Setting up a business and becoming a resident in Poland

POLAND . The Unofficial Guide

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Oct 15, 10, 12:20 #1

Hi Everyone

Over the past 12 months, I have spent a lot of time in Warsaw with my Polish GF and have decided that it's probably time to take the plunge and actually become a resident here.

I am a self-employed doing web design & SEO & I own and operate lovewarsaw.co.uk - a Warsaw & Poland tourist information portal.

I am British with a British passport.

I have looked through many threads on this forum and elsewhere and think that I have the procedure correct. Could you wise owls please look through this and let me know if I have it right or not? Your assistance would be appreciated :)

Becoming a Resident:

1. I go to the Urząd Skarbowy in Warsaw with a Polish speaking friend and request a zameldowanie (temporary resident's card); which lasts for 3 months.

2. After 3 months, I go back to the Urząd Skarbowy and request a karta pobytu; which lasts for 5 years. At the same time that I request the karta pobytu, I also request a PESEL (National ID number which is mandatory for permanent residents & temporary residents living in Poland for more than 2 months).

3. The PESEL arrives a couple of weeks later and I take it back to the Urząd Skarbowy and they then stamp my karta pobytu to show that I now have a PESEL.

4. There is an alternative to the karta pobytu called the ZASWIADCZENIE O ZAREJESTROWANIU POBYTU OBYWATELA UNII EUROPEJSKIEJ which is a piece of paper confirming my rights to stay in Poland as a EU citizen!

HELP! Is this a better alternative to a karta pobytu? Which one should I ask for?

5. Once I have had my karta pobytu for 5 years, I can get permanent residency (karta stalego pobytu) but must have a full & checkable work history.

6. To get my karta pobytu, I will need to show:

a) that I have work and income
b) that I have an address here in Poland
c) that I have medical insurance of some kind

Is this correct? Is there anything else that I will need to show?

In relation to showing that I have work and income, will I have to set up the business here in Poland first e.g. I want to set up as a sole trader? or will they accept bank statements showing a regular income? Seriously, its like the chicken & egg scenario! What do I do first, become a resident or set up the business?

In relation to the address, can I use my GF's address? Do I need a letter from the GF or the landlord?

Setting up the Business:

It seems that my best option is to set up as a sole trader as this involves less documents, less hassle, less costs and this allows me to draw invoices here in Poland.

I understand that when I set up the business, I have to choose various codes that explain what my business is and that I should tick everything that I will do and might do as changing this later incurs further costs. What are those codes called?

To set up the business, I will need to go to the town council, tax office & statistic office?

I will also have to sort out ZUS which for the first 2 years is around 300 zloty per month and then it increases to 800? IS that right?

I can use my private address as my business address? Is that right?

Somewhere during this process, I will be provided with a NIP (tax ID number)?

I know there are a lot of questions here and any help that you guys can provide would be great.

Many thanks

David

warsawmoleThreads: 7 Posts: 51 Joined: May 26, 10 ♂	Oct 16, 10, 15:03 #2
Any help appreciated :)

pozaluistaThreads: - Posts: 12 Joined: Oct 21, 10 ♂	Jul 6, 11, 07:19 #3
Can some body guide me for setting up a small sole trader business in poland? I am from Asian. Youcan write me at: apnaquestion@gawab.com Tks Ahmed

EdWilczynskiThreads: 3 Posts: 163 Joined: Jun 6, 11 ♂	Jul 6, 11, 09:07 #4
warsawmole: Any help appreciated :) Don't want to be be rude mate, but you have Javascript errors, CSS errors and HTML errors. One thing I do know is that the standard of developer tends to be very good in Poland and you will struggle to compete if you can't get the basics right.

alexw68

Jul 6, 11, 09:22 #5

EdWilczynski:

One thing I do know is that the standard of developer tends to be very good in Poland and you will struggle to compete if you can't get the basics right.

For professional-standard projects, you're unquestionably right. @warsawmole, don't put anything out without running it past the W3C HTML/CSS validators first. These should be part of your standard toolkit.

