In the first major by-law implementing Poland’s new Act on the Conditions for the Admissibility of Entrusting Work to Foreigners, the Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy confirmed on 9 December that the fee for registering an *oświadczenie*—the declaration that lets employers hire foreigners for up to six months without a work permit—has jumped from PLN 100 to PLN 400. Simultaneously, Georgia has been removed from the list of nationalities eligible for the simplified procedure, leaving only Armenia, Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine.
The *oświadczenie* route accounts for roughly 60 percent of first-time hires of foreign seasonal and blue-collar workers. HR directors in manufacturing and agriculture warn that the four-fold fee hike will add several million zloty to annual staffing costs, though it still remains cheaper and faster than the full work-permit process.
![Work-Declaration Fee Quadruples and Georgia Dropped from Poland’s Fast-Track Hiring List]()
Officials argue the increase reflects administrative realities: voivodeship labour offices processed a record 1.8 million declarations in 2024, and higher fees will fund digitisation and compliance audits aimed at curbing abuse. The exclusion of Georgia follows a risk assessment that found disproportionate rates of overstay and unauthorised onward travel among Georgian nationals.
For international employers the immediate impact is budgetary. Mobility teams should update cost projections for 2026 seasonal intakes and consider switching long-term roles to the Single Permit track, where fees remain unchanged. Companies with Georgian talent pipelines must pivot quickly; existing declarations remain valid, but new hires now require a full work permit.
Law firms expect further secondary legislation in early 2026 that will clarify remote-work rules for foreign freelancers and introduce e-signature capability for residence applications—steps that could partially offset the new costs.
The *oświadczenie* route accounts for roughly 60 percent of first-time hires of foreign seasonal and blue-collar workers. HR directors in manufacturing and agriculture warn that the four-fold fee hike will add several million zloty to annual staffing costs, though it still remains cheaper and faster than the full work-permit process.
Officials argue the increase reflects administrative realities: voivodeship labour offices processed a record 1.8 million declarations in 2024, and higher fees will fund digitisation and compliance audits aimed at curbing abuse. The exclusion of Georgia follows a risk assessment that found disproportionate rates of overstay and unauthorised onward travel among Georgian nationals.
For international employers the immediate impact is budgetary. Mobility teams should update cost projections for 2026 seasonal intakes and consider switching long-term roles to the Single Permit track, where fees remain unchanged. Companies with Georgian talent pipelines must pivot quickly; existing declarations remain valid, but new hires now require a full work permit.
Law firms expect further secondary legislation in early 2026 that will clarify remote-work rules for foreign freelancers and introduce e-signature capability for residence applications—steps that could partially offset the new costs.
