Poland plans to tighten employment regulations for citizens of Georgia, Colombia, and Venezuela entering the country without visas. These changes do not affect Ukrainians, but they may impact the job market, where businesses are already experiencing a shortage of workers. This is reported by InPoland.
New work rules in Poland for three countries
The draft regulation from the Ministry of Family, Labor, and Social Policy in Poland stipulates: citizens of Georgia, Colombia, and Venezuela will not be able to work in the country solely based on visa-free stay, even if they have a work permit.
For official employment, they will need a national visa or another document that legalizes their stay. During the processing of applications, consulates will also assess migration risks.
The government explains the initiative as a measure against abuse. In 2025, Poland issued 39.1 thousand documents for the legalization of work for Colombian citizens. Of the 6.7 thousand checked Colombians, 1.57 thousand were in the country illegally, and another 1.7 thousand received deportation orders.
Will the employment rules for Ukrainians in Poland change?
Ukrainian citizens are not covered by the draft. The list of countries for which the possibility of working during a visa-free stay is proposed to be canceled includes only Georgia, Colombia, and Venezuela.
Ukrainians can continue to use existing mechanisms for legalizing employment. In particular, Polish regulations provide for simplified employment procedures based on declarations for citizens of Ukraine, Armenia, Belarus, and Moldova. This is confirmed by the government portal of Poland.
Importantly, the new restrictions remain a proposal for now. Therefore, there are no grounds to speak of an already implemented ban or new requirements for Ukrainians.
If you are interested in working in Poland, we invite you to explore the 350,000 job vacancies on the Layboard portal.
Employers in Poland warn of losses
Polish businesses criticize the initiative because they believe the visa procedure will slow down the recruitment of staff. The most acute impact may be felt in sectors where it is difficult to find workers among local residents: logistics, manufacturing, construction, and services.
According to employers' calculations, a reduction in the number of foreign workers by 15–25 thousand may cost the Polish budget between 375 million and 875 million zlotys a year due to lower tax and social contribution revenues.
At the same time, the government views stricter control as a way to limit illegal employment. For Ukrainians, the main conclusion is simple: the current proposal does not change their work regulations in Poland.
Let us remind you, in Poland there is a proposal to impose a 30-year sentence for military violations.