Moving to another country and changing your place of residence is gaining momentum. Weighing up the pros and cons and choosing the best option? Pay attention to Poland, which attracts migrants with its high salaries, low taxes and geographical location. We have compiled a detailed guide on how to prepare for your move and what you need to do immediately afterwards.
What do I need to do before I leave?
- Update your passport prior to obtaining a visa.
- Obtain an international driver's license. After moving, they will not need to be exchanged. If you have not had time, after six months, or 185 days, of stay in Poland, foreign citizens must replace the national driver's license with a Polish one. To do this, you need to collect all the documents, submit an application to the Municipal Communications Office and pay for the procedure.
- Make a general power of attorney for a trusted person. Find a trusted person who can act on your behalf on the list of issues in the power of attorney. We advise you to take the choice of such a person very seriously, so that you do not encounter problems in the future. The document can be executed by a notary.
- Make sure that your bank cards are up to date. Remember that only Visa and Mastercard cards can be used abroad, Belkart is suitable only for domestic transactions, and Mir does not work in all countries. Check whether your bank's cards work in foreign countries and whether there are no sanctions restrictions.
- Check if the sim cards are working and connect roaming. It is recommended to connect roaming so that you are guaranteed to be able to get in touch. Of course, wi-fi and internet are free and more attractive options. Nevertheless, with roaming you will not look for a free wi-fi connection point and find out the coveted password. Take care of this in advance.
- Get a Polish phone number or an international sim card. Another option for staying in touch during your move.
- Obtain documents for the future re-registration of the car on Polish license plates. The list of required documents can be found here.
- To certify copies and affix apostilles to necessary documents (birth certificates, marriage registration certificates, educational certificates and diplomas, etc.). Bodies authorized to affix an apostille are listed here. here.
What is a must-do after the move?
Connect to a local service provider
Registering for a personal account is one of the stages of registration on websites and Polish services. In most cases it is impossible to do it without a cell phone number. By the way, sometimes you need a local mobile number even for some documents.
You can buy a sim card almost everywhere, but to use it you will need to register with identity verification. In Poland, there is virtually no difference between the tariffs and quality of communication from different operators. Choose the most convenient option in terms of tariff management and payment.
Polish mobile operators:
- Orange
- Plus
- Play
- T-Mobile
- Heyah
- Lycamobile
- Plush
- Virgin Mobile
- nju mobile
- Mobile Vikings
- Red Bull Mobile
Relocation experience shows that the easiest option is to buy an Orange sim-card. You can do it in any shopping center, at a train station or even a gas station.
The operator offers a separate set of features with benefits for users - Flex. To do this, you need to install the mobile application "Orange Flex" and register in it.
What are the advantages of Orange Flex?
- no need for a paper contract;
- you can register directly in the app via passport scan or selfies;
- e-sim issuance and registration - right in the app;
- excellent conditions for families - up to five subscribers can be connected to one account (15 PLN per additional person) and manage the tariff from one account;
- you can add up to three new SIM cards per number (depends on the plan) for another phone / router / watch;
- the operator offers to transfer any other number to this tariff;
- you can share traffic with other subscribers;
- you can download e-sim directly in the app, and order a physical card by courier delivery to your door.
By the way, the company offers tempting conditions for its users. For example, you get bonuses for inviting a new subscriber. To do this, send a link from your application to another person and ask them to specify it when registering. You will receive 70 PLN and your friend/family member will receive 30 PLN.
If you recommend Flex to five people, you will get 500 Gb of internet (it cannot be shared with other subscribers). To get the cash reward, your friend must activate the plan and be connected to it for a month. Of course, you must also remain an Orange Flex subscriber.
Get a PESEL
What is PESEL?
The abbreviation PESEL (Powszechny Elektroniczny System Ewidencj i Ludności) stands for "Unified Electronic System of Population Record".
You must obtain a physical person identification code in the state system, consisting of 11 digits. This code is issued absolutely free of charge and for life, and there is no need to renew or change it.
The code consists of 11 digits:
- the first and second are the last digits of the year of birth;
- the third and fourth are the month of birth;
- the fifth and sixth are birthdays;
- seventh, eighth, ninth is a serial number;
- tenth - gender (odd for men, even for women);
- Eleventh is the control number.
