Poland Business Grant for Foreigners: Rules, Amounts, and Guarantors

A foreigner registered as unemployed with a local labor office (PUP) in Poland can receive a start-up business grant regardless of citizenship, and the amount equals six times the national average wage for the previous quarter.

In short

• The grant is only available with unemployed status at the PUP, not job-seeker status — check this before applying.
• The amount equals six times the average wage per GUS, roughly 55,400 PLN in Łódź as of September 2026, but it changes every quarter.
• The refund guarantee requires two guarantors earning at least 6,000 PLN with 24+ months of tenure, or a promissory note with an aval.
• Rent is never covered by the grant in any form, and spending must match the submitted breakdown exactly.
• After approval, the business has 30 days to launch, two months to spend the funds, and must stay running for at least 12 months.

Who qualifies: status, not citizenship

The grant is issued by a PUP (Powiatowy Urząd Pracy — local labor office), and only to people registered specifically as unemployed. Job-seeker status is a different record at the same office, and it does not entitle a person to this money. So the first step is checking with the PUP exactly which status the applicant is registered under: getting this wrong means it’s too early to apply.

Eligibility for unemployed status depends on the specific document held, not on citizenship:

• Group A — UKR status, a permanent residence permit, EU long-term resident status, or EU citizenship. No additional conditions apply.
• Group B — a regular residence card (karta pobytu) held on other grounds. A separate requirement applies here: before registering as unemployed, the person needs at least 6 months of continuous work experience in Poland.

If the document held doesn’t qualify a person for unemployed status, only job-seeker status remains available — and the grant is not accessible with that status.

How much money is available in 2026

The grant amount is calculated as six times Poland’s average monthly wage for the previous quarter — a figure published every quarter by the Central Statistical Office (GUS). Because of this, the sum shifts along with wage statistics and doesn’t stay fixed throughout the year.

As of September 2026 in Łódź, six times the average wage works out to roughly 55,400 PLN, though a specific application round may cap the maximum payout lower than that. Since Poland’s average wage rises every quarter, the amount is likely to increase further by year’s end.

A single city can run several different application rounds at the same time, each with its own maximum. In Łódź, the standard Labor Fund program — capped at 55,000 PLN — runs alongside a separate EU-funded program capped at 49,000 PLN. Before applying, it’s worth confirming which specific round you’re entering: amounts, conditions, and funding sources differ even within the same city.

What the grant can and can’t pay for

Allowed spending includes equipment and machinery, resale goods up to 25,000 PLN, adapting premises to the business, advertising, and legal consultations. Off-limits: routine repairs, leasing, loans, installment plans, equipment rental, a fiscal cash register, and purchases from relatives, alcohol, or tobacco.

The line between allowed and forbidden isn’t drawn by common sense but by a specific clause in the program document: adapting a space to a particular business is one category, general repair of walls and floors is another entirely. Buying a coffee machine or chairs for a shop is fine — that’s adapting a space to a specific activity. Painting those same walls or re-tiling the floor counts as general repair, and spending on that means paying the money back, with interest.

Allowed items also include furniture, a reception desk, a phone, a laptop, and even a car — if it’s needed to commute to work. Formally, this is still the same category of adapting a workspace to one’s own needs: the logic of the grant is that a person prepares and equips the place where they’ll then earn a living. That’s why rent in any form is never covered by the grant, and subletting shouldn’t even appear to be implied in the application — no reviewer is likely to approve an application that suggests an intent to lease the space to someone else.

That’s why rent in any form is never covered by the grant, and subletting shouldn’t even appear to be implied in the application

Certain fields are specifically restricted: without a relevant qualification, no grant is issued for cosmetology services, and without a matching medical education, none for medical services. Buying anything from relatives with grant funds is prohibited, even if a couple’s property is legally separated — that status doesn’t change the rule.

The key rule for every spending item is justification: each purchase must be argued as necessary specifically for the applicant’s type of business, not as a generally useful item.

