Every year, people from Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, Armenia and elsewhere lose money “buying” a Polish work invitation, a document that, by Polish law, is issued free of charge. Here’s what the document actually is, how the scam works, and what the law says about it in 2026.


– What is a “work invitation” (oświadczenie)?
– The key fact: it’s free. There is no legal way to “buy” one
– How the fake-invitation scam works
– What it costs the victim
– Criminal liability for the people selling fake invitations
– The PIP 2026 reform and shell companies
– How to spot the scam before you pay
– FAQ

What is a “work invitation” (oświadczenie)?

What people colloquially call a “work invitation” is officially a declaration of intent to entrust work to a foreigner (Polish: oświadczenie o powierzeniu wykonywania pracy cudzoziemcowi): a simplified legalization document that lets a foreigner work in Poland for up to 24 months without a full work permit.

Who this covers in 2026:
Since December 1, 2025, the declaration can only be filed for citizens of Armenia, Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine. Georgia was removed from the list on that date (Georgians already working under a declaration registered before then can finish out its validity). Russian citizens were removed from this procedure earlier, back on October 28, 2022.

The declaration is registered by the Polish employer (not the foreigner) at the district labour office (powiatowy urząd pracy) covering the company’s registered address, or, since June 1, 2025, exclusively online through the praca.gov.pl portal, under the new law on the admissibility of entrusting work to foreigners (Dz.U. 2025 poz. 621). The declaration itself is not a work permit: it’s the legal basis for applying for a visa or a residence document that carries the right to work; the actual right to work only exists once you hold a valid visa, residence card or other residence title.

The key fact: it’s free. There is no legal way to “buy” one

Remember this one rule: the document is free for the foreigner. The only official fee, 400 zł since December 1, 2025 (up from 100 zł before), is paid by the employer, to the district labour office. There is no legal scheme that lets you “buy” a declaration for hundreds or thousands of dollars.

If someone offers you a “work invitation” as a paid product for hundreds or thousands of dollars, that’s either a scam outright, or, at best, a middleman charging for genuinely finding you a real employer and handling the paperwork (which still needs careful verification), but never for the blank declaration form itself. Since June 1, 2025, there’s also a specific offence for this: anyone who demands a financial benefit from a foreigner in exchange for actions aimed at obtaining a work permit or other work-authorizing document is liable to a fine of 6,000 to 50,000 zł (Art. 84(4) of Dz.U. 2025 poz. 621).

How the fake-invitation scam works

The mechanics haven’t changed much since 2015: only the amounts and the marketing channels have (Telegram channels and “legalization in Poland” groups now, rather than forums).

Variant 1: fake job listing.
A “company” is registered in the KRS (National Court Register), files declarations against dozens or hundreds of positions that don’t physically exist, and sells those declarations as ready-made invitations.

Variant 2: the invitation as a “ticket” into Poland.
The declaration is sold as a way to get a six-month work visa, on the assumption that the buyer will find a real employer or freelance work once they’re already in the country.

Both versions share the same core trick: the company issuing the declaration formally exists in the KRS, but does no real business: no contracts with subcontractors, no office or worksite, often existing on paper only.

What it costs the victim

  • Visa or entry refusal: a consulate or border guard can refuse if the declaration raises red flags (for example, mass filings from the same company).
  • Being flagged as an undesirable foreigner: if the use of a fictitious document to obtain a visa is uncovered, you risk an entry ban for Poland (and often the whole Schengen area) lasting several years.
  • Problems with future legalization. Polish authorities retain your employment history. If you later apply for a residence card or work permit and your earlier “invitation” was tied to a shell company, an immigration officer may call you in for an interview, and discover the job never existed.

Criminal liability for the people selling fake invitations

Running a fake-invitation operation is usually prosecuted as organizing illegal border crossing under Art. 264 §3 of the Polish Criminal Code (Kodeks karny). As it currently stands, the penalty is imprisonment from 6 months to 8 years. Following amendments in 2023-2024, there are now aggravated variants: if the organizer acted for financial gain, or the conduct endangered someone’s life or health, the upper limit can reach 12 years.

