🇵🇱 Hire in Poland vs 🇵🇹 Portugal
Statutory employer on-costs are lower in Poland; the full picture depends on salary level, termination exposure and how fast you need the person on payroll.
Not professional advice. Rates, rules and prices change often. Figures here are researched estimates from the sources listed; anything marked “unverified” needs checking with the provider or a local adviser before you rely on it.
| Poland | Portugal | |
|---|---|---|
| Employer on-costs | 19.5–22.1% | 24–27% |
| Total cost on a $60,000 salary | $71,700–$73,260 | $74,400–$76,200 |
| Mandatory benefits | Paid annual leave (20 or 26 days); Sick pay (80% of pay, first 33 days employer-paid, then ZUS); Maternity/parental leave; PPK employee pension plan enrolment (employer 1.5%, employee may opt out); Occupational health checks | 14 annual salary payments (holiday and Christmas subsidies); Meal allowance (not mandatory but common, tax-exempt up to a limit); Work accident insurance; 40 hours annual training; Work-from-home expense allowance when remote (Remote) |
| Probation | Up to 3 months (probation contract). Notice during probation: 3 working days (up to 2 weeks), 1 week (over 2 weeks), 2 weeks (3 months). | 90 days standard, extendable to 180 days for complex roles (Remote). |
| Notice and severance | Indefinite contracts: 2 weeks (under 6 months' tenure), 1 month (6 months-3 years), 3 months (3+ years). Statutory redundancy pay applies only for employers with 20+ employees: 1, 2 or 3 months' pay depending on tenure (<2 yrs, 2-8 yrs, 8+ yrs), capped at 15x the minimum wage (PLN 72,090 in 2026 = 15 x 4,806). Fixed-term contracts can generally be terminated with 2 weeks' notice if the contract allows it. | Notice for dismissals on indefinite contracts per Remote: 30 days up to 2 years of service, 60 days beyond. Severance applies to collective and objective dismissals (rates not verified from a retrieved source). |
| Paid leave | 20 days (under 10 years' service) or 26 days (10+ years). 13-14 public holidays a year depending on how 6 January and Sundays fall. Since 2026 for private sector (reported effective 1 May 2026), prior self-employment/B2B and civil-law work periods count toward tenure. | 22 working days annual leave and 13 national public holidays (Remote). |
| Contractor risk | B2B contracting is common in Poland's tech sector, and the legal test is the Labour Code 'employment relationship' features (subordination, work under direction, fixed place/time, remuneration). Misclassification can be reported by the National Labour Inspectorate (PIP), which can reclassify and impose fines on the employer; ZUS can claim back contributions. | Portugal presumes employment if indicators such as subordination, fixed hours and company equipment exist (Labour Code); misclassification brings back social security and fines (rules not verified from a retrieved source). |
| EOR onboarding | Days to ~2 weeks (providers advertise 'days'; specific figure not verified) | Not verified from a retrieved provider source |
| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) / CEST (UTC+2) in summer; 6 hours ahead of US Eastern. | UTC+0 (WET) in winter, UTC+1 in summer: 5 hours ahead of US Eastern. |
| Data confidence | medium | medium |
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FAQ
Is it cheaper to hire in Poland or Portugal?
On statutory employer on-costs alone, Poland is lower (19.5–22.1%). Salary levels, EOR fees and benefits also matter; use the cost calculator.