Alongside today’s overhaul of the employer-declaration list, Poland has also introduced steep new fees and paperwork requirements for all organisations that employ non-EU nationals. A package of three executive ordinances—published in the Official Journal on 25 November but effective 1 December—raises the filing fee for a standard employer declaration from PLN 100 to PLN 400 and the fee for a seasonal-work permit from PLN 30 to PLN 120. Work-permit fees now range from PLN 200 for assignments up to three months to PLN 800 for outbound service contracts, quadrupling previous costs.
The ordinances also unveil harmonised document check-lists. Employers must attach tax-compliance certificates, proof of no wage arrears and—new this year—evidence of adequate housing if accommodation is bundled into the employment offer. Seasonal-work sponsors can no longer obtain multiseason endorsements for Georgian citizens, reflecting Georgia’s removal from the fast-track list.
![New Fees and Documentation Rules for Hiring Foreign Workers Take Effect in Poland]()
Local labour offices spent the weekend updating e-services and have warned of processing slow-downs as staff validate the additional attachments. The Powiatowy Urząd Pracy in Koszalin, for example, urged companies to “double-check files or risk immediate rejection,” while the Legnica and Otwock offices published step-by-step guides for HR teams.
For multinational employers, the financial hit is immediate: a manufacturing plant bringing in 50 Thai welders on 18-month contracts will now pay PLN 20 000 in state fees versus PLN 5 000 previously. Companies with large Ukrainian or Belarusian workforces are budgeting higher onboarding costs for 2026 and tightening internal approval thresholds for external staffing vendors.
The labour ministry argues the higher fees will fund a fully electronic permit platform due next year, but business groups fear the changes make Poland less competitive against neighbouring Germany and Czechia, both of which charge lower permit fees. HR leaders should update cost forecasts, amend foreign-labour budgets and brief talent-acquisition teams on the stricter filing standards to avoid delays that could disrupt project timelines.
The ordinances also unveil harmonised document check-lists. Employers must attach tax-compliance certificates, proof of no wage arrears and—new this year—evidence of adequate housing if accommodation is bundled into the employment offer. Seasonal-work sponsors can no longer obtain multiseason endorsements for Georgian citizens, reflecting Georgia’s removal from the fast-track list.
Local labour offices spent the weekend updating e-services and have warned of processing slow-downs as staff validate the additional attachments. The Powiatowy Urząd Pracy in Koszalin, for example, urged companies to “double-check files or risk immediate rejection,” while the Legnica and Otwock offices published step-by-step guides for HR teams.
For multinational employers, the financial hit is immediate: a manufacturing plant bringing in 50 Thai welders on 18-month contracts will now pay PLN 20 000 in state fees versus PLN 5 000 previously. Companies with large Ukrainian or Belarusian workforces are budgeting higher onboarding costs for 2026 and tightening internal approval thresholds for external staffing vendors.
The labour ministry argues the higher fees will fund a fully electronic permit platform due next year, but business groups fear the changes make Poland less competitive against neighbouring Germany and Czechia, both of which charge lower permit fees. HR leaders should update cost forecasts, amend foreign-labour budgets and brief talent-acquisition teams on the stricter filing standards to avoid delays that could disrupt project timelines.
