A new version of the draft law on internships has been published, which aims to regulate the rules for internships and the rights and obligations of interns and internship providers. The draft law envisages significant changes to the current model for organizing internships, including the obligation to pay remuneration, limit their duration, and establish a maximum number of interns that a given provider can accept.
According to the bill, the act is to enter into force on January 1, 2027.
Internship based on an employment contract
One of the most important changes is the definition of an internship as paid work , the primary goal of which is to acquire knowledge, practical skills and professional experience.
The project assumes that the internship will be based on an internship agreement, which will be a fixed-term employment contractconcluded between the intern and the internship organizer.
However, not all provisions of the Labor Code will apply to internships. The bill excludes the application of selected regulations, including those concerning limits on fixed-term employment contracts, retirement and disability severance pay, and training leave. It will also be impossible to conclude an internship agreement for the purpose of performing particularly hazardous work.
Maximum 6 months of internship
The project provides that the internship contract will be concluded for a period not exceeding 6 months.
The project also limits the possibility of repeating an internship with the same provider. As a rule, repeating an internship will only be possible 24 months after the end of the previous internship or employment with that provider, subject to exceptions provided for in the project.
Limits on the number of interns
The bill introduces limits on the number of interns an employer can accept. The limit will depend on the number of employees.
Employer hiring:
- more than 2 and no more than 9 employees will be able to accept interns in a number not exceeding 50% of the employees;
- more than 9 and no more than 49 employees – not exceeding 25% of the total number of employees;
- more than 49 and no more than 249 employees – not exceeding 15% of the total number of employees;
- more than 249 employees – not exceeding 10% of the total number of employees.
In the case of an organiser who is not an employer, or an employer who employs employees on the date of commencement of the internship for a total number of employees not exceeding two full-time positions, the internship may be completed by one person.
The bill also provides for a ban on sending people for internships by temporary employment agencies.
Seniority pay not lower than 65% of the minimum wage
Under the bill, interns will be entitled to internship pay. The amount for the full monthly internship hours cannot be less than 65% of the minimum wage.
In the case of a part-time internship, remuneration will be determined pro rata to the duration of the internship. An exception will be the reduction of the working hours of a disabled intern, in which case this will not result in a reduction in the internship remuneration.
Organizer's obligations
The organizer will be responsible for the proper implementation of the internship and will be required to appoint a person responsible for supervising the intern. Furthermore, job postings and internship advertisements must include information about the knowledge, skills, and experience the intern will be expected to acquire, as well as the internship conditions.
Special internship rules for minors
The bill provides separate rules for internships for minors who meet the requirements specified in the bill and are fulfilling their education obligations under an internship agreement. In this case, the agreement will be valid for no longer than until the intern turns 18.
A minor trainee will be entitled to a cash benefit of at least PLN 500 per month.
At the same time, the internship organizer who has concluded an agreement with a minor intern will be entitled to co-financing of internship costs in the amount of PLN 750 for each full month if the internship is completed for at least 120 hours per month.
Penalties for violating regulations
The bill also provides for liability for violating the new rules. An internship organizer or someone acting on their behalf could be fined between PLN 2,000 and PLN 60,000 for, among other things, accepting interns over the permitted limit, entering into contracts for periods exceeding six months, or violating working time regulations.
A separate fine of PLN 3,000 to PLN 30,000 is provided for sending people to an internship by a temporary employment agency.
Summary
The draft law on internships proposes a significant change to the rules for organizing internships. Internships will be paid and based on a fixed-term employment contract, with their duration with the same provider limited to six months.
The project also provides special solutions for minors, including a minimum cash benefit and the possibility of obtaining funding from the organizer.
According to the draft, the act is to enter into force on 1 January 2027. At this stage, however, these are only draft solutions that may be subject to change in the course of further legislative work.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.
The law is current as of October 22, 2026.
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