Key Takeaways:
- Tougher regulations: Starting June 2025, it will be harder for foreigners to work in Poland under new immigration laws.
- Strict rules for agencies: New and existing employment agencies face grace periods, deadlines, and tougher administrative requirements.
- Heavy penalties: Employers hiring foreigners illegally could face fines up to PLN 50,000.
Major Shift in Poland’s Immigration and Employment Policies
Beginning in June 2025, Poland will implement significant reforms that will drastically change the employment landscape for foreign nationals, especially for work visa applications. These changes follow the signing of the act on conditions for permitting the employment of foreigners by President Andrzej Duda.
The comprehensive reform package, called the New Immigration Law, will impose stricter controls on foreigners’ work and residence in Poland. Employers, in particular, should brace for new administrative obligations, extended formalities, and tougher sanctions.
The upcoming changes will make employing foreign workers in Poland much stricter. Companies must act early to avoid penalties and business interruptions.
What’s Changing?
The reform revolves around two major acts:
- The Act on the Labour Market: It focuses on regulating public employment services and private agencies, including temporary work agencies.
- The Act on the Employment of Foreigners: This indeed defines new rules for employing foreigners, aiming to streamline and tighten the employment process.
Furthermore, these changes are designed to give more tools to administrative authorities while forcing companies to review and adjust their hiring practices.
Highlights of the New Regulations
| Change | Details |
| Two-Year Grace Period for New Employment Agencies | New agencies must wait two years after registration before they can hire non-EU foreign workers, unless the workers are exempt from work permit requirements. |
| Short Deadline for Existing Agencies | Existing agencies must update their registration within 3 months after the law comes into force or lose authorization to employ foreigners. |
| Entry Into Force | The new laws become effective on June 1, 2025, with a unique vacatio legis—14 days after publication, and effective from the first day of the following month. |
| Heavy Penalties | Employers could be fined up to PLN 50,000 for illegally employing foreigners. Foreign workers may also face penalties. |
Additional Goals of the Reform
The new immigration law also aims to:
- Tighten visa procedures: Reforming how national visas and temporary residence permits for studies are issued.
- Control foreign student admissions: Universities must limit foreign student numbers and require proof of language proficiency (at least B2 level).
- Improve data sharing: To streamline processes, allow consuls and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs access to centralized foreigner data.
- Monitor foreign students: Institutions must report when foreign students fail to start their studies after obtaining a visa.
Immediate Action Points for Employers
Employers should start preparing now by reviewing employee documentation, ensuring all foreigners have proper legal status. They should also start checking the student status of foreign workers employed under study permits.
An important step is also updating internal procedures to comply with the new administrative requirements. Furthermore, failure to act in time could not only disrupt operations but also expose companies to significant legal and financial risks.