Knowledge base
How to employ a foreigner in Poland step by step
How do you employ a foreigner in line with the law? Check the candidate's valid residence document, establish the basis for legal work (a work permit, a declaration, a seasonal work permit or a residence title that gives access to the labour market), submit the documents through praca.gov.pl, conclude a written contract and keep a copy of the residence document for the whole period of work and for 2 years from the end of the calendar year in which the contract expired.
Prepared by the Back2Work team (employment agency, KRAZ 31286). Legal status checked: 1 October 2026.
Where to start: the candidate's residence status
The first step is to check whether the foreigner has a valid document entitling them to stay in Poland. The entity entrusting the work requires it to be presented before work begins.
Residence alone does not mean the right to work. A tourist visa, a visa for visiting family or a visa for medical treatment allow a person to stay in Poland, but not to work. That is why you need to read from the document whether it gives access to the labour market and, if it does not, which basis is needed.
Which basis for legal work should you choose?
Once residence is checked, you establish whether the foreigner needs a work permit (zezwolenie na pracę) or a declaration on entrusting work to a foreigner (oświadczenie o powierzeniu wykonywania pracy cudzoziemcowi). Some documents, for example a permanent residence permit or refugee status, exempt the holder from this obligation.
There are four routes. The work must match the conditions written in the permit or declaration, because any deviation from them means illegal work.
- Work permit: issued by the voivode (wojewoda) at the employer's request; the application is submitted electronically through praca.gov.pl.
- Declaration on entrusting work: available to citizens of Armenia, Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine, registered online, and work starts after the entry in the register.
- Seasonal work permit: issued by the starost (starosta, head of the district) competent for the employer's registered office or place of residence, for a maximum of 9 months in a calendar year.
- Residence with access to the labour market: where the residence document itself entitles the holder to work, no separate permit is needed; for persons under temporary protection, the employer notifies the district labour office (powiatowy urząd pracy) within 7 days of the start of work.
How do you submit the documents through praca.gov.pl?
You submit the work permit application electronically through praca.gov.pl. The permit specifies, among other things, the employer, the position, the remuneration and the working time, and the later employment must match it.
For a declaration, you register online your details and those of the worker, the start date of work, the type of contract, the remuneration and the occupation. The foreigner may start work only after the declaration is entered in the register, and the contract must take into account the conditions from the declaration. For the rules on seasonal permits and the exact criteria, check with the labour office competent for your company's registered office.
Contract, document copy and notifications after work starts
You conclude the contract in writing, after presenting the foreigner with its translation into a language they understand. Working and pay conditions must match those in the permit or declaration, and you send a copy of the contract to the authority that issued the permit or entered the declaration before entrusting the work.
You make a copy of the residence document before work starts and keep it for the whole period of work and for 2 years, counted from the end of the calendar year in which the contract with the foreigner expired or was terminated. You report the worker to ZUS (the Social Insurance Institution) within 7 days of the start of work. For work under a declaration, you inform the starost of the start of work within 7 days of its start, and of the work not starting within 14 days of the start date of work specified in the register of declarations (ewidencja oświadczeń).
Inspections by the PIP and the Border Guard: what to prepare for
The legality of employing foreigners is inspected by both the National Labour Inspectorate (Państwowa Inspekcja Pracy, PIP) and the Border Guard (Straż Graniczna). Since 1 June 2025, the Act of 20 March 2025 on the conditions for allowing foreigners to be entrusted with work, which in this area replaced the act on employment promotion, has been in force.
For an inspection, it is worth having ready: the permit or declaration, a copy of the residence document and the contract. Complete, well-organised documentation from the steps above is the best preparation.
| Step | What the employer does | Basis / source |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Residence status | Requires a valid residence document before work starts and checks whether it entitles the holder to work | Employment services portal (Wortal PSZ), employer's duties (gdynia.praca.gov.pl); Green Line (Zielona Linia) |
| 2. Basis for work | Establishes: a permit, a declaration, a seasonal permit or residence with access to the labour market | Green Line; employment services portal, work permits |
| 3. Application | Submits the permit application electronically through praca.gov.pl or registers the declaration online | Employment services portal, work permits and declarations |
| 4. Contract | Concludes a written contract with a translation and sends a copy to the authority before entrusting the work | Employment services portal, employer's duties |
| 5. Document copy | Makes a copy of the residence document and keeps it for the period of work and 2 years from the end of the year in which the contract ended | Act of 20.03.2025, art. 4; PIP |
| 6. Notifications | ZUS within 7 days of the start of work; starost: 7 days from the start of work (work started) or 14 days from the date in the register of declarations (work not started) | Employment services portal, employer's duties |
| 7. Inspection | Prepares documentation for inspections by the PIP and the Border Guard | National Labour Inspectorate (pip.gov.pl) |
Frequently asked questions
Not always. A permit or a declaration is needed when the residence document itself does not give the right to work. Some documents, such as a permanent residence permit or refugee status, exempt the holder from this obligation.
The work permit application is submitted electronically through praca.gov.pl. The permit is issued by the voivode, and in the case of seasonal work by the starost.
The copy of the residence document is kept for the entire period of work and for 2 years, counted from the end of the calendar year in which the contract with the foreigner expired or was terminated. A longer period applies if it results from separate regulations on employee records.
The contract must be concluded in writing before the foreigner is allowed to work, and it must take into account the conditions from the permit or declaration. Work may be entrusted only after the permit is obtained or the declaration is entered in the register, and a copy of the contract in Polish is sent to the office beforehand.
It is inspected by the National Labour Inspectorate and the Border Guard. They check, among other things, the residence document, the basis for work and the contract.
Sources
- Zatrudnianie cudzoziemców. Pracodawco pamiętaj! (zielonalinia.gov.pl)
- Obowiązki pracodawcy (gdynia.praca.gov.pl)
- Zezwolenia na pracę (psz.praca.gov.pl)
- Zezwolenia na pracę sezonową (psz.praca.gov.pl)
- Powierzenie pracy na podstawie oświadczenia (psz.praca.gov.pl)
- O legalności zatrudnienia cudzoziemców ze Strażą Graniczną (pip.gov.pl)
- Cudzoziemcy: ułatwienia w zatrudnieniu, wyższe sankcje za łamanie prawa (pip.gov.pl)
- Ustawa o warunkach dopuszczalności powierzania pracy cudzoziemcom, tekst ujednolicony w ISAP (isap.sejm.gov.pl)
Sources checked on 1-4 October 2026. Regulations may change, so check the current legal status before making a decision. (documents in Polish)