Poland is one of the easiest places to set up a recruitment agency in Europe. If you’re an entrepreneur who wants to bring foreign labour into the EU, then the quick and efficient Polish system allows you to set up a company and start your recruitment business in a relatively short time compared with other European countries.
There are a broad range of financial incentives for foreign investors including grants of up to 25% for companies setting up in Poland, and enhanced grants totalling 50% in special economic zones. According to Santander Trade, there has been a growth of foreign investment into Poland in recent years from countries such as the Netherlands, Germany, France, Luxembourg, Austria, Spain and the UK.
The main areas of investment include manufacturing, finance & insurance, retail and wholesale trading and the science and tech fields. This means that jobs will be available from a wide range of business cultures and especially for employees who speak foreign languages and want to start a new life in Poland.
So here’s a 3-step process to get your recruitment agency up and running so you can start employing people for hire in Poland.
1. Set up a limited liability company in Poland
The first step is company formation and the best type of company structure for a recruitment agency is a limited liability company. Luckily, the system for opening a limited liability company in Poland is fairly straightforward. Using company formation experts makes the process even easier, especially if language is a barrier.
Company directors need to have clear criminal records so a criminal record check will be one of the first things that need to happen. There will also need to be proof of identity using passport documents and utility bills that are no more than three months old. The Polish authorities will also need to see annual tax statements of any companies already owned in other countries, and data of potential business activity for your Polish company, including how many prospective employees are likely to be recruited and from what countries. You will also need a qualified Polish account in place to deal with the payroll which is normally quite sizeable with recruitment agencies.
The other alternative to setting up a company is to acquire a shelf company - a company that already exists but is available to buy - then the approximate timescales for setting up is around two to four weeks from the appointment of a notary. The changes in ownership are confirmed at the registry and the appointment of the new director and shareholders are effective from the date of signing the business documents (resolutions, share purchase agreement etc). Clients are allowed to act on behalf of the company from the date when the transfer documents are signed in Poland.
For more information about opening branches and opening companies in a foreign country, please see our article How easy is it to move your business abroad?
2. Find an Office in Poland
The second step is to figure out where you want to locate the headquarters for your Polish business. The obvious choices include the capital city of Warsaw which has a large amount of choice for office space, or the large southern Polish city of Kraków which is conveniently situated near the Czech Republic border.
Although Poland is landlocked it is at the distinct advantage of being bordered with Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Ukraine, Belarus, Lithuania and Russia – perfect for a recruitment agency who want to recruit from a wide range of countries. So, depending on the nationality of the bulk of employees you intend to recruit you can make your decisions about location based on which country you’d like to forge links with.
3. Employing Staff for your Polish Office
Step three is making sure you recruit the right personnel for your own office. If you intend to run the office at a distance, then you’ll need to employ an experienced manager who can run the business in Poland for you. There are various recruitment agencies that deal with well-educated Polish speaking employees with managerial experience. Once you have that one person in place, you can start scouting around for admin staff and general workers.
If, however, you intend to keep an eye on the business by installing yourself in your office in Poland, you will need to think about relocation and visas. If you hold an EU passport then you’ll have the freedom of movement agreement on your side which means you won’t have to apply for a visa. However, anyone with non-EU passports (including any post-Brexit UK residents who now no longer have freedom of movement within EU countries), will need to go through the immigration process in Poland. If you intend to bring over your family, then you’ll need to consider not only yourself but also visas for your dependents.
For more information in how to open a recruitment agency in Poland, including company formation, how to open a business bank account in Poland, recruitment advice, and help with accountants and VAT, please contact us on 0033 (0)1 53 57 49 10 or email us from our contact page and we’ll be happy to help.
