The declaration of entrusting work to a foreigner (oświadczenie o powierzeniu pracy cudzoziemcowi) is a simplified way for a Polish employer to hire a citizen of Armenia, Belarus, Moldova or Ukraine without a full work permit. The employer files it online through praca.gov.pl, pays a fee of PLN 400, and once it is registered the worker may work for that employer for up to 24 months. The employer must report when the worker starts, or fails to start, and must pay at least the minimum wage. A declaration authorises work, not entry, so a worker abroad who needs a visa still applies for one at a Polish consulate. This guide explains the rules in force on 11 November 2026, checked against official Polish sources.

What a declaration is

Most foreign workers in Poland need a work permit, which the voivode issues after assessing the employer's application. The declaration is an alternative for a limited group of nationalities. Instead of a permit decision, the employer files a declaration that it intends to entrust work to a named foreigner, and the labour office registers it. The registered declaration then becomes the basis for the foreigner's work.

Under the rules in force since 1 June 2025, the declaration route is available to citizens of Armenia, Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine, and allows work for up to 24 months (Zielona Linia). Older articles list more countries. Those lists are out of date.

Who can use it

The worker

• Must be a citizen of Armenia, Belarus, Moldova or Ukraine.
• Must have, or obtain, a basis of stay in Poland that allows work, such as a national visa for work.
• Will work only for the employer that filed the declaration, in the position and on the terms stated.

The employer

• Files the declaration through praca.gov.pl.
• Includes a statement about its own criminal record in the form, as Zielona Linia's guide explains (Zielona Linia guide).
• Pays the fee and accepts the reporting duties described below.

Ukrainian citizens with UKR status

Ukrainian citizens who stay in Poland under temporary protection with PESEL UKR status have been able to work under a different, notification-based procedure, in which the employer notifies the labour office through praca.gov.pl within 7 days (District Labour Office in Mońki). This is not the same as a declaration. Ukrainian citizens who move to a CUKR residence card should check how that affects their work. See our guide to the CUKR residence card.

Declaration or work permit?

The fees are those set for applications filed from 1 December 2025 (Lubuskie Voivodeship Office). For the work permit procedure, see how to apply for a Poland work permit online.

How to file a declaration

1. Prepare the worker's details, including a copy of the passport page with the worker's personal data (Zielona Linia guide).
2. Prepare the job details: position, place of work, type of contract, working time, pay and the planned period of work.
3. Log in to praca.gov.pl and choose the declaration form, PSZ-OPWP.
4. Complete the form, including the employer's statement on criminal record at the end of the form.
5. Pay the fee of PLN 400 and attach proof of payment.
6. Sign and send the declaration electronically.
7. Wait for registration and save the registered declaration.

Since 1 June 2025, a declaration can be filed only electronically through praca.gov.pl (Zielona Linia guide). A declaration filed in another way is left without consideration (District Labour Office in Mońki).

After registration: the employer's duties

Reporting the start or non-start of work

Zielona Linia's guide explains that registering the declaration is not the end of the process. The employer has information duties. It must report that the foreigner has started work within 7 days of the start of work, and that the foreigner has not started work within 14 days of the start date recorded for the declaration. It must also report if the foreigner will not start work or has finished work before the end date in the declaration (Zielona Linia guide).

Pay

The employer must ensure at least the statutory minimum pay, whether the work is done under an employment contract or a civil law contract (Zielona Linia guide). From 1 January 2027, the minimum wage is PLN 4,950 gross per month and the minimum hourly rate for certain civil law contracts is PLN 32.30 (Journal of Laws 2026, item 1213).

Social insurance

The worker must be registered for social and health insurance within 7 days of starting work (Zielona Linia guide). The Social Insurance Institution confirms the 7-day deadline for registering employees and contractors (Social Insurance Institution). See social security registration for foreign workers in Poland.

The worker abroad: getting a visa

A declaration does not allow the worker to enter Poland. If the worker needs a visa, they apply for a national visa for work at a Polish consulate. The consulate in Ukraine, for example, lists the original and a copy of the declaration registered by the labour office as the document confirming the purpose of the stay (Polish consulates in Ukraine). Our guide on how to apply for a Poland work visa after your permit explains the consulate process.

Changing the terms of a declaration

Since 8 July 2026, a change from a civil law contract to an employment contract no longer requires a new declaration, provided the other conditions of employment do not change (Zielona Linia). Other changes, and above all a change of employer, need their own legal basis. A new employer must file its own declaration or use another route. See changing job terms in Poland without losing your permit.

When the 24 months end

The declaration allows work for up to 24 months. If the worker will keep working after that, the employer and worker need another basis, such as a temporary residence and work permit or a work permit. Plan this well in advance, because a residence permit application must be filed during the worker's legal stay. See how to apply for a Polish residence permit online and extending your residence and work permit in Poland.

