Statement on entrusting work to a foreigner

Introduction

Oświadczenie o powierzeniu pracy cudzoziemcowi jest to a written declaration made by a Polish employer who intends to entrust work to a citizen of Armenia, Belarus, Moltova or Ukraine.

The declaration may only concern work performed in Poland, which is employment, does not constitute secondment and is not seasonal work.

Oświadczenie zastępuje permit na work - entitles to legalnego zatrudnienia a foreigner without the need to apply for a work permit.

⇒ Both the employer who employs a foreigner without a work permit or a statement on entrusting work to a foreigner, if required, or in non-compliance with their conditions, and the foreigner performing work in such a situation, must reckon with certain consequences.

⇒ Fine provided for against the employer may amount to up to PLN 50,000. They also face administrative and criminal sanctions.

⇒ For a foreigner, subject to a fine of no less than PLN 1,000 and no more than PLN 5,000, a severe penalty may be the issuance of a return obligation decision – such a decision not only orders the foreigner to leave Poland within a specified period, but may also contain a ban on re-entry to Poland and other Schengen Area states for a specified period.

Authorised persons

nationals of Armenia, Belarus, Moldova or Ukraine, who, in order to be able to work should hold a work permit and intend to work in Poland on the basis of an agreement concluded with an employer whose registered office, place of residence, branch or establishment is in Poland, and in the case of temporary work — on the basis of an agreement concluded with a temporary employment agency;

A foreigner may work in Poland only on the condition of having an appropriate basis for stay - one that entitles them to work, in accordance with the regulations. A foreigner may not work in Poland, despite the employer having submitted a declaration, if resides in Poland illegally or, among other things, on the basis of a visa issued for tourist purposes.

A work permit, or alternatively a declaration on entrusting work to a foreigner, is not always required. It is not required if:

you have full access to the labor market ⇒ check if you have it;
the regulations exempt you from the obligation to obtain it ⇒ check if this situation applies to you.

Registering authority

the competent starost:
- due to the registered office or permanent place of residence in Poland of the entity entrusting work;
- the competent starost with regard to the permanent place of conducting business activity in Poland – if the employer is a citizen of the EEA (EU, NO, LI, IS);

Initiation of proceedings

by submitting a declaration online through the praca.gov.pl portal.

The declaration is submitted by the employer, and not the foreigner. He/she is also one party to the proceedings regarding the declaration

Method of confirming entitlements

electronic declaration tocument wraz z potwierdzeniem tokonania wpisu;

Period of work covered by the declaration

up to 24 months

Planned start date of work

up to 6 months from the date of submission of the declaration by the employer, subject to the condition that the starost may specify a later date for commencing work

Provisions

Act of March 20, 2025, on the conditions for the admissibility of employing foreigners in the territory of the Republic of Poland;
Regulation of the Minister of Family, Labor, and Social Policy of November 20, 2025, on the documents that an entity entrusting work to a foreigner must attach to an application for a work permit or to a declaration of entrusting work to a foreigner;
Regulation of the Minister of Family, Labor, and Social Policy of November 20, 2025, on the amount of fees in connection with an application for a work permit and in connection with a declaration on the employment of a foreigner;
Regulation of the Minister of Family, Labor, and Social Policy of November 20, 2025, on specific cases in which a foreigner authorized to stay in the territory of the Republic of Poland may perform work without a work permit or a declaration of entrusting work to a foreigner;
Regulation of the Minister of Family, Labor, and Social Policy of November 21, 2025, on the countries whose citizens may be subject to declarations on the assignment of work to a foreigner and certain provisions regarding seasonal work permits.

Detailed explanation

⇒ The Head of the Office for Foreigners does not have jurisdiction over the entry of a declaration into the registry, and the Case Management Module does not provide the option to submit such a declaration.

⇒ If you need assistance regarding your intention to submit a declaration or to take up employment based on it, please contact the Green Line, the relevant unit at the provincial office, or contact the Labor Market Department at the Ministry of Family, Labor and Social Policy (MRPiPS).

Submitting a declaration regarding the assignment of work to a foreigner constitutes a simplified procedure for legalizing employment compared to obtaining a work permit. In this case, no administrative decision is issued by the provincial governor—the declaration submitted by the employer is entered into the register of declarations by the county administrator, and an administrative decision is issued only if there are grounds to refuse the entry. The employer has the right to appeal the county administrator’s decision to the minister responsible for labor (MRPiPS).

This procedure is less formal and faster. Verification of the declaration typically takes up to 7 business days, allowing the employer greater flexibility when hiring foreign nationals.

After the content of the declaration and attachments has been verified, an electronic declaration document with confirmation of registration is generated. This document is made available to the employer for download in their account on the praca.gov.pl portal.

The declaration is submitted via the praca.gov.pl portal using a special form, along with proof of payment of the 400 PLN fee and other required attachments. In the declaration, the employer provides their own details and those of the foreign national they intend to hire, as well as information regarding the planned employment.

The declaration must be submitted before the foreign national begins work. The planned date of employment for the foreign national should be imminent—no later than 6 months from the date the declaration is submitted.

The employer has certain obligations related to employing a foreigner based on the declaration, including, among others:

including in the employment contract the terms of employment declared to the district administrator;
providing a copy of such an agreement, after its conclusion, to the Labor Office that registered the declaration;
notifying the authorities of the foreign national’s commencement of employment (within 7 days) or failure to commence employment (within 14 days).

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