Polish employers awoke on 7 December to confirmation that one of the most frequently-used immigration routes for lower-skilled and seasonal staff has become markedly more expensive. Late on Saturday, several voivodeship labour offices and the Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy clarified that the fee for registering an *oświadczenie o powierzeniu wykonywania pracy cudzoziemcowi* (declaration of intent to employ a foreigner) quadrupled from PLN 100 to PLN 400 as of 1 December 2025. The change stems from a package of four executive regulations issued on 20–21 November that implement Poland’s new Act on the Conditions for the Admissibility of Entrusting Work to Foreigners.
The *oświadczenie* procedure is the backbone of Poland’s ultra-simplified work-authorisation scheme that lets citizens of selected countries work in Poland for up to six months without a full work-permit process. In 2024 the channel accounted for roughly half of all first-time hires of non-EU nationals, especially in construction, logistics and agriculture. Officials argue the higher fee aligns costs with the more complex work-permit route and will discourage fraud rings that exploited the declaration system to traffic cheap labour. Employers who submitted declarations before 1 December will still pay the old PLN 100 rate, but any filing dated 1 December or later must include proof of the PLN 400 payment.
![Poland Hikes ‘Oświadczenie’ Filing Fee to PLN 400 and Drops Georgia from Fast-Track Hiring List]()
Just as significant is a change to the list of nationalities eligible for the simplified pathway. Georgia has been removed, leaving only Armenia, Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine. Georgian nationals already working on valid declarations may continue until their current authorisation expires, but no new declarations can be filed for them. The government says the decision reflects a data-driven review of over-stay rates and unfilled labour-market gaps; however, business chambers warn it will squeeze hospitality and food-processing employers who relied on a steady inflow of Georgian staff.
Practical implications for globally mobile employers are immediate. HR teams must update cost projections and internal budgets, ensure that declaration filings use the new payment amount, and review nationality-based recruitment pipelines. Multinational staffing agencies should alert client sites that Georgian candidates now require the lengthier work-permit process—adding four to eight weeks to lead times. Companies planning mass seasonal intakes in spring 2026 are also advised to factor the higher declaration fee into bid pricing and project margins.
Looking ahead, immigration advisers expect the government to monitor whether the fee increase dampens demand or simply shifts employers toward unregulated arrangements. A mid-2026 evaluation clause in the Act allows the ministry to fine-tune fees and country lists again. For now, however, Poland has signalled that its once bargain-priced fast track for foreign workers is entering a more regulated—and costlier—phase.
The *oświadczenie* procedure is the backbone of Poland’s ultra-simplified work-authorisation scheme that lets citizens of selected countries work in Poland for up to six months without a full work-permit process. In 2024 the channel accounted for roughly half of all first-time hires of non-EU nationals, especially in construction, logistics and agriculture. Officials argue the higher fee aligns costs with the more complex work-permit route and will discourage fraud rings that exploited the declaration system to traffic cheap labour. Employers who submitted declarations before 1 December will still pay the old PLN 100 rate, but any filing dated 1 December or later must include proof of the PLN 400 payment.
Just as significant is a change to the list of nationalities eligible for the simplified pathway. Georgia has been removed, leaving only Armenia, Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine. Georgian nationals already working on valid declarations may continue until their current authorisation expires, but no new declarations can be filed for them. The government says the decision reflects a data-driven review of over-stay rates and unfilled labour-market gaps; however, business chambers warn it will squeeze hospitality and food-processing employers who relied on a steady inflow of Georgian staff.
Practical implications for globally mobile employers are immediate. HR teams must update cost projections and internal budgets, ensure that declaration filings use the new payment amount, and review nationality-based recruitment pipelines. Multinational staffing agencies should alert client sites that Georgian candidates now require the lengthier work-permit process—adding four to eight weeks to lead times. Companies planning mass seasonal intakes in spring 2026 are also advised to factor the higher declaration fee into bid pricing and project margins.
Looking ahead, immigration advisers expect the government to monitor whether the fee increase dampens demand or simply shifts employers toward unregulated arrangements. A mid-2026 evaluation clause in the Act allows the ministry to fine-tune fees and country lists again. For now, however, Poland has signalled that its once bargain-priced fast track for foreign workers is entering a more regulated—and costlier—phase.
