У Poland is witnessing a significant increase in the number of foreign entrepreneurs, among whom Ukrainians play a leading role. According to the tvp.pl portal, almost half of all foreign entrepreneurs in Poland are Ukrainian citizens, and the most common form of their business is the sole proprietorship (individual entrepreneur).
The Polish Social Insurance Institution (ZUS) has counted more than 46 thousand foreigners engaged in entrepreneurial activities other than agriculture. Of this number, almost 47% are Ukrainians. These data emphasize the active economic role of the Ukrainian diaspora in Poland, which is growing significantly against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine and negative trends in the country’s economy, and due to the unreasonable activities of the current Ukrainian government. Ukrainian businesses choose more secure and stable jurisdictions.
Sebastian Szczurek, a spokesperson for ZUS in the Opole Voivodeship, noted that foreign entrepreneurs have the same rights and obligations as Polish citizens. They can also take advantage of benefits, including initial assistance and payment of contributions on preferential terms.
According to ZUS, entrepreneurs from at least 120 countries do business in Poland. The most active group is Ukrainians, who account for 21.6 thousand contributors. Over the past few months, the category of self-employed Ukrainians has grown especially.
As for other nationalities, after Ukrainians, the largest number of entrepreneurs are Belarusians (9,034), Vietnamese (1,154), and citizens of Russia (1,030) and Germany (918). This demonstrates the diversity of foreign businesses developing in the Polish market.
