A technology company in Warsaw extends a job offer to a software engineer from Ukraine. The offer is accepted. Then the paperwork begins – and without a clear process map, the timeline slips, the candidate grows impatient, and the hire falls through. That scenario plays out more often than employers expect.

Hiring foreign nationals in Poland requires a work permit or equivalent authorisation before the employee starts work. The permit type depends on the employee's nationality, role, and intended length of stay. Ukrainian citizens currently benefit from simplified access under temporary protection rules, while nationals of most other non-EU countries must complete a full permit procedure that takes 30 to 90 days.

This alert covers the three stages every Polish employer must complete: choosing the right permit category, filing correctly with the relevant authority, and maintaining ongoing compliance once the employee is on payroll. Each stage carries its own deadlines and its own risks.

What has changed – and who is affected?

Polish immigration law has undergone significant revision since 2022. The most immediate change concerns Ukrainian nationals. Their right to work under the special protection framework – administered by the Office for Foreigners (Urząd do Spraw Cudzoziemców, UdSC) – has been extended, but the extension is not automatic for every individual. Employers must verify each employee's current status before or at the point of hire. Assuming ongoing entitlement without checking is a compliance failure that carries fines of up to PLN 30,000 per unauthorised worker.

For nationals of non-EU countries outside the temporary protection scheme, the standard route remains a Type A work permit issued by the relevant Voivode (regional governor). Processing times vary by region. In Mazowieckie – covering Warsaw – the current average is 60 to 90 days. Employers who underestimate this window and allow a foreign national to start work before the permit is issued face the same penalty exposure as those who never apply at all.

Two additional categories deserve attention. The EU Blue Card – a residence and work permit for highly qualified workers earning at least 150 percent of the average gross salary – offers a faster path for senior hires. The seasonal work permit, valid for up to nine months per calendar year, applies to agriculture, horticulture, and hospitality. Misclassifying a role to use the seasonal route when the work is year-round is a common mistake that triggers enforcement action.

  • Verify each Ukrainian employee's current protection status – do not assume continuity
  • Allow 60 to 90 days for a standard Type A permit in the Warsaw region
  • Check whether the EU Blue Card threshold applies to your senior hire
  • Confirm that seasonal permits match the actual nature of the work
  • Register every foreign national with the National Labour Inspectorate (PIP) within seven days of starting work

For employers with cross-border operations, the interaction between Polish permit rules and EU free-movement rights adds another layer. EU and EEA nationals do not need a work permit but must be registered with the local authority within 30 days of arrival if their stay exceeds three months. Failing to complete that registration does not invalidate the employment, but it does expose the employer to an administrative fine. Our team has addressed similar registration gaps for clients relocating from the Netherlands – see our guide on global mobility: relocating employees to Poland from the Netherlands for the full registration checklist.

What employers must do now – three immediate action items

The lost-opportunity risk in foreign hiring is concrete. A delayed permit means a delayed start date. A delayed start date means a competitor fills the role. Acting on the right steps in the right order eliminates most of that delay.

First, audit your current foreign workforce. Any employee whose permit or temporary protection status expires within 90 days needs a renewal application filed now. The UdSC and the relevant Voivode's office do not send automatic reminders. The employer bears the compliance burden. We secured a clean audit outcome for a manufacturing client in Mazowieckie (autumn 2025) by identifying three permit renewals that had been missed in the standard HR calendar.

Second, build the permit timeline into your recruitment process. For non-EU nationals, the Type A permit application requires a completed starosta (district authority) labour market test in most cases – a step that alone takes up to 21 days. Add the Voivode's processing time and you are looking at a minimum of 60 days from job offer to lawful start. Candidates who receive a clear timeline stay engaged. Those who receive silence do not.

Third, review your employment contracts for foreign nationals. Polish employment law requires that contracts specify the legal basis for the employee's right to work. A contract that omits this detail is not automatically void, but it complicates any future compliance inspection by the National Labour Inspectorate (Państwowa Inspekcja Pracy, PIP). For companies operating across multiple jurisdictions, the anti-corruption compliance obligations that attach to foreign hires are addressed separately in our article on the anti-corruption compliance framework under Polish law. Employers with operations in Slovakia will also find relevant parallel obligations discussed in our note on employment law compliance for Slovakia companies in Poland.

One procedural point that catches employers off guard: the work permit is issued to the employer, not the employee. If the employee changes roles, moves to a different legal entity within the group, or is assigned to a different worksite, a new permit application is usually required. Internal restructurings that ignore this rule create unauthorised employment exposure across the entire affected headcount.

The whistleblower protection framework – now in force in Poland – also applies to foreign nationals. Any foreign employee who reports a compliance breach is entitled to the same protections as a Polish citizen. Employers should ensure their internal reporting channels are accessible in languages relevant to their workforce.

Specific situation at your company requires immediate assessment – delays in permit renewals or missing registrations are not self-correcting and can preclude a lawful employment relationship before the issue is even identified.

To receive an expert assessment of your foreign hiring process or permit renewal pipeline, contact info@kordeckipartners.com.

KORDECKI & Partners is a law firm based in Warsaw and Krakow, advising business clients across 30 jurisdictions. Our team combines expertise in Polish and international law with a practical approach to employment law and global mobility. We work with Polish entrepreneurs, foreign investors, and in-house legal teams. To discuss your situation, contact info@kordeckipartners.com.

About the author: Olga leads the employment and global mobility practice and coordinates the Ukrainian and CIS Desks. She has processed over 200 work permits since 2023.

Disclaimer: This publication is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. The information herein should not be relied upon as a substitute for professional legal counsel tailored to your specific circumstances. KORDECKI & Partners assumes no liability for actions taken or not taken based on the contents of this material. For advice regarding your particular situation, please contact info@kordeckipartners.com.