If you move to Poland for long-term residence, you cannot do without PESEL. You will need this code when visiting medical institutions and opening a bank account, buying a car and real estate, filing tax returns.
How do I get the code?
You need to collect the necessary documents and apply to the Urząd - the office of state and municipal structures in your place of residence. Despite the fact that there is a uniform procedure for obtaining a PESEL in Poland, each Urząd has its own procedure. For example, in different offices it is possible to submit documents only by appointment (2-3 weeks in advance), by live queue or by electronic queue on the spot. You are advised to clarify this issue before you go to get a PESEL.
When submitting documents, workers may require a residence permit, lease agreement or something else, but it is not necessary to have them. PESEL can be issued by submitting the documents in person: EL/W/1 application form and an identity document.
When filling in the application form, state the following provision as the reason: "ZAŁĄCZNIK NR 1. PKT. 1 ROZPORZĄDZENIA MINISTRA CYFRYZACJI Z DNIA 29 CZERWCA 2020 ROKU W SPRAWIE PROFILU ZAUFANEGO I PODPISU ZAUFANEGO DZ.U.2020 POZ.1194".
In practice, some relocants are asked to justify the reason for not having a meldunk (propiska). We advise you to indicate that you are living in a hostel or renting accommodation via Airbnb.
Here you can find a sample application form.
PESEL by meldunk
This is the fastest and easiest way to get the coveted code. You must come to Užąd with an application form, an identity document and a rental agreement. First, you need to obtain a meldunok - residence registration. To do this, fill in the application form EL/ZC/1To do this, fill in the EL/ZC/1 application and you will receive the meldunok immediately.
If you issue PESEL on the basis of place of registration, you will get it at the same moment without any additional waiting time.
PESEL under an employment contract
PESEL can now also be obtained on the basis of an employment contract. To do so, present the Užąd employees, an application, an identity document and an employment contract.
PESEL for tax purposes (without meldunk and employment contract)
If you are unable to obtain a PESEL on the three grounds mentioned above, we advise you to use this option. Foreigners can apply for a PESEL for tax purposes.
When you submit your application and passport in Užąd, state the following legal basis: "art. 3 ust. 1 pkt 1 ustawy o zasadach ewidencji i identyfikacji podatników i płatników (Dz. U. z 2020 r. Poz. 170, z późn. Zm.), W związku z art. 7 ust. 2 iw zakresie określonym w art. 9 ust. 4 ustawy o ewidencji ludności (Dz. U. z 2021 r. Poz. 510)".
PESEL for children
Obtaining an identification code for a child is almost entirely similar to the procedure for an adult. Remember that children are not often direct taxpayers, and parents are required to make inquiries for them.
If a child is receiving PESEL on meldunc, this must be reported at the time of enrollment. You will receive the code immediately.
If a meldunk is not available, you must provide a request or legal basis from the institution that requested the PESEL.
What should I do if Ujonda employees do not accept documents?
- If you don't speak Polish, take someone with you who can explain everything you need to know;
- Fill out the application form without errors and state all legal grounds for obtaining a PESEL;
- Emphasize to the employee the legal basis: after all, you have written all the laws and articles that authorize the code;
- If the employee persists, demand a written justification for refusing to provide PESEL or a meeting with his or her supervisor.
Practice shows that it is at this stage that many Ujonda employees depart from their beliefs and accept the documents.
What is the timeframe for obtaining a PESEL?
In other cases, it may take up to 30 days to obtain a PESEL without a meldunk. If your Užąd office refuses to issue a PESEL without a meldunk or tells you to wait 30 days, we advise you to try your luck at another office.
Set up a bank account
Belarusians can open an account in Polish banks if they have a passport. However, we recommend opening an account on the basis of not only a passport, but also a PESEL. This will significantly ease bureaucratic procedures in the future.
In which banks can Belarusians get an account right now?
PKO Bank Polski
This is the easiest and most convenient bank to open an account. Belarusian citizens can apply to PKO with only a passport and visa, and the employees do not even require a PESEL. By the way, you can open an account for a fee and for free, online and offline at a bank branch. The account itself can be in foreign currency or in zloty.
