Employing nationals of EU and EEA states and of Switzerland – EURES employment services - Wortal Publicznych Służb Zatrudnienia

Free movement for workers in the member states
of the European Union, European Economic Area and Switzerland

Pursuant to Article 21 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), every European Union national is entitled to move freely and stay in member states, with a reservation of the conditions stipulated in the EU legislation. The freedom to move within EU is a basic right of EU nationals.

The free movement for workers, besides the free movement of goods and capital and the freedom to provide services, is a foundation of the EU "internal market".

Pursuant to Article 45 of TFEU, the free movement for workers is based on equal treatment of EU nationals with respect to remuneration as well as other terms and conditions of work and employment. The free movement for workers comprises also family members of migrants.

The regulations on the free movement for workers authorise to:

• look for a job in another member state,
• commence work in another member state without the need to obtain a work permit,
• reside in another member state because of work,
• stay in another member state even after the employment relationship is terminated, provided the conditions stipulated in the EU legislation are met,
• being treated on a par with the nationals of a given member state with respect to access to employment, labour conditions as well as social and fiscal privileges.

At present citizens of the member state of the European Union, European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland can commence work in Poland without the need to obtain a work permit.

It should be kept in mind that every national of EU, EEA or Switzerland and their family member not being a national of those states can stay in Poland for up to 3 months without the need to register their stay. In the said period, every national of EU, EEA or Switzerland is obliged to hold a valid travel document or another valid document confirming their identity and nationality. A family member not being a national of those states is obliged to hold a valid travel document and a visa, if it is required.

If the stay in Poland is longer than 3 months, every national of EU, EEA or Switzerland is obliged to register their stay, and a family member not being a national of those states is obliged to obtain a residence card for the family member of a citizen of EU, EEA or Switzerland. For more information, click here.

Support for the Polish employers when looking for employees in member states of the European Union, European Economic Area and Switzerland via EURES networks

To support the mobility of workers in member states of EU, EEA and Switzerland, the European Commission created a network of European Employment Services, or EURES.

EURES is a formal network of cooperation of public employment services (labour offices) and other regional, national and international organisations from member states of EU, EEA and Switzerland which, via EURES advisors and EURES assistants, as well as other personnel or partner organisations, provides EU employment services and advisory on the EU mobility of workers, including conditions of living and work in member states.

In Poland, EURES network is coordinated by the Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy, and the network services are offered in every Voivodeship and Poviat Labour Office. The scope of services is broader on the voivodeship level than on the poviat level.

EURES network offers the following services to the Polish employers:

1. Services offered via the European Job Mobility Portal (EURES portal) www.eures.europa.eu run on the European level, the most important European Union website devoted to the labour market mobility, offering e.g. access to the job offers of public employment services in member states and to the database of CVs of people wanting to work abroad, including e.g.: For further information on services for employers available on EURES portal, click here.
   
   A handbook for employers who want to recruit in Europe is an enclosure to this page.
   • Job offer publication on EURES portal. For the Polish employer's job offer to be published on EURES portal, it should be submitted to the Poviat Labour Office, informing the employer wants to have its offer published in all states of EU, EEA and Switzerland. Then, after the job offer is registered in the IT system of the Poviat Labour Office, it will be posted on EURES portal automatically with a relevant marking.
   • Access to the database of CVs of candidates interested in working abroad, registered on EURES portal. The access is possible after you have registered on EURES portal ("Register at EURES" tab / "Register as an Employer").
2. Services offered by Polish Labour Offices:
   • Reception of the job offer for EU, EEA or Switzerland nationals and posting it on EURES portal (available in every Poviat Labour Office) as well as reception of job applications and CVs if the job offer does not contain the employer's details, and then submission of those documents to the employer.
   • If a Polish employer is interested in recruitment from a selected member state of EU, EEA or Switzerland, the job offer is submitted to the Voivodeship Labour Office which accepts it, translates into a foreign language and circulates it in a given state, but also receives job applications and CVs, verifies them and submits to the employer if the job offer does not contain employer's details.
   • If a Polish employer reports such a need, the Voivodeship Labour Office can: The said services are available if the Voivodeship Labour Office is able to provide them.
     • help the employer to carry out interviews with candidates from member states of EU, EEA and Switzerland,
     • support the employer in their participation in career fairs abroad or represent the employer during such fairs.
3. Information on the information and recruitment events, including international career fairs abroad in member states of EU, EEA and Switzerland
   
   An up-to-date calendar of events and career fairs organised in member states of EU, EEA and Switzerland within EURES and published on EURES portal can be found here.
   
   An up-to-date calendar of events and career fairs abroad organised within EURES in which Polish EURES advisors participate can be found here.
4. Information services and counselling on the international mobility of employees (available in Voivodeship Labour Offices and at www.eures.praca.gov.pl)

Contact details of Polish EURES advisors and EURES assistants in Voivodeship Labour Offices can be found here.

Basic information will be provided also by a relevant employment agent in every Poviat Labour Office.

For more information, see www.eures.praca.gov.pl and EURES portal at www.eures.europa.eu.