Polish Students on Danish Construction Sites: Agency Checklist 2026

Every summer, thousands of Polish students cross into Denmark looking for seasonal construction work in Denmark, and the agencies that place them carry a significant legal and administrative burden. Getting it wrong, even on a single placement, can expose an agency to enforcement action from Arbejdstilsynet (the Danish Working Environment Authority) on one side and PIP (Państwowa Inspekcja Pracy, the Polish Labour Inspectorate) on the other. This step-by-step guide walks agency coordinators through exactly what must be verified and documented before a student sets foot on a Danish building site in 2026.

Step 1: Verify the Student's Eligibility

The first question is deceptively simple: is this person legally allowed to work in Denmark? Polish citizens are EU nationals and therefore have the right to work in any EU member state under the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. However, student status introduces specific nuances. A full-time student enrolled at a Polish university is still subject to Polish social insurance rules if they are under 26 years of age, which directly affects which country collects social contributions during the placement.

Agencies must also confirm that the student is genuinely enrolled, since a person who has already graduated or is on a leave of absence may fall into a different legal category for both ZUS and Danish tax purposes. Request a current certificate of enrollment issued no more than 30 days before the placement start date. This single document can prevent disputes with both ZUS and the Danish tax authority Skat later in the season.

Step 2: Gather the Required Documents

Before any contract is signed, the agency should collect and verify the following from each student worker:

• Valid Polish identity card or passport
• Current university enrollment certificate
• A completed A1 certificate application or, if already issued, the A1 certificate itself confirming continued Polish social insurance coverage
• Danish CPR number, or confirmation that the registration process with the Danish Public Employment Service (Jobnet) has been initiated
• Proof of accommodation address in Denmark, required for CPR registration
• A signed employment contract that meets the minimum requirements of the applicable Danish collective agreement for construction

The A1 certificate is particularly critical. Issued by ZUS under EU Regulation 883/2004 on the coordination of social security systems, it confirms that the worker remains insured in Poland and that the Danish employer or agency does not owe Danish social contributions for that individual. Without it, the agency risks double contribution demands. For a deeper look at how ZUS contributions interact with Danish placements, see our article on ZUS Contributions for Seasonal Construction Workers in Denmark 2026.

Step 3: Complete the Necessary Forms and Registrations

Once documents are in order, several registrations must happen in parallel rather than sequentially, because Danish construction sites move fast and delays cost everyone money.

The agency, if acting as the formal employer in Denmark, must be registered with Skat as a foreign employer liable to withhold Danish income tax. This is done through the RUT register (Registret for Udenlandske Tjenesteydere), which records foreign service providers operating in Denmark. Registration must occur before work begins, not after. The RUT register is administered by Arbejdstilsynet and the information feeds directly into Danish labor inspections on site.

At the same time, the A1 application should be submitted to ZUS via the ZUS online portal (zus.pl). Processing times vary, so agencies that wait until the student has already departed risk a gap in documented coverage. A practical approach is to batch-process A1 applications at least two weeks before the planned start date for each wave of seasonal workers.

Pay close attention to the wage structure. Danish construction is governed by sectoral collective agreements, and posted workers are entitled to the same pay supplements as local employees. This includes various tillaeg, the Danish term for mandatory pay supplements covering dirty work, height work, night shifts and similar conditions. Agencies unfamiliar with these supplements often underpay workers without realizing it. Our guide on Tillaeg on Danish Construction Sites: Mandatory Pay Supplements 2026 explains exactly which supplements apply and how to calculate them correctly.

Step 4: Submit Everything and Confirm Receipt

Submission is not a single act. The agency must confirm RUT registration with Arbejdstilsynet, receive the A1 certificate from ZUS, ensure Skat has the employer registration on record, and provide the worker with a written statement of employment terms in a language they understand, as required under the EU Posted Workers Directive (Directive 96/71/EC as amended by Directive 2018/957/EU).

Keep copies of every submission confirmation. In the event of a labor inspection on site, the site foreman will not have access to your agency's filing system. Workers should carry a printed or digital copy of their A1 certificate and their employment contract at all times during the placement.

Step 5: Monitor the Placement and Respond to Results

Once the student is on site, the agency's obligation does not end. Arbejdstilsynet conducts unannounced inspections on Danish construction sites, and foreign workers are a known focus area. If an inspector finds a worker without documentation, the agency, not just the Danish client, can face enforcement measures. Maintain a live roster of which workers are on which sites, and ensure your internal system can produce documentation within minutes of a request.

For agencies managing rotating crews across multiple Danish sites, manual tracking quickly becomes unworkable. Automating the rotation and billing process reduces both errors and response time during inspections. The article on How to Automate Worker Rotation Billing: 2026 Guide for Agencies covers practical tools and workflows that apply directly to this scenario.

Common Mistakes Agencies Make

The most frequent error is treating the A1 certificate as optional or as something that can be sorted out retroactively. It cannot. A retroactively issued A1 may not be accepted by Skat or by Arbejdstilsynet as proof of coverage during the period in question, leaving the agency exposed to claims for unpaid Danish social contributions.

A second common mistake is assuming that because a student is young and working only for the summer, the full compliance framework does not apply. Danish labor law makes no exception for short-term or student placements. The Kodeks Pracy (Polish Labour Code) similarly imposes obligations on Polish employers sending workers abroad, regardless of the duration of the posting.

Third, agencies sometimes overlook the working time rules. The EU Working Time Directive, implemented in Denmark through national legislation, sets limits on weekly hours and mandatory rest periods. Construction work is physically demanding, and students eager to maximize their earnings may agree informally to work beyond legal limits. The agency bears responsibility for ensuring compliance, not the student.

Actionable Advice Before the Next Placement

Build a pre-departure checklist that no student leaves without completing. That checklist should include a confirmed A1 application reference number, a signed contract with the correct tillaeg structure, a registered CPR number or a confirmed appointment to obtain one, and the RUT registration number for the agency. Share this checklist with the Danish client so that site managers know what to expect when workers arrive. Review the checklist against any updates from Arbejdstilsynet (at.dk) at the start of each season, since Danish enforcement priorities and procedures do change. Agencies that treat compliance as a one-time setup rather than an ongoing process are the ones that get caught out.