New rules on hiring foreigners

Rafał Kania

Two new acts of Parliament will enter into force in summer concerning the hiring of foreigners. Some of the new law will be of huge importance for businesses while other provisions merely clean or improve existing procedures.

The Giving of Work to Foreigners Act

On April 10th, the President signed the Act of 20 March 2025 Regarding the Terms on which Work May Be Given to Foreigners in the Territory of the Republic of Poland. The act has not been officially published yet but is likely to enter into force in early June 2025.

The new legislation mainly simplifies procedures and makes them electronic. However, it also visibly hikes penalties. For example, giving work to a foreigner illegally will be punishable by a fine of up to PLN 50,000.

The Foreigners Act

However, Presidential signature is still awaited for the Act of 24 April 2024 to Amend the Foreigners Act and Certain Other Legislation. This law will most probably enter into force in early June or July 2025.

The changes are mostly about the EU Blue Card, which is a residence and work permit for highly qualified professionals. Importantly, the new law expands the definition of “high qualifications” to include not just qualifications obtained through tertiary education but also through professional experience. What is more, the new definition will apply also in proceedings commenced and not completed before the new law’s effective date.

Summary

As the new legislation is entering into force, it is good time to review your internal records relating to the employment of foreigners. Not least because the government are already working on yet another set of changes to the Foreigners Act. This time the amendments are supposed to affect application filing and personal data processing.