What are the rules for domestic and foreign Business Trips for Polish employees?

In Poland, a business trip is when an employee performs tasks outside their regular workplace or the employer’s registered office, as determined by the employer. A key feature of a business trip is its exceptional and incidental nature—it’s not a routine part of the employee’s job. If traveling is a regular part of an employee's work duties, such as for sales representatives or couriers, this is categorized as mobile work rather than a business trip. Mobile workers are not considered to be on a business trip when performing their usual responsibilities.


What Defines the Duration of a Business Trip?

The duration of a business trip includes two main components:

  1. Travel and Stay Time
    • This encompasses the time spent traveling to and from the destination, as well as time spent at the destination. Even leisure time during the stay, provided it is not used for work tasks, is included.
  2. Working Time
    • This refers to the time actively spent performing the assigned business tasks. Employers must clearly outline the duration of the trip in a travel order. This document specifies the start and end times, including the number of hours spent in domestic and international travel.

Working time during a business trip includes the time spent within the employee’s normal working hours and the duration dedicated to performing tasks assigned by the employer. If the business trip extends beyond normal working hours, this additional time is considered part of working time only if it involves the performance of employer-assigned tasks.


Domestic Business Trips

A domestic trip begins when the employee crosses the administrative boundary of the city or town designated as the starting point and ends when they re-enter that boundary upon return.


Foreign Business Trips

For foreign trips, the duration is calculated based on the means of transportation:

  • Land Transport:
    • Begins when the employee crosses the Polish national border while traveling abroad. Ends when the border is crossed again upon return.
  • Air Transport:
    • Starts when the plane departs from the last airport in Poland heading abroad. Ends when it lands at the first airport in Poland upon return.
  • Sea Transport:
    • Commences when the ship or ferry leaves the final Polish port and concludes upon re-entry into the first Polish port on the way back.


Additionally, domestic travel segments related to a foreign business trip—such as traveling to an airport or port—are subject to regulations for domestic trips. These sections are treated separately and are not combined with the foreign trip’s duration.


Understanding these distinctions is vital for both employees and foreign companies employing staff in Poland, ensuring compliance with local regulations regarding business trips.

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