Poland: Immigration law updates

On April 10^th, 2025, the President of the Republic of Poland signed a new law which is expected to come into force on June 1^st, 2025. The new law introduces significant changes for non-EU nationals, which employers will have to comply to, not to incur into penalties and business risks.  

New procedures

The main updates are the following:  

• Work permit release: employers must offer a working time which is at least ¼ of a full-time position; however, applicants who receive a part-time work contract will obtain a permit valid for 1 year.  
• Process digitalization: work permit applications will be digitalized and submitted electronically through a dedicated system, to reduce case processing times. Also, signed work contracts will have to be uploaded to the system before employment begins (with exceptions).  
• Market testing: the obligation to conduct labor market testing, to ensure there are no available Polish candidates before hiring a foreigner, will be removed. However, local authorities will gain the right to create a list of professions and types of work for which work permits cannot be issued.   

Penalties for non-compliance

Penalties for illegal employment will range from PLN 3,000 to PLN 5,000 and the local authorities will conduct more unannounced inspections.  

Furthermore, work permits can be denied if the employer has outstanding social security contributions or if it is deemed that the only intent of the application is to facilitate the foreign worker’s entry into Poland, without real employment plans.