According to the latest data for 2026 there are about 2.3 million foreigners in Poland (GUS, experimental data for 31 December 2025), and over 1.3 million foreigners are reported for insurance in ZUS, of which about 891.5 1000 are Ukrainian citizens. At the same time, the legal employment of foreigners in 2025 fell by 8% year-on-year, and the number of work permits issued by the voivodes was the lowest in 7 years.
How many foreigners in Poland 2026 — 3 different numbers, 3 different registers
The question "how many foreigners in Poland 2026" does not have 1 answer, due to the fact that it depends on what counts: physical presence, legal stay or legal employment. Below 3 key sizes, each with a separate origin and date.
- National presence: Okay. 2.3 million foreigners residing in Poland on 31 December 2025 (GUS, experimental data from administrative registers, publication 1 July 2026). Increase by Close 215 grand. year to year. The CSO notes that these are experimental data and should not be compared to the authoritative population statistics.
- Legal residence: Okay. 2 million foreigners with valid residence permits, including 1.55 million Ukrainian citizens (data of the Office for Foreigners, as of early 2026).
- Legal employment/insurance: above 1.3 million foreigners declared for pension insurance in ZUS.
These 3 numbers are not identical and do not add up. The same individual can besides live in Ukraine and be reported to ZUS in Poland or vice versa.
Foreigners insured at ZUS — over 1.3 million, 2 thirds are Ukrainians
The Social Insurance Institution maintains the most reliable registry of legally employed foreigners due to the fact that it includes all contributors. At the end of November 2025, the number of foreigners reported for pension insurance amounted to 1,295 million (ZUS data, money.pl publication dated 13 January 2026). In the following months, this figure continued to increase, exceeding 1.3 million.
Ukrainian citizens represent a vast majority: at the end of November 2025 there were their 862,06 thousand., and according to later ZUS data — c. 891.5 thousand., or about 67 percent. all insured foreigners. The second group is citizens of Belarus — c. 138.7 thousand. (about 11 percent). Foreigners are now ca. 8 percent all insured in ZUS.
Structure of insured foreigners by nationality
| Ukraine | ~891.5 thousand. | ~67% |
| Belarus | ~138.7 thousand. | ~11% |
| Georgia | ~26,000. | ~2% |
| India | ~25,1 thousand. | ~2% |
| Colombia | ~19.5 thousand. | ~1.5% |
| Total foreigners in ZUS | over 1.3 million | 100% |
Source: ZUS, data at the turn of 2025/2026. Rounded values; Indicative shares*
It is worth distinguishing the "insured" (more than 1.3 million) from the narrower category of "working". The ZUS data of 31 July 2025 indicated about 741,000 Ukrainians actually doing work, with any working on contract or non-permanent activity.
Work permits and statements — a decrease of 8% in 2025
The Social safety Office records are increasing, but the influx of fresh legal workers clearly inhibits. According to a survey by the Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy (MRPiPS, publication 27 April 2026), the full number of papers legalising the work of foreigners in 2025 decreased by 8 percent compared to 2024.
Documents legalising the work of foreigners in 2025
| Work permits (voivods) | Almost 252,000. | −22% (−71 000) |
| Statements of entrustment of work (listed in the register) | 328,000. | −23% (−100 000) |
| Notifications of entrustment of work to Ukrainian citizens | 1 million, 34,000. | + little than 3% |
Source: MRPiPS, 2025 study, publication 27 April 2026.
Number 252 000 work permits issued by the voivodes is the lowest score in 7 years. The decline concerns classical permits and statements, while notifications to Ukrainian citizens (the simplified way resulting from the peculiar law) increased slightly. The main reason for the lower inflow is the tightening of migration policy and regulations that seal abroad employment for more than 2 years.
Among the classical work permits, non-Eastern European nationalities grow — Colombia, Philippines, India and Nepal appear as the most frequent beneficiaries among the fresh permits issued in 2025.
Legal residence — approx. 2 million valid permits, the position of temporary protection prevails
According to the Office for Foreigners, valid residence permits presently have approx. 2 million foreigners, of which 1.55 million They're Ukrainian citizens. The dominant basis of the stay is temporary protection (UKR status), which is utilized by approx. 961,000. persons, including 958,000. Ukrainian citizens.
Legal residence by nationality (except for the temporary protection of the UKR)
| Belarus | 139,3,000. |
| India | 26.1 thousand. |
| Georgia | 22.2 thousand. |
| Russia | 19.5 thousand. |
| Vietnam | 15.1 thousand. |
| Turkey | 14.5 thousand. |
Source: UDSC, early 2026.
As of 4 May 2026, applications for the CUKR residence card can only be submitted electronically via the Portal Support Module of Affairs (MOS). The fee for issuing the residence card is PLN 100.
