The draft of July 10, 2026, provides for another amendment to the Act on the Conditions for the Admissibility of Entrusting Work to Foreigners. The changes are intended, on the one hand, to simplify the employment of selected groups of foreigners, and, on the other, to expand employers' disclosure obligations and increase the risk of sanctions for violating the regulations.
What are the most important changes for entrepreneurs does the project envisage?
Possible exemption of citizens of selected countries from the obligation to obtain a work permit.
The Council of Ministers will be able to specify the countries whose citizens will be entitled to work in Poland without a work permit. The bill's justification lists Australia, Canada, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, Singapore, the USA, the UK, and Taiwan as examples.
The exemption will depend on the issuance of an appropriate regulation, will not be limited only to highly qualified employees and will not exempt the foreigner from the obligation to have a title entitling them to legal stay in Poland.
Notifying the employment office also in the event of working without a permit
An employer employing a foreigner exempt from the obligation to have a work permit will have to notify the relevant district labor office:
- on entrusting work to a foreigner;
- on the legal basis for exemption from the obligation to obtain a permit;
- about working conditions.
The notification will have to be submitted electronically within 7 days of the foreigner starting work.
Hour limits for civil law contracts
In the case of civil law contracts, the number of working hours of a foreigner indicated in the permit must be:
- not less than 40 hours per month;
- no more than 184 hours per month.
Increasing the number of working hours under a civil law contract will generally require obtaining a new permit or entering a new declaration.
Tightening the rules of liability
The project clarifies that the fine for illegal entrusting of work will be imposed separately for each foreigner:
- from PLN 3,000 to PLN 50,000 for illegal entrusting of work;
- from PLN 6,000 to PLN 50,000 for the most serious violations, including demanding financial benefits from the employee or referring him to another entity outside the rules of temporary work.
If the violation concerns multiple foreigners, the individual penalties will be cumulative.
Liability from PLN 6,000 to PLN 50,000 may also be borne by an entrepreneur who directly uses the work of a foreigner sent by an entity that is not a temporary work agency.
Failure to notify the voivode about entrusting a foreigner with work in a different position or of a different nature than that indicated in the permit will also be subject to sanctions.
What should entrepreneurs do?
Before the new regulations come into force, it is worth verifying the current procedures for legalizing the work of foreigners, implementing a system for controlling seven-day information deadlines, and checking the procedure for electronically transmitting copies of contracts.
Date of entry into force
The act is to enter into force 60 days after its publication. The existing regulations will apply to proceedings initiated and not concluded before the amendment's entry into force. The bill is still in the legislative process, so its final scope is subject to change.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.
The law is current as of July 30, 2026.
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