The situation
A harvest plan with seasonal hires from outside the EU
A fresh-produce group grows apples near Sandomierz and strawberries near Huelva. Next season it needs 180 pickers in Poland from August and 260 in Spain from January, most from outside the EU. Last year two permits arrived after the crop was ready.
The HR lead is planning a year ahead this time. The hours go on the permit route for each nationality, how long each worker may stay, what the contract must look like, the accommodation rules, and what changed since the immigration rules in both countries were rewritten.
What the research has to settle
The rules behind the answer
- The EU sets the frame
- The Seasonal Workers Directive requires each member state to set a maximum stay of between five and nine months in any twelve-month period, equal treatment on terms of employment and adequate accommodation at a rent that is not excessive.
- Poland has a dedicated seasonal permit
- Polish law provides a seasonal work permit for listed sectors, including agriculture, issued by the county labour office, alongside simpler routes for citizens of some countries. Poland moved these rules into a new act in 2025, so the research confirms the current procedure.
- Spain recruits in the country of origin
- Spain fills much of its seasonal farm work through collective hiring in the country of origin, under an annual ministerial order. Its immigration regulation was replaced in 2025, so routes and stay limits are checked against the version in force.
- The contract matters as much as the permit
- Spain’s 2021 labour reform narrowed fixed-term contracts and steered recurring seasonal work towards the fijo-discontinuo contract. How that applies to workers recruited abroad, and what Polish law requires of a seasonal contract, are part of the research.
How it runs in azta
From the question to the document
The question, as you would type it
We need 180 seasonal apple pickers near Sandomierz from August and 260 strawberry pickers near Huelva from January, mostly from outside the EU. Which permit route applies in each country, how long can they stay, and what contract must we use?
You start with
A harvest plan with seasonal hires from outside the EU
- 01
Describe the crews and the season
Give numbers, nationalities, dates and the farms. azta searches the EU directive, the Polish rules on employing foreigners and the Spanish immigration and labour law.
Cited research· Free - 02
Read the rules in force for next season
Open each cited provision with its in-force status. Where rules were rewritten in 2025, compare the old and new versions.
Atlas statute reader - 03
Draft the HR note
Ask for a note per country: permit route, timeline, stay limit, contract type and accommodation duties. Edit it in Canvas.
Canvas · Ask azta· Pro - 04
Export for the farm managers
Export to Word and translate the summary for the farm managers in each country.
Word export· Pro You send
An HR note on permit routes, stay limits and contract terms per country
What you get
An HR note on permit routes, stay limits and contract terms per country
HR note · draft
Seasonal crews 2027: permits and contracts
Poland, apple harvest. For workers who need a permit, we apply for seasonal work permits to the county labour office. The permit limits how long each worker may work in the calendar year. Citizens of some countries can use a simpler procedure; we have listed which apply to our crews.
Spain, strawberry harvest. Recruitment runs through collective hiring in the country of origin under the annual order. The order sets the timetable, so we confirm the filing dates for the January start now.
Both countries. Workers receive the same pay and conditions as local staff in the same role. Accommodation must meet the national standard, and any rent is agreed in writing and not deducted from wages without the worker’s consent.
Outcomes on your numbers
What azta is worth on this task
Pro pays for itself after
21 minutes a month
At €80 an hour, that is all the time Pro (€27 a month) has to take off your desk to cover its price.
Example figures. Replace them with your own.
- Hours back a year
- 25
- Capacity at your rate
- €2,016
- More seasonal hiring notes a quarter
- 0.8
- Return on Pro
- 6.2×
- Research
- Drafting
- Your review
A scenario you set, not a promise. The hours that come back go to another client, or deeper into this one.
Want these numbers on your team’s real workload?
Book a demoWhat stays with you
- The recruitment itself and the relationship with agencies abroad.
- Filing the applications and tracking them with the authorities.
- The contract terms and the accommodation you provide.
Frequently asked questions
- Does azta hold the annual Spanish order?
- azta indexes legislation published in BOE daily. Ask about the current order and open the citation to confirm the version.
- Does it hold the labour offices’ procedural guidance?
- It holds the legislation and EU law. Forms and practice notes from labour offices may not be in the sources, so check them with the office.
- Can it answer in Spanish or Polish?
- Yes. Ask in the language you prefer, and translate any part of the note in Canvas.
