From December 1, 2025, new regulations will come into force that will change the rules for employing foreign nationals in Poland. The most important changes include the removal of Georgia from the list of countries covered by the simplified employment procedure, as well as increased fees for work declarations and permits. For companies, this means higher costs, while for workers from outside the European Union – greater difficulty in obtaining legal employment.
What exactly will change?
The new regulations introduce two key changes: an update to the list of countries covered by the simplified employment procedure and an increase in fees for legalizing employment. Both issues are defined in regulations issued by the Minister of Family, Labour and Social Policy in November 2025.
The first concerns the countries whose citizens can be employed based on a declaration of employment of a foreign national . The second relates to the fees for issuing work permits and registering declarations . As a result, both formal and financial conditions for employers will change.
Until now, employers could use the simplified procedure for citizens of Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine. After the changes come into force on December 1, 2025, the list will be reduced to four countries – Georgia will be removed.
At the same time, fees will increase significantly. Employers submitting a declaration of employment of a foreign national will pay PLN 400 instead of the current PLN 100. This fourfold increase is intended – according to the ministry – to reflect actual administrative costs and reduce fictitious applications.
All new rates will apply only to cases initiated after December 1. Applications submitted earlier will be processed under the current rules.
Georgia removed from the list of countries covered by the simplified employment procedure
One of the most important changes coming into force on December 1, 2025, is the removal of Georgia from the list of countries covered by the simplified employment procedure for foreign nationals . Until now, citizens of this country could legally work in Poland based on a declaration of employment – without the need to obtain a regional work permit.
This procedure was one of the simplest forms of legalizing foreign employment. The employer submitted a declaration to the local labor office, and the foreign worker could start working almost immediately. From December, the situation will change. Georgian citizens will no longer be able to use this procedure, which means they will have to apply for a work permit in each case.
Such a permit is issued by the voivode, and the process takes longer and requires more documentation – including confirmation that there are no Polish workers available in the region for the position. The Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy justified this decision by referring to “developments in the political situation in Georgia and the need to verify visa-free travel rules.”
What about Georgians already working in Poland?
Individuals who started employment before December 1, 2025 retain the right to continue working until the end of the validity of their declaration. They do not need to submit new applications or interrupt their employment. However, after it expires, they will need to obtain a work permit under the standard procedure.
For companies, this means that if they employ Georgian workers based on declarations, they should already plan their next steps – either submit new applications before the regulations come into force or prepare for longer procedures and higher costs afterward.
Impact on the labor market
According to labor office data, Georgians have been one of the largest groups of workers from Eastern countries. They have mainly worked in services, industry, agriculture, and transport. Limiting access to simplified employment may therefore lead to labor shortages in some sectors.
How much will employers pay?
The second major change, effective from December 1, 2025, concerns fees for legalizing the employment of foreign nationals. The government is introducing new rates for both declarations of employment and work permits. According to the Ministry, these are intended to better reflect actual administrative costs and reduce abuses related to fictitious employment.
New fee for a declaration of employment
The largest increase concerns declarations registered with local labor offices. From December, an employer submitting an application to register a declaration will have to pay PLN 400, instead of the current PLN 100. This fourfold increase may be significant for companies employing a larger number of seasonal or temporary workers.
The ministry explains that declarations have become a widely used tool in recent years, often misused – some employers submitted applications without planning actual employment. The higher fee is intended to filter out fictitious applications and improve system control.
For comparison, the average number of declarations registered annually in Poland exceeds one million. An increase of PLN 300 per application could generate hundreds of millions of złoty in additional revenue for the administration.
Changes in work permit fees
The increases also apply to work permits issued by regional authorities. The new rates are:
- PLN 200 – for employment up to 3 months,
- PLN 400 – for employment longer than 3 months,
- PLN 800 – for posting a foreign worker to Poland,
- PLN 100 – for a seasonal work permit.
Higher fees may lead to a decrease in the number of applications submitted by small businesses that have regularly employed foreign workers. Some companies may also look for alternative solutions – employment through agencies, outsourcing, or even informal work. Increased administrative and financial barriers may, in the long term, negatively affect workforce availability and the pace of project execution.