Seasonal work is different

Seasonal work in the activities listed by regulation uses the seasonal work permit, not a declaration. The fee for a seasonal work permit is PLN 100 (Lubuskie Voivodeship Office), and the list of activities changed from 1 December 2025 (Zielona Linia). For practical advice on seasonal jobs, see our guide to applying for a seasonal job in Poland.

Worked examples

A Moldovan citizen hired from abroad

A food processing company in Lublin wants to hire a Moldovan citizen for 18 months. The company files a declaration through praca.gov.pl, pays PLN 400 and waits for registration. Once the declaration is registered, it sends a copy to the worker, who applies for a national visa for work at a Polish consulate using the declaration. When the worker starts, the company reports the start of work within 7 days and registers the worker for social insurance within 7 days.

An Armenian citizen already in Poland

An Armenian citizen is already in Poland on a basis of stay that allows work. A construction firm registers a declaration for a 12-month contract. The worker may start only once the declaration is registered. If the worker never starts, the firm reports this within 14 days of the planned start date.

A Ukrainian citizen on a CUKR card

A Ukrainian citizen holds a CUKR card. The employer does not need a declaration, because the CUKR card gives free access to the labour market. See the CUKR residence card.

Checking the declaration before work starts

Before the first day of work, both sides should check the registered declaration against the contract. The employer's name, the worker's passport details, the position, the type of contract, the working time, the pay and the period of work should match. A declaration describes specific work, and the contract should not go beyond it. If the employer later wants to change the position or pay, check the rules first. See changing job terms in Poland without losing your permit.

Why the 24-month limit matters for planning

Because a declaration allows up to 24 months of work, it suits medium-term jobs. For a job expected to last longer, consider from the start how the worker will continue. A temporary residence and work permit can give up to three years of residence and work for the same employer. Starting that application in good time, during the worker's legal stay, avoids a gap at the end of the declaration.

Polish terms you will see

• Oświadczenie o powierzeniu pracy cudzoziemcowi: declaration of entrusting work to a foreigner.
• PSZ-OPWP: the code of the declaration form on praca.gov.pl.
• Ewidencja oświadczeń: the register of declarations kept by the labour office.
• Powiatowy urząd pracy: the district labour office.
• Podjęcie pracy: start of work.
• Niepodjęcie pracy: failure to start work.

Where to get official help

• Zielona Linia, the information centre of the public employment services, answers questions about employing foreigners on 19 524 and publishes guidance at zielonalinia.gov.pl.
• The voivodeship office handling your case can answer questions about residence procedures and deadlines.
• The MOS portal has a contact form for questions about residence procedures and the portal itself (MOS portal).
• Your district labour office registers declarations and can explain the reporting duties.

What a declaration does not do

• It does not allow the worker to enter Poland. A visa or other basis of stay is still needed.
• It does not allow work for any employer other than the one that filed it.
• It does not replace a residence permit for a stay longer than the visa allows.
• It does not cover seasonal work in the listed seasonal activities, which uses the seasonal work permit.
• It is not available to nationalities other than the four listed.

Knowing these limits helps both sides choose the right route from the start and avoid situations where work is done without a valid basis.

Advice for workers

• Ask for a copy of the registered declaration and check your name, passport number, position and pay.
• Do not start work before the declaration is registered and you have a valid basis of stay.
• Work only for the employer named in the declaration.
• Check your first payslip against the minimum wage for the year.
• Never pay an intermediary for a declaration. The fee is the employer's cost, and paying intermediaries is a common scam pattern. See how to spot a fake job offer for Europe.

Advice for employers

• Check the worker's nationality before choosing this route.
• Diarise the 7-day and 14-day reporting deadlines for each worker.
• Register the worker for social insurance within 7 days of starting work.
• Keep the registered declaration, the contract and payroll records together.
• Plan the next legal basis well before the 24 months end.

For an overview of every route for hiring foreign workers, see our guide on how to hire foreign workers in Poland.

Your next steps

For employers

1. Confirm that the worker is a citizen of Armenia, Belarus, Moldova or Ukraine.
2. Agree the job, pay and period, keeping the period within 24 months.
3. File the declaration through praca.gov.pl and pay PLN 400.
4. Send the registered declaration to the worker for the visa, if needed.
5. Report the start of work within 7 days and register the worker for insurance within 7 days.

For workers

1. Check the registered declaration against your passport and contract.
2. Apply for a national visa for work if you are abroad and need one.
3. Start work only on the agreed date and for the named employer.

If you are unsure whether the declaration route or a work permit suits a particular hire, compare the expected length of the job, the worker's nationality and the planned next step after 24 months. Choosing correctly at the start avoids a second application later.