The main changes
- Fully electronic: work permit applications and declarations are online only.
- No labour market test: employers no longer need a local labour market test, though regions can restrict hiring in some occupations.
- Contract first: employers must send a copy of the employment contract to the authority before work starts.
- Higher fines: illegal employment now costs between 3,000 and 50,000 złoty.
- Narrower visa rules: visitor, transit and medical visas do not allow work, and visas from other Schengen countries no longer allow employment in Poland.
- Shorter reporting deadlines for non-starts, breaks and early terminations.
So what changes?
For genuine employers, the process is simpler. For workers, the stricter rules make it more important to arrive on the right visa with a real employer.
