Terminating an employment contract with a foreigner in Poland requires managing formal notice periods, settling final payments, and fulfilling strict reporting duties. Employers must deregister the employee from ZUS within 7 days. You must also notify the Voivodeship or Labour Office to avoid financial penalties.
What are the legal grounds for terminating an employment contract with a foreigner in Poland?
An employment contract with a foreigner in Poland can be legally terminated in four main ways. These include mutual agreement, a standard notice period, disciplinary dismissal, or contract expiration.
You can end the employment relationship smoothly if both parties sign a mutual agreement. This option allows you to set any termination date without following statutory notice periods. We highly recommend this method for its simplicity and lack of legal disputes.
In the practice of our clients, we most often see that mutual agreements protect employers from potential claims. They prevent lengthy battles in the Labour Court. Foreign employees also prefer this route as it allows a quick transition to a new employer.
Termination with a Notice Period
Either the employer or the employee can submit a written termination notice. The document must clearly state the reason for dismissal if the contract is indefinite. You must also inform the foreigner about their right to appeal within 21 days.
Disciplinary Dismissal (Without Notice)
You can dismiss a foreigner immediately if they commit a severe breach of basic duties. This includes coming to work intoxicated or abandoning the workplace without justification. You must issue a written statement outlining the specific fault.
What are the statutory notice periods for an employment contract in Poland?
The statutory notice period in Poland is 2 weeks for employment under 6 months. It extends to 1 month for employment between 6 months and 3 years. It reaches 3 months for employment lasting over 3 years.
These notice periods apply to both fixed-term and indefinite employment contracts. The length depends strictly on the total time the employee worked for your company. You cannot shorten these periods without a formal mutual agreement.
| Length of Employment | Statutory Notice Period |
|---|---|
| Less than 6 months | 2 weeks |
| Between 6 months and 3 years | 1 month |
| More than 3 years | 3 months |
For probation period contracts, the notice periods are much shorter. They range from 3 working days to 2 weeks. The exact length depends on the total duration of the probation contract.
What are the reporting obligations to the Voivodeship Office (Urząd Wojewódzki)?
The employer must officially notify the Voivodeship Office within 7 days if a foreigner on a standard work permit ends employment early.
This obligation applies specifically to standard type A work permits. Failing to report early termination can lead to severe financial penalties. The notification should be sent by registered mail or via official electronic portals.
If the foreigner works based on a temporary residence and work permit, the primary duty falls on the employee. The foreigner has 15 days to notify the Voivode about the job loss. This prevents their residence card from being cancelled immediately.
How and when to report the termination to the District Labour Office (PUP)?
If your foreign employee worked based on a declaration of entrusting work, you must notify the District Labour Office immediately.
The declaration procedure is highly popular for citizens of selected countries like Ukraine or Armenia. Recent 2026 legal updates enforce strict monitoring of these simplified employment forms. You must inform the PUP exactly when the foreigner stops working.
We have conducted hundreds of such processes and we know that employers frequently forget this step. They often skip it after handing over the termination paperwork. Missing this PUP notification can block your company from hiring more foreigners.
What are the employer’s duties regarding ZUS and final financial settlements?
The employer must deregister the foreigner from the Social Insurance Institution (ZUS) using the ZUS ZWUA form within exactly 7 days.
This 7-day deadline is absolute and applies to all types of contracts. Alongside the ZUS deregistration, you must calculate and pay all outstanding financial obligations. This includes the final salary, earned bonuses, and compensation for unused vacation days.
You must also issue an employment certificate (Świadectwo Pracy) on the last day of work. This document summarizes the employment period and the legal basis for termination. The foreigner needs this certificate to prove their work history.
Can a foreigner’s residence permit be cancelled after employment termination?
A temporary residence and work permit becomes invalid if the foreigner loses their job, creating a strict 15-day notification window.
Once the employment ends, two administrative clocks start ticking for the foreigner. They have 15 days to submit a formal notification of job loss. They then have 30 days to find a new employer and submit new permit documentation.
If the foreigner fails to meet these deadlines, authorities will initiate cancellation proceedings. As an employer, you are not responsible for the foreigner’s new permit. However, providing a clear employment certificate helps them secure their legal status faster.
How does it look in practice? Progress Holding’s experience
From our experience at Progress Holding, we know that the most common mistake is mishandling strict reporting timelines across multiple state institutions.
Many business owners perfectly execute the internal HR paperwork but fail to inform external offices. This oversight directly violates the Act on Foreigners and local labor laws. Such administrative gaps often result in heavy fines during PIP audits.
Progress Holding provides full HR and payroll outsourcing to prevent these exact scenarios. We handle the termination documents, final payroll runs, and all mandatory notifications. Current prices and fees can always be found in the official price list on the progressholding.pl website.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to translate the termination notice for the foreign employee?
The termination document must be drawn up in Polish to comply with labor laws. However, you must ensure the employee fully understands its contents. This usually means providing a bilingual version or a sworn translation.
Can I terminate a contract with a pregnant foreign employee?
Polish law heavily protects pregnant workers from dismissal. You cannot terminate a pregnant foreigner’s contract easily. There must be strict disciplinary grounds, and the company’s trade union must explicitly agree.
Must I pay severance pay to a dismissed foreigner?
Severance pay applies only if you employ 20 or more people. The termination must also result solely from company reasons, like redundancy. The severance amount equals one to three months of the employee’s salary.
Can Progress Holding manage the entire termination procedure?
Yes, Progress Holding expertly manages the entire offboarding process for foreign employees. We handle ZUS deregistration, PUP notifications, and complete payroll settlements. Current prices and fees can always be found in the official price list on the progressholding.pl website.
Terminating an employment contract with a foreigner in Poland requires managing notice periods and mandatory state notifications. Always ensure your offboarding paperwork is completed within the required deadlines. This protects your company from severe administrative fines. A highly practical tip is to always offer a mutual termination agreement. This eliminates the risk of unexpected Labour Court disputes. Do you need professional support? Contact us at Progress Holding at +48 603 232 418 or email office@progressholding.pl.
