Forklift Operator Jobs in Poland

Forklift operator jobs in Poland with a UDT licence

Forklift operator, forklift driver, operator wózka widłowego — in Polish job ads it’s the same role, and the requirement is almost always the same: a UDT licence. Most jobs on the site are in warehouses and logistics centres; roughly one in four is at a factory, where the operator feeds materials to production lines and moves finished goods. Nearly every job includes housing.

Forklift operator salary in Poland

The usual rate is 28–36 zł net per hour. Warsaw and Kraków pay more: 38–44 zł gross plus bonuses of up to 800 zł. With 10-hour shifts that works out at roughly 5,500–8,000 zł net per month, and reach-truck operators on high-bay racking can earn 10,000–12,000 zł. Night hours are typically paid 20% extra. Many employers list a separate, higher rate for students under 26, who pay no income tax or social security on a civil contract.

What is UDT and how do you get it?

UDT stands for Urząd Dozoru Technicznego, Poland’s Office of Technical Inspection. The operator certificate is issued after a course and an exam before a UDT board; courses take from a few days to two weeks. Foreign forklift certificates aren’t automatically recognised in Poland, so you’ll need to pass the exam here. Some employers pay for the course themselves — look for it in the job description.

Equipment varies: counterbalance forklifts, reach trucks for high-bay storage, side loaders for long loads, telehandlers on building sites, stackers and order pickers. The more types you can operate, the more jobs you can apply for.

Foreign workers, experience and language

About half of the jobs don’t require Polish — instructions are simple and the scanner shows the route. No-experience roles are rarer and usually go to newly licensed operators, with training on site. Jobs are aimed at foreign workers already allowed to work in Poland; check the listing for what documents are needed.

Where most forklift jobs are

The most openings are in Łódź, Warsaw and the Masovian region. There are also jobs in Kraków, Wrocław, Gdańsk, Szczecin and Bielsko-Biała. No licence yet? Start as a warehouse worker and move onto forklifts later.