Guarantors and security: how many, and on what terms

A refund guarantee takes one of two forms: two civil-law guarantors, or a promissory note with an aval. Earlier versions of the program accepted one guarantor plus a promissory note, but that’s no longer sufficient — the current application round requires either two guarantors or a separate promissory note with an aval.

A promissory note with an aval is a formal financial guarantee from a single solvent person who vouches with their own income. An alternative to guarantors is collateral worth 150% of the grant amount — an asset or blocked funds worth one and a half times the grant itself.

Each guarantor must meet the same requirements:

• income of at least 6,000 PLN per month;
• stable employment for at least 24 months;
• age no older than 75;
• not the applicant’s spouse, unless marital property has been legally separated;
• formal employment or a contract — a person working on ryczałt (a simplified self-employment form) cannot serve as a guarantor.

Based on applicants’ experience, forms of security are reviewed at different speeds: two guarantors combined with a promissory note with an aval are processed fastest, while letters of intent from future clients are reviewed slowest and trusted least. It’s worth lining up two guarantors before submitting the application, not after approval — for a foreigner who’s been in Poland only a few years, finding two people with verifiable income and tenure often turns out harder than writing the business plan itself.

There’s one more option: a blank promissory note (weksel in blanco) signed before a notary, where the applicant pledges personal assets to the labor office in case of default, plus one additional guarantor is required. In an earlier version of the program, such a note without a guarantor was sufficient on its own, but the current round no longer allows that simplified route.

Renting municipal premises from the city: upside and risk

The city regularly holds public auctions for commercial non-residential premises, and the rate is typically well below the private market. It’s an option few people know about, even though it noticeably cuts a business’s fixed costs.

This type of lease has a significant catch. The tenant pays for repairs and adaptation out of pocket, with no right to compensation from the city — and the grant doesn’t cover these costs either. On top of that, the scope of work isn’t decided by the tenant but by the city: auction terms may require specific actions, such as rewiring, plastering, and painting the walls — and that’s the minimum without which the city won’t approve the lease.

Formally, the contract with the city is open-ended, but that’s exactly where the main risk lies. The city can terminate the agreement with three months’ notice — for instance, if the premises are needed for redevelopment or demolition. This is what sets municipal leasing apart from private leasing: a private landlord usually has a fixed contract term (a year, for example), and nothing forces the tenant out before it ends, whereas with the city there’s no such guarantee.

The city can terminate the agreement with three months’ notice

Municipal lease vs. private lease

Criterion	City lease	Private lease
Rate	well below market	market rate
Contract term	formally open-ended	fixed, e.g. one year
Termination risk	city can terminate with 3 months’ notice	tenant protected until the term ends
Who decides the scope of repairs	the city, per auction terms	tenant, by agreement
Repair compensation	none, tenant pays out of pocket	by agreement between parties

The business plan and application: how to prepare

The application consists of a business plan, a spending breakdown, and a full package of supporting documents. It’s worth adding documents proving qualifications and experience in the chosen field — based on applicants’ experience, approval odds drop sharply without them.

The spending breakdown should list not a lump sum but the exact price of every item — a barber’s chair, equipment, materials. Use real prices, based on online listings or supplier price lists, not rough estimates.

There’s a trap here: if the application lists a chair at 500 PLN and it’s bought on sale for 450, the difference can’t simply be kept. It has to be reported in writing to the PUP director, with a request for permission to redirect or return that 50 PLN — and a decision on such a letter can take months and delay the business launch. So it’s more practical to notify the PUP about a discount in advance and wait for approval, rather than spend the difference at one’s own discretion: improper use of funds can become grounds to demand the grant back.

the difference can’t simply be kept

For the calculations in the business plan — how many services need to be delivered to break even, and how long it takes to recoup the investment — artificial intelligence can help: it won’t know specific local market prices, but it can model profitability reasonably well. That’s exactly what the review committee assesses: how well the calculation is put together, and whether there’s an analysis of the market and location.

