Employing foreigners underwent its biggest overhaul in 2025 in two decades. If you assign work to people from abroad — or are just planning to — you need to know that not only procedures have changed, but also the level of risk. Old habits ("we'll do the declaration as usual") can now cost tens of thousands of złoty in fines.
This post is a practical overview of employer obligations: what, where, by when, and under what penalty. No legal jargon, just specifics.
New law — what changed from June 1, 2025
From June 1, 2025, the Act of March 20, 2025 on the conditions for allowing the assignment of work to foreigners came into force. It replaced the previous provisions of the Employment Promotion Act regarding the employment of foreign nationals. The most important pillars of the reform:
- Full digitalization. Declarations of work assignment and applications for work permits are submitted exclusively electronically through the praca.gov.pl portal. A document submitted in any other form will not be processed.
- End of the labor market test. The obligation to obtain information from the starost has been abolished — one less stage.
- Higher sanctions and unannounced inspections. More on this below.
Two basic paths to work legalization
Declaration of work assignment
Simplified procedure for citizens of selected countries. From December 1, 2025, the list includes citizens of Armenia, Belarus, Moldova, and Ukraine — Georgia has been removed (declarations registered before December 1, 2025 remain valid until expiry).
Work permit
For other cases. Issued by the voivode, in several types depending on the nature of employment.
If you employ a worker who is simultaneously legalizing their residence, most often a single permit for temporary residence and work comes into play — i.e., residence card based on work.
Information obligations and deadlines — the easiest place to make a mistake
This is the core of the reform and the most common source of trouble. After the changes, obligations are divided between the employee and the employer, and the deadlines are short:
| Event | Deadline | Who reports |
|---|---|---|
| Commencement of work based on declaration | 7 days | employer |
| Failure to commence work (declaration) | 14 days | employer |
| Loss of work by a foreigner with a temporary residence and work permit | 15 days | employer |
| Copy of contract (in Polish) | before assigning work | employer |
Additionally, general reaction periods have been shortened from 3 to 2 months (e.g., when a foreigner does not start work or interrupts it for longer). Notification of earlier termination or failure to commence work invalidates the declaration by operation of law — this must also be remembered. Failure to meet information obligations carries a fine of up to 5,000 PLN.
Fees from December 1, 2025
| Action | Fee |
|---|---|
| Registration of declaration of work assignment | 400 PLN (previously 100 PLN) |
| Work permit — up to 3 months | 200 PLN |
| Work permit — over 3 months | 400 PLN |
| Work permit — posting | 800 PLN |
| Seasonal work permit | 120 PLN |
Penalties — why the stakes are so high today
The most serious change for employers is sanctions. For illegally assigning work to a foreigner, a fine from 3,000 to 50,000 PLN is imposed (previously from 1,000 to 30,000 PLN). Importantly, some penalties are calculated proportionally to the number of foreigners — the more people employed improperly, the higher the fine. A labor inspector can impose a fine up to 10,000 PLN without court involvement, and the National Labor Inspectorate and Border Guard can conduct inspections without notice.
How not to get lost in deadlines — practical tips
- Maintain one calendar of official deadlines for all employed foreigners.
- Report events immediately, not "at the end of the deadline" — the margin for error is small.
- Keep copies of contracts and notification confirmations (the law requires archiving).
- Monitor not only work permits, but also the validity of employees' residence.
- If the scale is growing, consider outsourcing to an agency — risk and time cease to be your problem.
We offer the same support as part of our employment agency for foreigners — including staffing positions in the temporary work in production and warehouses model. If you employ Ukrainian citizens, also check the post about residence card for Ukrainians (CUKR), as it changes the situation of some of your employees.
FAQ — employer obligations
Can I employ a foreigner based only on a declaration? Only if they come from a country covered by the declaration procedure (Armenia, Belarus, Moldova, Ukraine). In other cases, a work permit is required.
Do I still need to obtain information from the starost? No. The labor market test was abolished from June 1, 2025.
What is the penalty for missing a notification deadline? For information violations, a fine of up to 5,000 PLN; for illegal assignment of work — from 3,000 to 50,000 PLN.
Can an inspection come without notice? Yes. After the changes, the National Labor Inspectorate and Border Guard can inspect without prior warning.
Does the contract with a foreigner have to be in Polish? A copy of the contract in Polish must be provided to the office before assigning work.
Need support?
If you don't want to track all these deadlines internally, write to us — we will take over the legalization of work and residence for your employees and ongoing notification handling.
Legal basis and sources
Ustawa z 20 marca 2025 r. (Dz.U. 2025 poz. 621) oraz rozporządzenia wykonawcze z 20 listopada 2025 r.
The content is for informational purposes and does not constitute legal advice. Status as of: June 15, 2026.