Spending the winter and earning a living: a new influx of Ukrainians has been observed in Poland

For some Ukrainians, Poland is gradually changing from a destination for long-term labour migration into a place for temporary work. Instead of moving there for an indefinite period, people are increasingly seeking two- or three-month contracts to earn money, see out the cold season and then return home. The international recruitment agency Gremi Personal has reported on this new trend, according to the Polish broadcaster RMF24.

According to Tomasz Bogdiewicz, managing director of the company’s Polish branch, demand from Ukrainians has changed significantly.

“People don’t necessarily want to come to Poland for the long term. They want the opportunity to come for two or three months, work, live in decent conditions and return home once their work is done,” he told journalists.

What sort of jobs are on offer?

Short-term vacancies are particularly common in warehouses and manufacturing facilities, where employers regularly need extra staff during periods of increased workload. Earnings on such contracts amount to approximately $1,200–$2,000, or 4,600–7,700 zlotys. The final amount depends on the role, the number of working hours and the terms offered by the specific employer.

Ukrainians do not need to apply for temporary protection to stay for a few months. Ukrainian citizens with biometric passports may stay in Poland for up to 90 days within any 180-day period without a visa. However, visa-free entry does not in itself confer an automatic right to work: the requirements of Polish law must be met in order to be legally employed.

Employers also need temporary staff

Ukrainians’ interest in short-term contracts has coincided with changes in the Polish labour market itself. Companies are increasingly turning to temporary employment when they do not wish to expand their permanent workforce or are facing a seasonal increase in workload.

According to Gremi Personal, in the second quarter of 2026, the turnover of temporary employment agencies in this segment reached 1.159 billion zlotys, an increase of 4 per cent year-on-year.

The scale of temporary employment is also confirmed by statistics from the Polish Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy. In 2025, agencies placed 697,300 people in jobs, of whom 361,300 were foreign nationals. Over the course of the year, the number of temporary employment contracts rose from 1.31 million to 1.38 million.

At the same time, the Polish labour market is not showing a sharp rise in demand for new workers. At the end of the second quarter of 2026, the Central Statistical Office of Poland recorded 98,700 job vacancies – just 2,900 more than a year earlier.

Ukrainians still make up the largest group in the Polish social security system

Despite changing attitudes towards migration, Ukrainians remain the largest group of foreign nationals officially employed in Poland. As at the end of August 2026, there were over 911,000 Ukrainian citizens registered with the Polish Social Insurance Institution (ZUS). Since the start of the year, their number has risen by 6.4 per cent, and Ukrainians account for approximately two-thirds of all insured foreign nationals.

At the same time, the number of Ukrainians with temporary protection in Poland is falling. In July alone, their numbers fell by 8,110. However, this does not necessarily indicate a mass return to Ukraine. Some Ukrainians choose other EU countries, in particular the Czech Republic, after leaving Poland.

There is another trend as well. According to a study by the Centre for Migration Research at the University of Warsaw, 73 per cent of Ukrainians surveyed see their future as involving a long-term stay in Poland.