Territorial location — concentration in the largest centres
Foreigners focus primarily in the Mazowieckie Voivodeship and in the largest agglomerations. In Warsaw alone, the percent of residents with abroad citizenship reaches respective percent of the city's population. Provincial data confirm that Mazowieckie, Lower Silesian, Wielkopolska and Lesser Poland accept the largest part of legally working foreigners, which corresponds to the distribution of jobs in services, logistics and industry.
Legal vs. illegal migration — 2 distinct phenomena
These figures relate to migration Legal: residence, work and insurance registered by Polish institutions. A separate issue is illegal pressure, focusing on the Polish-Belarusian border.
From 1 January to 29 December 2025 on the Polish-Belarusian border section Border defender noted above 29,6 thousand. attempts to illegally exceed, as compared to more than 30,4 1000 in the same period of 2024 — a decrease by approx. 2.5 percent. In the first half of 2025, it was over 14,000 attempts, with a highest in May and June (after over 4.2 1000 attempts per month).
From 27 March to 28 December 2025, due to temporary restrictions on the right to asylum, applications for global protection from more than 420 foreigners were not accepted; at the same time, around 70 applications from susceptible groups (health status, age, pregnancy) were accepted.
Impact on the insurance strategy and the budget
Foreigners who discharge contributions supply the pension system. They account for about 8% of all insured persons in ZUS, and among them are those of working age, active. About 80% of Ukrainians present in Poland are active. Since the number of foreigners is inactive tiny compared to the number of payers, the contribution balance remains affirmative for the scheme.
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Commentary of the editorial board of the National diary (opinion, separate from data)
The following block is Editorial opinion, not a data report. hard numbers above come from ZUS, GUS, MRPiPS, UDSC and Border defender with the given dates.
From a national interest point of view, 3 conclusions are crucial. Firstly, the scale of legal presence (about 2.3 million people) shows that migration has become a permanent part of the Polish labour marketplace and requires a conscious, sovereign policy alternatively than a natural drift. Secondly, the simplification in permits by 8% and the lowest level of provincial permits in 7 years proves that control and sealing of the strategy are possible and have an effect. Thirdly, the force on the Polish-Belarusian border remains real, and its instrumental usage by the government in Minsk and Moscow means that hard border protection is simply a substance of state security, not ideology.
Poland has the right to decide who crosses its borders and under what conditions. Legal, controlled and recorded labour migration is 1 thing; illegal inflow organised as a tool of force is simply a distinct phenomenon that needs a firm response.
Sources
- GUS (Statistics Poland), experimental data on foreigners on 31.12.2025, publication 01.07.2026 — https://ceo.com.pl/en/nearly-2-3-million-foreigners-were-live-in-poland-at-the-end-of-2025-up-by-nearly-215000-y-25358/
- ZUS via money.pl, number of insured foreigners (end of November 2025, 1,295 million; Ukrainians 862,06 thousand), publication 13.01.2026 — https://www.money.pl/economy/number of foreigners-in-polsce-zus-show-new-data-7242912391322592a.html
- ZUS via money.pl, structure by citizenship and participation of 67% Ukrainians, ~891.5 thousand. — https://www.money.pl/economy/zus-podal-new-data-dot-foreign-in-polska-oto-piece-most-nation-7182199956105984a.html
- MRPiPS via PAP Business, permits and statements data for 2025 (decrease 8% y/y; 252 1000 permits; 328 1000 statements; 1,034 million notifications), publication 27.04.2026 — https://business.pap.pl/news/economy/employment-foreigner-in-polska-in-2025-year-spadlo-o-8-proc-rdr
- UDSC via pulser.pl, approx. 2 million valid residence permits, 1,55 million Ukrainians, UKR position 961,000, division by citizenship — https://www.pulshr.pl/interim work/2-million-foreign-has-important-licence-on-stay-in-Poland-where-is-his-most,118635.html
- Border defender / MSWIA via InfoSecurity24, illegal crossing the Polish-Belarusian border in 2025 (more than 29,6 1000 attempts, decrease 2.5% r/r) — https://infosecurity24.pl/service-mundour/stras-border/near-30-thousand-prob-illegal-crossing-polsko-Belarusian border-in-2025-year
- Green Line (MRPiPS), amendments to the Foreigners Act 2026, e-submission of applications by MOS from 04.05.2026 — https://greenia.gov.pl/changes-in-law-o-foreigners/
- Notes From Poland, number of foreigners working 1.14 million (+7.2%), publication 09.06.2026 — https://notesfrompoland.com/2026/06/09/number-of-foreign-workers-in-poland-rises-7-2-to-1-14-million/
