Nail Stylist Occupation Code for ZUS
Nail stylist occupation code: is it needed in the contract, where ZUS requires it and which classification entries are closest to salon work.
The occupation code for a nail stylist is something you usually look for in one of two situations. You are preparing a contract for your first employee, or you are filling in her registration with ZUS (the Social Insurance Institution) and the software asks for a six-digit code. The short answer has two parts. The employment contract itself does not require an occupation code. The code is required in the insurance registration, and the classification currently in force has no entry called "stylistka paznokci" (nail stylist).
Below we check where exactly the code is needed, which classification entries are closest to salon work and how to look them up. The background to hiring is in our article on hiring the first stylist.
Key points
- Article 29 of the Labour Code lists what an employment contract contains: the type of work, place, pay, working time and start date. An occupation code is not on that list.
- You enter the code of the occupation performed in the ZUS registration: on form ZUS ZUA (field 01 in block X) and ZUS ZZA (block V, field 02). This also applies to people on civil-law contracts (zlecenie).
- The classification from the regulation of 21 October 2025 (Journal of Laws 2025, item 1534) applies, in force since 27 November 2025.
- We found no entry "stylistka paznokci" in this classification. The closest are manicurist (514203), pedicurist (514204) and beautician (514202).
- You choose the code based on the employee's actual tasks, not on the job title in the advertisement.
Where the stylist's occupation code is needed
An occupation code is a number from the classification of occupations and specialities for the labour market. It appears in several places and they are easy to confuse. The table below shows what applies to a salon.
| Document or item | Is an occupation code needed |
|---|---|
| Employment contract | No. You describe the type of work in words (Article 29(1)(1) of the Labour Code), for example "nail stylist". |
| Insurance registration ZUS ZUA and ZUS ZZA | Yes, the six-digit code of the occupation performed. |
| Civil-law contract (zlecenie) | Not in the contract. You give the code in the ZUS registration, because ZUS lists people on zlecenie among those covered by the requirement. |
| B2B contract with a stylist who has her own business | Does not concern you as the payer. It is a civil-law contract, and she makes her own insurance registration. |
| Registering your own business | This is a separate matter: there you choose a PKD code, not an occupation code. We describe it in the article on PKD codes for a salon. |
An occupation code and a PKD code are two different numbers. PKD describes the type of a company's activity, while the occupation code describes what work a specific person does. If you are considering starting without registration, see the text on unregistered activity for a nail stylist.
What ZUS says
The ZUS notice of 13 May 2021 (updated on 5 January 2022), in Polish, states that from 16 May 2021 the code of the occupation performed must be shown in ZUS ZUA and ZUS ZZA documents. The requirement applies to professionally active insured persons, for example employees and people on zlecenie. You always give the code in first-time registrations and in registrations filed as a correction or change. You do not have to update people registered before 16 May 2021 just to add the code. In the Płatnik and ePłatnik programs you select the code from a list.
The instruction for form ZUS ZZA describes the code as a six-digit number defined in the annex to the regulation on the classification of occupations and specialities. The ZUS notice still refers to the 2014 regulation, which the new one replaced. So when filling in the form, follow the current classification and the current form instruction.
How to check the code in the classification of occupations and specialities
The current classification is an annex to the regulation of the Minister of Family, Labour and Social Policy of 21 October 2025 on the classification of occupations and specialities for the labour market (Journal of Laws 2025, item 1534). The regulation entered into force on 27 November 2025 and replaced the earlier one from 2014. On the Public Employment Services portal (Wortal Publicznych Służb Zatrudnienia) you will find the text of the classification, an alphabetical index as an xlsx file and a search tool for occupation descriptions.
The quickest route looks like this:
- open the occupation classification page on the PSZ portal,
- download the alphabetical index and search for the names you use to describe the employee's work (manicure, pedicure, beautician - in Polish: manikiur, pedikiur, kosmetyczka),
- compare the entries you find with the task descriptions in the occupation description search tool,
- record the chosen code in the personnel documentation, so that when her duties change you remember to report the change to ZUS.
