r/poland • • Nov 25 '25

A comprehensive guide for EU foreigners moving to Poland - START HERE.

69 Upvotes

Hello, I have seen many folks coming to Poland from the EU and being completely lost on what kind of legal procedures they have to do in order to start their residence in Poland. Be that you come here to study, work or live with your spouse there are several things I hope this guide will be able to cover.

!PLEASE NOTE!
This guide is meant only for citizens of the European Union and citizens of countries that are members of the European Economic Area. Some of the parts of this guide will be similar for non-EU foreigners but some will not. In general, the info posted here is only fully up to date if you are a citizen of the EU/EEA
!PLEASE NOTE!

0. Introduction and general info

Poland is divided into 16 voivodeships which are further subdivided into powiats, which means something like 'county' and these are further made out of municipalities - pol. gmina, or cities - pol. miasto. Large cities however are both powiat and miasto so in case of Warsaw, Wrocław, Kraków etc. city office (pol. urząd miasta) will also perform duties of powiat office (pol. starostwo powiatowe). In case of Warsaw - urząd dzielnicy meaning district office will serve as city office.

All of the below information covers only EU/EEA citizens. If you are non-EU, majority of the below information will not be correct for your case.

I strongly recommend reading all of the parts linked below apart from car and pets stuff, if those do not concern your case.

I. Registering your residence and making your stay in Poland legal.
II. Obtaining health insurance
III. Using healthcare
IV. Taxes
V. Digital log-in and services
VI. Cars and licenses
VII. Banks and mobile phones
VIII. What to do when I leave Poland?
IX. Pets

If you have any additional questions or remarks, please do not hesitate to comment, I will be happy to help for as long as I'm going to visit this platform and expand this post. I hope you all have a great day and life in general. Thanks for reading, stay safe.


r/poland • • 7h ago

Trump puts new Russia sanctions he recently signed on hold

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164 Upvotes

How can some Poles, including our current president, think that Trump is our friend, and that associating with him is better for us than our relationship with the EU?


r/poland • • 21h ago

Poland has flying cars since 2020

2.2k Upvotes

r/poland • • 15h ago

Where can I find durable jeans in Poland that won’t rip after a few months?

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274 Upvotes

Hey guys, I was originally thinking of posting this in a fashion or advice subreddit, but I figured I’d ask here if you might have some recommendations.

I’ve been buying and wearing jeans for years, but I keep running into the same problem: after a few months, a hole starts forming around the crotch area. It’s happened with jeans from Zara, Reserved, Mango, H&M, and Pull&Bear, so at this point, I honestly don’t know what to do anymore.

Should I just bite the bullet and invest in a pair of Levi’s? They cost around 550 PLN, which feels ridiculous for a pair of jeans. For another 300 PLN, I could practically buy a decent suit!

Has anyone else experienced this? Are there any brands in Poland that sell durable jeans that actually last, or is there something I should be looking for in terms of fabric, fit, or quality?

I’m honestly tired of spending money on new jeans every few months, so any advice or recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

Sorry for the rant, but I’m genuinely fed up with this!


r/poland • • 1h ago

Secretly Polish: The athlete who terrorized the Nazis and became a Greek hero

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• Upvotes

r/poland • • 22h ago

The Legend of Giants by Natalia Rak in Białystok, Poland

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430 Upvotes

r/poland • • 16h ago

Poland drops proposal to criminalise providing help to illegal migrants following outcry

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113 Upvotes

r/poland • • 21h ago

$30,000 for setting fire to a drone factory in Poland, $1,000 for setting fire to a Ukrainian car - rates offered by a Russian recruiter

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208 Upvotes

r/poland • • 32m ago

Do all Italian restaurants in Poland supply their cannoli from Biedronka?

• Upvotes

I swear I've had cannoli from 3 different Italian restaurants in Dolnośląskie so far and they are always the same ones you can find in Biedronka. What's up with that? Is my theory founded or am I going insane?


r/poland • • 21h ago

One killed as Russian drone strikes Polish-owned plant in Ukraine

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130 Upvotes

r/poland • • 19h ago

If you ever wondered where your money goes when you donate to "charity" muggers in the city centres...

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66 Upvotes

“Fundacja” Ręka Wielkiej Pomocy has collected over PLN 20 million according to its financial statements.

According to its own website, only 2.1 million was spent on actual aid.

The foundation’s president promotes Bitcoin, crypto trading, fast cars, and a “billionaire mindset.”

Please, never give money on the street to foundations you don’t know!

