After more than three years of waiting, Polish dissident scholar Stanislaw Baranczak yesterday received his government's permission to travel to the United States and accept a three-year teaching post at Harvard.

He and his family should arrive here "in about two weeks," his mother, contacted in Poznan, Poland, said last night.

The 33-year-old poet, essayist and literary critic from Poznan--who could not be reached for comment last night because he does not have a phone--was described by his mother as "very tired" from his academic and dissident work, but "overjoyed" at the news that the government had accepted his application for a passport.

In March 1978, Baranczak accepted a three-year associate professorship in the Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures. Since then he had on seven separate occasions requested travel documents--most recently last October--and was turned down each time.

Yesterday, however, Baranczak was told by an official of the Polish Ministry of Education that his eighth appeal had been successful, and he picked up the passport at the Ministry's local office, his mother said through a translator.

Winning Ways

Approval for Baranczak's departure had reportedly been delayed for some time because of bureaucratic red tape at the ministry and at Adam Mickiewicz University of Poznan, where Baranczak teaches. Both have granted him three-year leaves-of-absence, his mother said.

Harvard officials who have been involved in efforts to gain Baranczak's departure last night expressed relief, pleasure and caution.

"I want to express my deep satisfaction and anticipation of seeing him," Donald E. Fanger, chairman of the Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures, said.

But, alluding to Baranczak's active participation in dissident activities despite government disapproval, Fanger added. "I'm restraining my rejoicing until he shows up at Logan."

Fanger said no specific plans have been made for Baranczak's work here once he arrives, but it is presumed that he will begin teaching next fall. Since September 1978, Baranczak has been listed in University catalogues as instructing Polish language and literature classes and occupying a Boylston Hall office.

No More

"I am so glad to hear this news. This had been dragging on for so long and had become a nightmare," Wiktor Weintraub, Jurzykowski Professor of Polish Languages and Literatures Emeritus, said last night.

The Polish government's action--which U.S. and Polish officials did not officially confirm--follows several months of indications that Baranczak's chances for a passport were on the rise.

Last fall, after several years in which he could only publish his works in illegal underground publications, Baranczak signed a contract to have his latest book printed by an official book company.