Unemployment Benefit in Poland 2026: Who Gets It and How Much
Short answer: Most expats working legally in Poland can register as unemployed online or at a district labour office; the benefit requires 365 days of insured work in the previous 18 months and pays 1,783.90 zł monthly for the first 90 days, then 1,400.90 zł, for up to 180 days - but resigning yourself usually means no benefit.
Losing a job in Poland is stressful enough without navigating a benefits system in a foreign language. Since June 2025 the rules live in a new law - the Labour Market and Employment Services Act - and since 1 June 2026 the unemployment benefit has been higher. Here is what expats need to know about registering as unemployed and the *zasiłek dla bezrobotnych* in 2026, based on the Act (*Dziennik Ustaw* 2025 item 620) and the March 2026 ministerial notice on benefit amounts.
A new labour market law since 2025
The Labour Market and Employment Services Act of 20 March 2025 entered into force on 1 June 2025, replacing the 2004 employment promotion act. It reorganised the public employment services - the voivodeship (WUP) and district (PUP, *powiatowy urząd pracy*) labour offices - and rewrote the rules for registering as unemployed and for the unemployment benefit. If you read an older guide that mentions benefit periods depending on regional unemployment rates, it is out of date: the new Act sets a single national framework.
Can foreigners register as unemployed?
Yes - and the list in Article 1(3) of the Act is broad. It covers Polish citizens and foreigners seeking or taking up work in Poland, including:
- citizens of EU and EEA member states, of states with free-movement agreements with the EU, and UK citizens covered by the Withdrawal Agreement, together with their family members,
- holders of a permanent residence permit or an EU long-term resident permit,
- people with refugee status, subsidiary protection, humanitarian or tolerated stay, and those under temporary protection,
- holders of many temporary residence permits, including work permits (Article 114 of the Act on Foreigners), the EU Blue Card route, permits for students, researchers and family reunification, and family members of Polish citizens with a temporary permit,
- certain visa holders, including national visas for work and for first- and second-degree or doctoral studies.
In short, most expats working legally in Poland can use the employment services. The benefit itself, however, has its own contribution conditions below.
How to register
Registration happens on application under Article 55 of the Act. You have two routes:
- Online - through the electronic form in the state's labour-market system, the www.praca.gov.pl portal,
- In person - at the PUP competent for your place of residence. District labour offices sit within the *starostwo powiatowe* structure.
Registering gives you the status of unemployed person (*bezrobotny*) and access to job offers, training and career advice. The cash benefit is a separate entitlement with its own test.
Who qualifies for the unemployment benefit
Article 218 sets the core test: in the 18 months directly before you register, you must have worked for a total of at least 365 days in work where the earnings base reached at least the minimum wage and was subject to Labour Fund (Fundusz Pracy) contributions. Qualifying work includes:
- employment contracts with pay of at least the minimum wage,
- civil-law contracts - agency, *umowa zlecenie*, *umowa o dzieło* - where social-insurance and Labour Fund contributions were due on at least the minimum-wage base,
- self-employment (B2B) where you paid social-insurance and Labour Fund contributions on at least the minimum-wage base.
The Act also credits certain other periods, such as military service. Periods of work in other EU states can count under EU social-security coordination rules.
How much is the benefit in 2026 - and how long does it last?
The benefit is indexed every year on 1 June by the consumer price index (Article 228). The ministerial notice of 2 March 2026 (M.P. 2026 item 268) set the amounts in force from 1 June 2026:
- 1,783.90 zł per month during the first 90 days of entitlement,
- 1,400.90 zł per month for the remaining days.
If your qualifying work history totals at least 20 years, the benefit rises to 120% of those amounts (Article 224(2)).
The standard payment period is 180 days (Article 225). It extends to 365 days for unemployed people who are disabled, hold the Large Family Card, are over 50 with at least 20 years of qualifying work, or meet certain single-parent or dependants conditions.
When you get nothing - or have to wait
Two articles trip people up:
- Article 219 - no benefit at all if, before registering, you resigned from your last job by notice, or caused it to be terminated without notice through your own fault. Exceptions apply when you resigned because you changed your place of residence or under the constructive-dismissal provisions of the Labour Code.
- Article 220 - benefit delayed in a list of situations. The most common: if your last employment ended by mutual agreement, the benefit starts only after 90 days from registration (unless the agreement followed a relocation, employer bankruptcy, liquidation or redundancy for reasons on the employer's side).
The practical takeaway for expats: how your employment ends in Poland matters as much as how long you worked.
Frequently asked questions
### Can a foreigner get unemployment benefit in Poland?
Yes, if you are in the eligible categories in Article 1(3) - which include EU citizens, permanent and long-term residents, and many temporary residence and work permit holders - and you meet the contribution test: 365 days of insured work at or above the minimum-wage base in the 18 months before registration.
How much is the Polish unemployment benefit in 2026?
From 1 June 2026: 1,783.90 zł a month for the first 90 days and 1,400.90 zł after that, under the ministerial notice M.P. 2026 poz. 268. With at least 20 years of qualifying work you receive 120% of those amounts.
How long can I receive the benefit?
180 days as standard. The period is 365 days for disabled persons, Large Family Card holders, people over 50 with 20 years of qualifying work, and some parents in the situations listed in Article 225.
What if I quit my job myself?
Under Article 219 you get no benefit if you resigned or were dismissed without notice through your own fault - unless you resigned because you moved or under the Labour Code's constructive-dismissal rules. If your contract ended by mutual agreement, Article 220 delays the benefit by 90 days in most cases.
