The Karpacki Division of Poland’s Border Guard confirmed on 24 July that two Vietnamese nationals have been ordered to leave the country after inspectors discovered they were working in a Skarżysko-Kamienna restaurant without valid permits. A third Vietnamese employee held the correct residency and work authorisations and was allowed to stay. According to the official communiqué, one of the detained men had overstayed an expired Polish residence card by almost two years, while the other carried a Hungarian residence permit reported lost in the EU’s shared database. Both now face a 12-month re-entry ban to Poland and the wider Schengen Area. Under Poland’s 2012 Act on the Consequences of Entrusting Work to Foreigners Staying Illegally, the employer was fined PLN 6,000 (about EUR 1,300). The case illustrates the stepped-up workplace audits introduced this spring as part of Warsaw’s post-pandemic labour-market tightening: inspectors have pledged to visit at least 30,000 companies in 2026, focusing on the hospitality and logistics sectors where undeclared foreign work is most common. For international HR managers, the incident is a reminder that Poland’s otherwise business-friendly immigration regime still imposes strict documentary requirements. Employers should double-check that foreign staff carry both a valid residence title and the specific work permit matching their job location and position.
