LEGALIZATION OF WORK AND RESIDENCE OF FOREIGNERS

To hire a foreigner in Poland, first verify the country of his citizenship. Depending on the country – it will be necessary to obtain a work permit or only register a statement of entrustment. It is also necessary to check whether the person can legally reside in Poland. You can enter into an employment contract with a foreigner or a civil law contract (e.g., an assignment) – but remember to provide this person with working conditions and pay like Polish citizens. Don’t forget to report to Social Security, too.

You can enter into an employment contract or a civil contract (e.g., assignment) with a Ukrainian citizen. You must then notify the relevant county labor office within 14 days. You will do this electronically through the labor.gov.pl portal. Remember that you can only hire a person who is in Poland legally – so be sure to check the basis of residence of the Ukrainian citizen.

First, you must register a statement on the assignment of work to a citizen of Belarus with the competent district labor office. You can then enter into an employment contract or a civil contract (e.g., assignment) with a Belarusian citizen. Remember that you can only hire a person who is in Poland legally – so be sure to check the basis of residence of the Belarusian citizen. You can also apply for a work permit.

If the foreigner is outside Poland – he should apply for an appropriate visa entitling him to stay in Poland (such as a work visa). If the foreigner is already in Poland, the stay can be legalized by applying to the provincial office for a residence permit. It is the responsibility of the foreigner to legalize his stay – it cannot be done for him by his employer.

Legalization of a foreigner’s stay should be 1 month, and in particularly complicated cases 2 months. This deadline may be extended if the application has deficiencies. It may also be the case that the office delays issuing the document due to a particularly high case load – so it’s worth reserving more time. A foreigner’s stay in Poland is considered legal from the moment he applies for a permit.

A foreigner’s work permit is granted at the request of the employer. The application should be submitted to the provincial office with jurisdiction over the intended place of work. If the application for a work permit is to be combined with a residence permit – the application can only be submitted by a foreigner.

The work permit should be issued within 1 month, and in particularly complicated cases 2 months. This deadline may be extended if the application has deficiencies. It may also be the case that the office delays issuing the document due to a particularly high caseload – so it’s worth taking care to apply well in advance.

Definitely yes. A law firm can provide invaluable assistance to a foreigner applying for legalization of residence. However, the law firm cannot bail out the foreigner in the application process, which the foreigner must submit in person.

Hiring a law firm for the process of obtaining a foreigner’s work permit is highly desirable. The law firm will help select the optimal type of procedure and assist in the formalities. The employer may also commission the Law Firm to submit an application for a foreigner’s work permit on his behalf, based on a power of attorney.

There is no way to independently verify whether a Ukrainian citizen is in Poland legally. The only solution is to ask the Ukrainian citizen to show the appropriate document: in the case of Ukrainian citizens staying in Poland due to the war effort, it will be an electronic document Diia.pl, and in other cases a passport with a visa or a residence permit.

It is not possible to check on your own whether a foreigner is in Poland legally. The only solution is to ask the foreigner to show the appropriate document: a residence permit or passport with a visa. In the case of citizens of Ukraine, staying in Poland due to the war effort, the legality of their stay is also certified by an electronic document Diia.pl.

Non-EU foreigners can legally stay in Poland if they have the appropriate visa or residence permit (temporary or permanent). In the case of Ukrainian citizens who came to Poland due to the war effort, they can stay in Poland legally up to and including August 23, 2023. EEA and Swiss citizens do not need a permit or visa, but after 3 months they must make a notification.