Financial statements:
http://www.fundacja-rwp.com/wazna-informacja/

Website:
http://www.fundacja-rwp.com/

President’s profile:
https://www.facebook.com/nazar.khanas


r/poland • • 1d ago

Heads of Polish and Ukrainian national remembrance institutes hold first meeting since 2018

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133 Upvotes

r/poland • • 1d ago

Citizens of Sweden facing 20 to 30 years in Polish prison over armed robbery

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176 Upvotes

r/poland • • 21h ago

What Polish food do you think is underrated abroad?

60 Upvotes

Everybody outside Poland knows pierogi, and maybe żurek or bigos. But I think some of the best things never get mentioned.

My pick is zapiekanka. Half a baguette with mushrooms, melted cheese, and a lot of ketchup, bought from a little window at a train station or late at night after going out. It's cheap, simple, and somehow better than most fancy food I've had. The ones from Plac Nowy in Kraków are on another level.

What's yours? And for the non-Poles here: what Polish food surprised you the most when you first tried it?


r/poland • • 1d ago

Invasive bee-eating hornets spotted in Poland for first time

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94 Upvotes

An invasive Asian hornet species that hunts and eats other insects has been detected in Poland for the first time, sparking fears that domestic honeybees are at risk. 


r/poland • • 1d ago

Ran out of bread, baked some fresh loaves for kolacja with kiełbasa domowa.

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181 Upvotes

r/poland • • 1d ago

Russia-linked plot to set fire to Polish drone factory exposed

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98 Upvotes

An undercover journalist exposed the plot after answering a Telegram job ad.


r/poland • • 21h ago

Poland set for record-breaking roller coaster

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32 Upvotes

Thrill-seekers are preparing for a record-breaking ride in Poland, where a new attraction is set to become Europe’s tallest and longest “wing” roller coaster. 

The Energylandia theme park in the southern Polish town of Zator has unveiled Rokan, a 62-meter-high giant featuring a 1,215-meter track. 

Riders will reach speeds of up to 115 km/h during the 141-second ride, which will be the centrepiece of a new four-hectare zone at the park. Energylandia said the opening date would be announced soon. 


r/poland • • 17h ago

TIL that in WW2, Poland declared war on Japan. Japan rejected there declaration of war. Quote: “We do not accept Poland’s challenge. The Poles, fighting for their freedom, only declared war on us under pressure from the United Kingdom.”

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16 Upvotes

Dont know if this is allowed here but thought you would be interested in this


r/poland • • 21h ago

WTA Wuhan Open tournament has two Polish women facing each other in the semifinals! 🤍❤️

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29 Upvotes

Iga Świątek and Maja Chwalińska are facing each other in the semifinals of the WTA Wuhan open! It’s a very good time for Polish women’s tennis! 🤍❤️


r/poland • • 1d ago

Poland’s population shrinks by 90,000 in six months as deaths outpace births

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259 Upvotes

r/poland • • 1d ago

Ukraine finds remains of 30 people in search for victims of massacre by Polish WWII partisans

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400 Upvotes

The Ukrainian Institute of National Remembrance (UINR) has reported the discovery of 30 human remains at a site in Poland where Polish partisans killed Ukrainian civilians during World War Two.

The head of the UINR, Oleksandr Alfyorov, thanked Poland for granting permission to conduct research at the location, which he said would help advance “true reconciliation” between the two countries over their difficult shared history.

Ukraine has likewise recently allowed Poland to search for and exhume the remains of Poles massacred by Ukrainian nationalists during the war.


r/poland • • 1d ago

Signatures of deceased persons on support lists in Krakow. Prosecutor's office launches new investigation

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11 Upvotes

r/poland • • 2h ago

Ziemkiewicz: Indians are one of the best groups of immigrants

0 Upvotes

Polish right wing - national solidarity is cool until we can import immigrants to pay them less.


r/poland • • 15h ago

TOURISM Warsaw/Gdańsk travel

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0 Upvotes

(The picture isn't related at all, but it brings our countries together.)

Hi, I am a 24 year old Italian guy who, in two weeks, will be spending 3 nights in Warsaw and 3 nights in Gdańsk with my girlfriend. I would like to know what you recommend doing and seeing. Keep in mind that I have already spent 1-2 weeks in Kraków, so this is my second time in Poland.

She and I have an academic background in history (I personally studied Medieval history of Poland), literature, and the arts, so we love museums, and personally, I also appreciate natural history museums.

Thanks in advance.