Nail stylist and related occupations in the classification
Group 5142 "Beauticians and related workers" (Kosmetyczki i pokrewni) contains the entries closest to salon work. In the alphabetical index and in the text of the classification we found no entries for "nail stylist", "lash stylist" or "brows". The table below shows what is in the classification.
| Code | Name in the classification | When it is close to salon work |
|---|---|---|
| 514203 | Manicurist (manikiurzystka) | The employee mainly does manicure and styling of hand nails. |
| 514204 | Pedicurist (pedikiurzystka) | The main scope is pedicure. |
| 514202 | Beautician (kosmetyczka) | A wider range of cosmetic treatments, when the work is not limited to nails. |
| 514208 | Make-up artist / stylist (wizażystka / stylistka) | The name contains the word "stylist", but we did not check the occupation description. Do not assume it concerns nails. |
| 514290 | Other beauticians and related workers (pozostałe kosmetyczki i pokrewni) | By its name, a catch-all entry for work in this group not described separately. |
| 229903 | Cosmetologist (kosmetolog) | A separate occupation from the group of health protection specialists, not a synonym of beautician. |
We did not check occupation descriptions or qualification requirements for individual entries, so we will not point to one "correct" code. The classification also contains the entry "tattoo artist" (343917), but we did not check whether it matches permanent make-up work. If the employee does manicure and lashes, choose the code that best reflects most of her duties and describe them in her scope of duties. If in doubt, ask your accounting office or ZUS.
Is the code needed for B2B
A stylist on B2B runs her own business, so she is not your employee and you do not register her with ZUS as the payer. A B2B contract is a civil-law contract, so Article 29 of the Labour Code does not apply to it. We did not check how the occupation code is entered when a self-employed person registers, because that is her matter, not yours. The risk lies elsewhere: if the cooperation has the features of employment, ZUS and the tax office may assess it that way. We write about this in the article on a B2B contract with a stylist.
What else you record when hiring
The occupation code is one item on a longer list. The file also gets medical examinations, initial OHS training, the risk assessment and the working time records described in the article on working time of a stylist. For employees from Ukraine the list of documents is longer, and we described it in the text on hiring a stylist from Ukraine.
Frequently asked questions
Must the occupation code be in a stylist's employment contract?
No. Article 29 of the Labour Code lists the type of work, place of work, pay, working time and start date, but not an occupation code. The code is needed in the insurance registration with ZUS.
What is the occupation code of a nail stylist?
In the classification currently in force we found no entry with that name. The closest to work on hand nails is "manicurist" (514203). For a wider range of treatments consider "beautician" (514202). You choose the code according to the employee's actual tasks.
Do I have to add an occupation code for employees registered several years ago?
According to the ZUS notice, you do not have to file a correcting document just to show the code of a person registered for insurance before 16 May 2021. You give the code in new registrations and when data changes.
What if the employee's duties change?
If the occupation code given in the registration no longer matches the work performed, ZUS indicates that you report the change on form ZUS ZUA or ZUS ZZA. This follows the rule on notifying ZUS of changes compared with an earlier registration.
Where can I check the current occupation classification?
On the Public Employment Services portal (Wortal Publicznych Służb Zatrudnienia). There you will find the classification from the regulation of 21 October 2025, the alphabetical index and a search tool for occupation descriptions. In the Płatnik program you select the code from a list.
Legal status as of: 2 November 2026
Legal basis: Article 29(1) of the Labour Code (consolidated text: Journal of Laws 2026, item 1245); Regulation of the Minister of Family, Labour and Social Policy of 21 October 2025 on the classification of occupations and specialities for the labour market (Journal of Laws 2025, item 1534, annex: group 5142, entries 229903 and 343917; we found no amendments in Journal of Laws 2026); ZUS notice of 13 May 2021 (updated 5 January 2022) on the code of the occupation performed in ZUS ZUA and ZUS ZZA; instruction for form ZUS ZZA; alphabetical index of the classification as of 27 November 2025 (PSZ portal). Not checked: descriptions of individual occupations and qualification requirements, the current instruction for form ZUS ZUA after the change of classification, how the occupation is shown when registering a business in CEIDG, tax rules or ZUS interpretations for specific salon positions.
Last reviewed: 2 November 2026
HR and OHS documents for a salon with a first employee
Initial OHS training with the training card, a working time register and the occupational risk assessment are part of the NailsReady packages. The package does not include a template of the employment contract itself, which you take from your accounting office or a legal adviser.