Separately, since June 1, 2025, simply demanding money from a foreigner for help with a work permit or authorization document is its own offence under Art. 84(4) of Dz.U. 2025 poz. 621, punishable by a fine of 6,000-50,000 zł, regardless of whether the case ever escalates to an actual border-crossing charge.

A historical example (2015, for illustration only, not current 2026 figures): two Ukrainian nationals received six-month prison sentences for selling declarations under the name of a construction company in Białystok that formally existed but never signed a single contract. They had issued roughly 300 declarations before being caught. In a separate case the same year (see our companion article about the Łódź case), the defendants faced up to 8 years: the ceiling at the time matched today’s base penalty, but the current aggravated variants (up to 12 years) didn’t exist yet in 2015.

The PIP 2026 reform and shell companies

Since July 8, 2026, a reform of the State Labour Inspectorate (Państwowa Inspekcja Pracy, PIP) has been in force, focused on verifying the actual substance of employment and B2B relationships rather than just their paper registration. While the reform’s primary target is reclassifying misused B2B contracts as employment, the same underlying principle (real activity matters, not just registration) also tightens the environment for shell companies generally: inspectors now have an easier time flagging a company that formally exists in the KRS but pays no salaries, has no employees and does no real business, which has historically been the tell-tale sign of a company selling fake invitations.

How to spot the scam before you pay

  • Check the company in the KRS or CEIDG (free public registers), but don’t stop there: being registered doesn’t mean the company actually operates.
  • Look for signs of real activity: a website, reviews, a real office address, active projects, feedback from other workers.
  • A real employer never asks you to pay for the declaration form itself. If someone demands money specifically for the “invitation” (as opposed to legitimate, transparently-contracted relocation or translation services), that’s a red flag.
  • Verify the declaration was actually filed: the employer is required to register it in the declaration register (ewidencja oświadczeń); you can check the status via praca.gov.pl or directly at the district labour office.
  • Get advice from a specialist before you commit: especially if the offer sounds “too convenient”, promises a job with no interview, or requires payment before you see any paperwork.

FAQ

Can you really legally buy a work invitation to Poland? No. The document is free for the foreigner. The official fee (400 zł since December 1, 2025) is paid by the employer, not the worker. Any offer to “sell” you a declaration for money is a red flag for fraud.

What should I do if I’ve already paid for a fake invitation? Keep all evidence of payment and correspondence and report it to the police (locally or through a Polish consulate). It’s also worth consulting a lawyer about possible consequences for any future legalization of your stay in Poland.

Can the victim of this kind of scam also get in trouble? Formally, a victim isn’t criminally liable for organizing illegal border crossing, but knowingly using a fictitious document to obtain a visa can carry administrative consequences: visa refusal, visa cancellation, or being listed as an undesirable foreigner. That’s exactly why it pays to verify the company before you pay, not after.

Bibliography and Legal Basis

  • Act of March 20, 2025 on the admissibility of entrusting work to foreigners in the territory of the Republic of Poland (Dz.U. 2025 poz. 621), Art. 84
  • Regulation of the Minister of Family, Labour and Social Policy of November 21, 2025 on the countries whose citizens may be covered by declarations of entrusting work to a foreigner (Dz.U. 2025 poz. 1617)
  • Regulation of the Minister of Family, Labour and Social Policy on the fees related to declarations of entrusting work to a foreigner (Dz.U. 2025 poz. 1622)
  • Art. 264 §3 and §4 of the Criminal Code (Kodeks karny): organizing illegal border crossing
  • PIP 2026 reform materials (internal legal_knowledge_base)

Author: Moja Firma business incubator team.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. If you’ve encountered an offer like this, or have already lost money to a scam, feel free to book a free consultation with our team.

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