Work on a declaration: 7 days to notify the labour office

Once the labour office enters an oświadczenie o powierzeniu pracy cudzoziemcowi (work declaration) in its register, the paperwork is not over. Before the first day the employer must send the office the contract, and after the start — within 7 days — notify it that the foreigner has begun work. If the work never starts or ends early, that must be reported too. Failure to notify can mean a fine of up to PLN 5,000.

Who this applies to

The oświadczenie o powierzeniu pracy cudzoziemcowi (work declaration) is the simplified route for citizens of Armenia, Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine. The employer files it online on praca.gov.pl, and the starosta — in practice the powiatowy urząd pracy (district labour office) — enters it in the register of declarations. The fee is PLN 400, and a declaration covers up to 24 months of work.

The obligations below belong to the Polish entity entrusting the work, i.e. the company or agency employing the foreigner. The foreigner does not file anything, but it is worth knowing what to expect.

Before the first working day

Before the foreigner starts, the employer must:

1. Sign a written contract. Work without a written contract concluded before the person is allowed to work counts as illegal employment.
2. Show the contract in an understandable language. If the contract is in Polish and the foreigner does not speak Polish, before signing they receive its content in writing in a version they understand. The employer keeps that version.
3. Send the contract to the office. The contract in Polish (or a copy) goes to the office that registered the declaration — through the online system, before work begins.
4. Give the foreigner the registered declaration.
5. Inform the foreigner in writing about the right to join trade unions, in a language they understand.

The contract must reflect the terms of the declaration, and pay cannot be lower than the minimum wage or the minimum hourly rate.

Three notifications after registration

All are filed online via praca.gov.pl, to the starosta who registered the declaration.

Situation	Deadline
The foreigner has started work	7 days from the first day of work
The foreigner has not started work	14 days from the start date entered in the register
The foreigner will not start work or finished earlier than the declaration provides	the act requires notification but sets no deadline

Note the effect of the third notification: the registration of the declaration is cancelled by operation of law. So report it only once the end of work is certain.

If the system fails and the deadline cannot be met, the notification must be filed no later than the first working day after the failure is fixed.

Penalties

The act provides fines for petty offences. Legal employment of foreigners is checked by, among others, the PIP (National Labour Inspectorate) and the Straż Graniczna (Border Guard). Fine ranges:

• PLN 500–5,000 — no notification of starting or not starting work, or false information about the start, no-show or end of work,
• PLN 1,000–3,000 — not sending the contract to the office before work begins,
• PLN 3,000–50,000 — illegal employment, e.g. without a written contract; at least PLN 3,000 per foreigner.

Work permit — different deadlines

With a zezwolenie na pracę (work permit) the rules differ. The employer notifies the authority that issued the permit within 7 days if the foreigner: did not start work within 2 months of the permit’s start date, interrupted work for more than 2 months, or finished work more than 2 months before the permit expires. Failure to notify carries a fine of at least PLN 500.

What this means for you

If you are a foreigner:

• Before your first day you should have a signed contract, its content in a language you understand and the registered declaration. You have the right to ask for them.
• If you quit or finish early, the employer will report it and the registration of your declaration will be cancelled. Work for another employer requires a separate basis, e.g. a new declaration or a work permit.
• Remember: the declaration covers work only. Your stay in Poland must be legal on its own terms.

If you are an employer:

• Set reminders: 7 days from the actual start and 14 days from the start date in the register.
• Send the contract through the system before the first working day, not after.
• Report any early end of work straight away — it also protects you during an inspection.
• If you would rather not track these deadlines yourself, temporary work through an agency shifts these duties to us.

Legal basis: Act of 20 March 2025 on the conditions for entrusting work to foreigners in the territory of the Republic of Poland (Dz.U. 2025 item 621, as amended, incl. Dz.U. 2026 items 473 and 734) — art. 2(2)(f), art. 5, art. 19, art. 20, art. 68, art. 70, art. 84(1), (6), (7), (10) and (13); MRPiPS regulations: Dz.U. 2025 item 1617 (countries) and Dz.U. 2025 item 1622 (fee). Legal status as of 25 September 2026.