Hiring people from abroad – what application forms and documents are required to conclude a contract?

More and more companies decide to employ foreigners. People from abroad no longer only come here to pick strawberries or to help with harvesting. It turns out that foreigners are more and more willing to come to Poland for longer and want to work here legally. They undertake not only seasonal work, but also employment wherever there is a shortage of staff. What documents do you need to hire foreign workers?

Is it difficult to employ foreigners in Poland?

In order to hire a foreign employee, the right documents need to be prepared. Most formalities need to be taken care of if you want to employ people from outside the EEA, the European Union, the United Kingdom and Switzerland or people who are not legally exempt from the work permit requirement. It is not a problem to prepare all the documents yourself, it is not a difficult task, but more and more people are using the services of outsourcing companies, which help both employees and employers get through all the formalities.

Type A work permit

There are two types of work permits for people who want to work in the Republic of Poland – permit A and B. They are issued depending on the position held with the company. Type A work permits are most popular and are issued to persons who want to work in our country on the basis of a contract with an entity whose seat is also located in the Republic of Poland. Such an authorisation is issued for up to 3 years.

An application for a work permit should be submitted with documents related to the company’s activity – a printout from CEIDG, the company deed, sometimes a printout from the National Court Register can also be attached. In order to speed up the processing of the application, it is also worthwhile to submit a statement on the employer’s place of residence. If the employer is an individual, a copy of their identity card also needs to be provided.

The employee is required to provide copies of the required pages of a valid passport or, if they do not have one, another valid identity document. It is also necessary to attach documents proving the qualifications of a person to be employed in a regulated profession – in justified cases it is the employer who can certify the required qualifications. An application should also be submitted with information from the Starost – always the original document, as well as a document confirming that the foreigner meets the requirements that were set for candidates by the employer.

Type B work permit 

In turn, a type B work permit is needed by people who are employed in higher, more responsible positions. First of all, it is issued when a foreigner is to hold the position in the management board of a legal entity entered in the register of entrepreneurs or a capital company. It may also be needed by persons who are to handle the business of a limited partnership or a limited joint-stock partnership. In this case, having worked in this position for at least 6 months during the last year is also required. These permits are usually issued for a period of 3 years. An exception applies when a legal person employs more than 25 people – then a permit for up to 5 years is issued.