However, there is still a market for less-polished stuff, particularly for small businesses who frankly wouldn't know valid HTML if it bit them on the arse. You are limiting yourself to once-only buyers if you aim for this market though. Personally I wouldn't.

alexw68	Jul 6, 11, 09:37 #6
Addendum: just went to the site with my debuggers turned off - ie, like most people - and it does what it says on the tin. Nice one.

unique_username

Feb 15, 12, 19:46 #7

As a non-EU citizen who operated a business in Poland for 3 years and who got tired of all the bureaucracy, BS, scamming of suppliers and who closed it only to never return to Pl, I urge you to think hard about setting up shop and living in PL.

Dealing with the immigration office every year to complete my application for the KP, supplying them with all the documents just to be told to supply more and more each year was ridiculous. They seem to make it up as it goes along.

It was the hardest test of my life.

You couldn't pay me to go back there and do it all again.

♂ [Suspended]

Feb 15, 12, 19:51 #8

unique_username:

Dealing with the immigration office every year to complete my application for the KP, supplying them with all the documents just to be told to supply more and more each year was ridiculous. They seem to make it up as it goes along.

You should consider yourself lucky that you were even allowed to set up a business in the first place for obtaining a residence permit - many European countries don't allow it.

unique_username:

bureaucracy, BS, scamming of suppliers

Normal in every country. Try doing business in France and you'll soon learn what "bureaucracy" really means. Even EU citizens have a hell of a hard time there.

The real issue in Poland is the lack of sense of urgency.

unique_username

Feb 15, 12, 20:02 #9

delphiandomine:

You should consider yourself lucky that you were even allowed to set up a business in the first place for obtaining a residence permit - many European countries don't allow it.

why should I consider myself lucky? There is/was nothing on Polish Government websites saying that my country was not permitted to set up a business. SO how does that make me "lucky"?

I didn't care about other European countries at the time.

Please, tell me which European countries do NOT allow NON EU citizens to set up and run a business. I'd like to know.

♂ [Suspended]

Feb 15, 12, 20:07 #10

unique_username:

why should I consider myself lucky? There is/was nothing on Polish Government websites saying that my country was not permitted to set up a business. SO how does that make me "lucky"?

It makes you very lucky that they haven't fallen into line with other EU countries in this respect. The bizzare agreement that allows Americans to set up as self-employed here isn't common in the EU.

unique_username:

Please, tell me which European countries do NOT allow NON EU citizens to set up and run a business. I'd like to know.

Most EU countries do not allow self-employment by non-EU nationals, actually. Luxembourg for instance will not allow it unless they're happy with the person applying - which means in practice that anyone that isn't a professional or who isn't investing a serious amount of cash isn't welcome.

♂

Feb 15, 12, 20:17 #11

I have a business its located offshore in Delaware I don't work in Poland but live there only, i get all the residency stuff etc. It depends on where you want to trade in or out of the country?

However if setting up a company in Poland expect this to take around 6 weeks, to get everything like VAT and bank accounts sorted, my advice would be to seek the services of a good lawyer who will help you through the process, Just remember one thing though, DO NOT play with the Financial Government in Poland as they can take control of your business

♂ [Suspended]

Feb 15, 12, 20:18 #12

beliall:

my advice would be to seek the services of a good lawyer who will help you through the process

No need for a lawyer for routine self-employment.

beliall:

DO NOT play with the Financial Government in Poland as they can take control of your business

That's not generally how it works - rather they'll just deal with you through the legal system. There's no real system of bankruptcy in Poland, so they don't need to control you when they can merely take everything you have.

unique_username

Feb 15, 12, 21:54 #13

delphiandomine:

many European countries don't allow it.

1 country does not equate to "many".

Can you please supply me with documentation regarding Luxembourg's stance?

Please list off more. Also...I'm not American.

delphiandomine:

Most EU countries do not allow self-employment by non-EU nationals

Really? Please state them and supporting information.

Also, I as I asked before> please state which countries in Europe that do not allow non EU citizens to set up and run a business, whether it be a corporation or sole proprietor.

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Setting up a business and becoming a resident in Poland - Procedure?