The vast majority of applicants were Poles – 245.3 thousand. reports. However, the number of applications from foreigners is growing – in 2025, they submitted 43.5 thousand. documents, which is an increase from 41.2 thousand applications in 2024
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Prof. Tomasz Bernat from the Institute of Economics and Finance of the University of Szczecin notes that although the scale of the phenomenon is not marginal – because every seventh new JDG was founded by a person who did not have Polish citizenship – it cannot be considered dominant either.
– This increase should be interpreted in the context of institutional and market conditions for running a business in Poland. Relatively low entry barriers to self-employment, simplified registration procedures and flexibility of forms favor foreigners taking up economic activity. At the same time, JDG plays an adaptive role in the face of labor supply shortages and structural tensions in the labor market – explains Prof. Tomasz Bernat.
Ukrainians are the leaders of entrepreneurship in Poland
Among foreigners citizens of Ukraine dominate, who founded 33.8 thousand in 2025. sole proprietorships. This is an increase of 2.5 thousand. applications compared to the previous year. Dr. Robert Król from WSB Merito University emphasizes that this increase is partly the result of a special act that makes it easier for Ukrainians to legally conduct business in Poland.
Łukasz Goszczyński, legal counsel and restructuring advisor, notes that the choice of JDG by foreigners results from the need for flexibility and independence in the provision of services.
– This form gives them the opportunity to quickly respond to market changes and conduct professional activity without the need to create extensive organizational structures or remain in an employer-employee relationship. And above all, if necessary, it is easy to eliminate – explains the expert.
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Dr. Król adds that some of the activities are of a service nature and are addressed to the Ukrainian community in Poland. This means that their scale is usually small and there is no need to run it in the form of a company.
Moreover, legal counsel and restructuring advisor Adrian Parol notes that comparing the number of new JDGs established by Ukrainians with the total number of Ukrainian citizens residing in Poland leads to the conclusion that we cannot talk about mass entrepreneurship.
– It's a rather moderate scale. But its importance is greater than the numbers themselves suggest. Running a business in a foreign country requires not only money, but also understanding the regulations, language and market realities. Not every migrant is ready for such a step. From my experience, these activities are concentrated mainly in service industries. Construction, finishing, transport, catering, personal services and, increasingly, the IT sector are the areas in which self-employed people from Ukraine do best – describes attorney Adrian Parol.
Who else opens companies in Poland?
Apart from Ukrainians, in 2025 JDGs were also founded by:
- Belarusians (2.7 thousand),
- people with dual Polish and Ukrainian citizenship (491),
- Romanians (383),
- Germany (377),
- Russians (361),
- Bulgarians (247),
- Italians (246).
