The easiest way is to contact a local or international internship agency, outline your expertise and requirements and have them look for the most fitting internship position.
If you want to conduct the search yourself, you could start by browsing offers on the Internet ' there are a number of websites focusing specifically on internships as well as job hunting websites listing internship opportunities. You could also enquire about internship opportunities at the career departments of Polish universities.
Alternatively, you can send out spontaneous job applications to local and international companies working in your desired fields ' it's a good idea to have your CV both in English and Polish.
Conditions
Internships in Poland are remunerated according to the agreement between the company and the trainee. Most universities' career departments may also suggest accommodation. However, in the majority of cases, relating costs will be your responsibility: rent, visa fees (if applicable), travel costs, etc. With that, the cost of living in Poland is not as high as in most other European countries, which makes the country a popular choice for recent graduates.
On the other hand, trainees are required to contribute to the Social Security fund during their internship. Holders of the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) should have no trouble in filling these formalities and will be entitled to basic health care services (depending on the length of their stay): primary health care, hospital and dental treatments, specialist out-patient services, and ambulance support. Nationals of non-European countries, for their part, will have to meet several requirements before being eligible for Social Security in case of hospital admission or other treatments.
You will have more information on these procedures after getting in touch with the company's human resources department and when signing the internship agreement. It is highly recommended to enquire about the specific conditions of your potential internship prior to coming to Poland so as to have a clear idea of the related expenses.
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