Employing workers from Ukraine - what documents are needed in 2025?

The employment of Ukrainian nationals in Poland in 2025 still follows the simplified procedures that were introduced due to the armed conflict in Ukraine. Below is the most important information on the required documents and formalities.

1. Legal residence as a basis for employment

The basic condition for employment of a Ukrainian citizen is his/her legal stay on the territory of Poland. Various forms of legalisation of stay are possible in 2025, including:

• PESEL UKR - granted to war refugees after 24 February 2022.
• National or Schengen visa.
• Temporary or permanent residence permit.
• Visa-free travel (valid biometric passport).

The Specustawa extended the validity of residence titles until 30 September 2025, which means that most Ukrainian citizens residing in Poland can benefit from simplified employment procedures.

2. notification of assignment as the main form of legalisation

The simplest method of employing a Ukrainian citizen is to report this to the district labour office via the teleinformatics system praca.gov.pl. This procedure includes:

• Submission Notifications of assignment of work to a Ukrainian citizen within 7 days of starting work.
• No need to enclose any additional documents (unless an attorney is acting, in which case a power of attorney is required).

The notification applies both to war refugees and to persons residing in Poland before the outbreak of war. If there is a change in working conditions (e.g. type of contract, position, salary), a new notification must be submitted.

3. alternative forms of legalisation of employment

In addition to notification, there are other methods of legalising the work:

• Declaration of commissioning work to a foreigner - used mainly for short-term employment.
• Type A work permit - required for longer periods of employment or when other procedures are not possible.

In any case, the Ukrainian citizen must have the relevant residence title entitling him/her to work.

4 Employer requirements

An employer who employs a Ukrainian citizen must comply with several obligations:

• Present the contract in a language that the employee understands.
• Report the employee to the Social Security within 7 days of starting work.
• Provide remuneration not less than the national minimum wage (PLN 4666 gross per month) or the minimum hourly rate (PLN 30.50 gross).

5. civil law contracts and B2B cooperation

Ukrainian citizens may also be employed on the basis of civil law contracts (e.g. contract of mandate) or carry out business activities on a B2B basis, provided they have a PESEL number and legal residence.

Summary

The employment of Ukrainian nationals in 2025 is a relatively straightforward process thanks to the simplified procedures under the Specust Law. However, compliance with the requirements for legal residence and reporting employment to the labour office is key. Thanks to these regulations, both employers and employees can benefit from transparent cooperation rules.