Two extra pieces of evidence strengthen an application. First, a qualification document: a certificate for a laser hair-removal course, for example, puts a candidate ahead of other applicants in the same niche. Second, “promesses” — written promises from future clients to use the services once the business opens: a signature and a document for the committee is an added argument in favor of the application.

What to submit with the grant application

• Business planrequiredincluding market and location analysis
• Spending breakdownrequiredexact price for each item, not a lump sum
• Full package of supporting documentsrequired
• Documents proving qualifications and experience in the chosen fieldsharply increases approval odds
• Certificate for a relevant coursefor example, a laser hair-removal course
• “Promesses” — written promises from future clientsan added argument for the committee

Deadlines: application review, business launch, and consequences of mistakes

1. Committee decision. After submitting the application, the wait takes up to 30 days — this can shift during peak vacation periods, when the committee reviews applications more slowly.
2. Starting the business. After approval, the business must start within 30 days. Formally, the business can only open the day after the money lands in the account listed in the application.
3. Spending the funds. Two months are allotted to spend the entire amount, and the money must go exactly according to the breakdown submitted with the application, with invoices kept for reporting.
4. Business format. The registered activity must specifically be a sole proprietorship (jednoosobowa działalność gospodarcza) — other legal forms don’t qualify under the grant conditions.

If the funds are spent outside the submitted breakdown, the entire grant can be demanded back. To avoid that, the business needs to be kept running for at least 12 months.

The current application round closes on the 25th of the current month, so checking status with the PUP and lining up guarantors is worth starting early, to make the deadline.

A guarantor’s income for the calculation accounts for fixed liabilities: with a gross income of 6,000 and a 2,000 mortgage payment, the effective calculated income is 4,000.

Frequently asked questions

What should I do if I’m registered with the PUP as a job seeker rather than unemployed?

With job-seeker status, the grant is not available in principle — it’s a different record at the same office and doesn’t carry the right to the grant. First, check with the PUP whether you can re-register specifically as unemployed, and only apply after the status changes.

What happens to the grant if the business closes before 12 months are up?

In the material, 12 months appears as the minimum period the business must stay running, tied to the situation of improper use of funds. That means closing early creates a risk that the entire grant will be demanded back, so it’s worth planning to operate for that full period.

Can the grant involve a partner or spouse if one of them is a guarantor?

No: a spouse cannot serve as the applicant’s guarantor unless marital property has been legally separated. Property separation is the condition under which a spouse can still become a guarantor — unlike purchases from relatives, where property separation makes no difference at all.

What happens if two guarantors or a promissory note with an aval can’t be arranged before the application deadline?

Without one of the two guarantee options — two guarantors or a promissory note with an aval — the application cannot be submitted, so it’s worth starting the search for guarantors before applying, not after approval. If that proves too difficult, the alternative is collateral worth 150% of the grant amount in assets or blocked funds.

Can I lease municipal premises for a grant-funded business if I might have to move out later?

Yes, leasing is possible, but the contract with the city is only formally open-ended: the city can terminate it with three months’ notice, for instance if the premises are needed for redevelopment or demolition. Unlike a private lease with a fixed term, there’s no such guarantee of stability here.

Can grant funds be used to hire an employee?

No: every grant expense must be justified as necessary for the applicant’s specific type of activity — equipment, adapting the space, advertising, legal consultations. An employee’s salary isn’t among the allowed categories; the grant funds setting up the applicant’s own workspace, not paying wages to a third party.

What happens if the PUP refuses permission to redirect money saved through a discount?

A decision on such a letter can take months, delaying the business launch regardless of the outcome. So it’s more practical to notify the PUP about a discount on an item in advance and wait for approval, rather than spend the difference at one’s own discretion — unauthorized use of funds can become grounds to demand the entire grant back.