You must also provide an identity document. This can be a passport (with visa), a residence permit, an EU residence permit, an EU country identity card, a Polish foreigner's identity document, a Polish travel document for a foreigner, a temporary Polish travel document for a foreigner, a temporary foreigner's identity card.
After processing the invoice, you will receive the plastic card in a few days at the Polish address you indicated during the registration.
Santander
Santander Bank is also open to Belarusians. All foreigners coming from non-EU countries must provide a passport and a permanent or temporary residence permit in Poland.
By the way, keep in mind that sometimes the bank may require confirmation that money is being deposited into the account. Examples of such amounts are scholarships, salaries and pensions. The bank works with online and offline account opening at the branch.
Pekao
Pekao is another Polish bank where accounts can be opened by residents and non-residents of Poland. An identity document is sufficient for this purpose. In addition to a passport, additional documents may be required, such as a residence permit or a residence card with an address.
Registration of an account in foreign or national currency can be free of charge and paid at a bank branch.
Belarusians can also register an account with Millenium and ING banks. Please note that a visa or international protection is not sufficient for this. Depending on the bank, you must provide reasons for opening an account (e.g. student ID card or employment contract (Millenium)), a document of stay and legality of receiving money in Poland (certificate of scholarship, employment contract).
Alternatively, you can open an account with online banks - Revolut and Paysera. You can open an account here provided you live in a country where these payment systems are legal (Poland is on the list). To do this, you need to have a phone number, a D-type visa or a residence permit. An additional, but not obligatory condition is the presence of an official employer.
How to pay without a plastic card?
There is life before getting a plastic card. You don't even need to keep a large amount of cash on you. Remember these four letters: BLIK!
BLIK is a mobile payment system, thanks to which you can pay in stores and on the Internet, make transfers to other people, cash out money and deposit it in a terminal without a plastic card. To do this, you need to download the application and get a six-digit code.
As soon as you open a bank account, BLIK account by phone number is attached to it automatically or manually in the mobile application/web-bank. Now you can transfer money to your friends and receive money in return, pay for purchases and even donate to street performers.
How do I use BLIK to make a payment?
- before paying, tell the cashier that you want to use BLIK (choose BLIK at the self-service checkout and online);
- go to the form for entering the six-digit code;
- in the bank's mobile application, click on the BLIK icon;
- enter the specified code into the terminal/payment form;
- confirm the payment in the mobile app.
How do I use BLIK when translating?
- press mobile transfer button in the mobile application;
- specify the recipient's cell phone number;
- enter the amount of the transfer;
- confirm the payment in the mobile app.
The main advantages of BLIK are ease and security. You don't have to carry a bank card and your personal data remains well protected.
Please note that the maximum amount of instant money transfer is 3000 PLN.
Organize a trusted profile and electronic signature
A trusted profile (profil zaufany) and an electronic signature will be necessary for creating an account in numerous systems, completing procedural formalities and signing documents online when submitting them to state authorities.
The easiest way to get a profile and signature is on the basis of a bank account, about the procedure for opening which we have already written. That is why we advised you to do it on the basis of PESEL and passport. This option will not even require your physical presence.
As a rule, if you have concluded an agreement with a bank, all the information has already been entered into the system. If you confirm it on the website epuap.gov.pl select the icon of your bank. After that, you will be taken to a page where you will have to enter the necessary information and confirm it.
Check if everything is completed successfully
Go to the website pz.gov.pl and make sure that everything works and functions without problems.
Useful links and portals
- www.biznes.gov.pl
- epuap.gov.pl/wps/portal
- pz.gov.pl/
- prod.ceidg.gov.pl/
- eskladka.pl/Home
- www.zus.pl/
- zip.nfz.gov.pl/
Relocant Lifehack
The main thing that people who have already moved to Poland say: don't be afraid to ask for help! There are many Belarusians living and working in Polish cities, who are ready to share their experience and provide answers to many questions. Look for thematic chat rooms and communities of the city you are going to move to.
The material has been prepared with the help of specialists of Madera Travel visa center.
