How easy is it to open a Polish Bank Account by a foreigner in Poland?

gdj67

Oct 30, 07, 12:07 #1

Greeting,
I travel to Warsaw every couple of months on business and was wondering how easy it is for a foreign national (I'm British) to open a Polish Bank account. Do I need to have an address or work in the country?

The Zloty keeps increasing in strength against the pound (down from 5.5 to 4.8 in the past year), so it would make sense to have funds over there for my trips.

Has anyone been in a similar situation.

Thanks,
G

nauczyciel	Oct 30, 07, 16:04 #2
i'm from Canada, living in PL and have a bank acct. no problem. they don't know who/don't care my employer is. I could have made up any address. they did take my passport info.

♂

Oct 30, 07, 16:11 #3

Quoting: nauczyciel

i'm from Canada, living in PL and have a bank acct. no problem. they don't know who/don't care my employer is. I could have made up any address. they did take my passport info.

Yes but if you make up an address then you wont know where your statements, bank account details etc are going, could be str8 into the wrong hands...
And also how do they send out your bank card etc with a made up address ?

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Oct 30, 07, 17:39 #4

^ Yes. Bank would mail you your set of passwords first. Then plastic card and token for internet use. Then you'd need to call bank and "activate" bank card and internet token. You may sign all papers at home as bank will deliver all paperwork to you. You send xerox copy of your passport back in enclosed envelope - and you're set. ... So you'd need address to pick up your mail. As for statements bank would offer you internet or sms statements instead of paper ones.

gdj67	Oct 31, 07, 04:07 #5
Thanks for the replies. I'll give it a try and let you know how I get on.

db1874Threads: 10 Posts: 252 Joined: Jun 28, 07 ♂	Edited by: db1874 Oct 31, 07, 04:21 #6
You could try Citibank, their website is all in English, call centre speaks English and they send e-statements. There is a branch on the corner of Toworowa and Aleja Solidarnosci (ul. Ogrodowa 58 ) that I find particularly useful as the staff are pleasant and it's open until 7pm. They can also accept foreign currency at this branch.

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Oct 31, 07, 05:38 #7

Quoting: gdj67

Greeting,
I travel to Warsaw every couple of months on business and was wondering how easy it is for a foregin national (I'm British) to open a Polish Bank account. Do I need to have an addresss or work in the country?

The Zloty keeps increasing in strength against the pound (down from 5.5 to 4.8 in the past year), so it would make sence to have funds over there for my trips.

Has anyone been in a similar situation.

Thanks,
G

Hey...i am british i live in Warsaw...i opened an Account with Millennium Bank....you need your passport and preferably an address in Poland....a PO Box is ok as well.....my statements are electronic so i recieve nothing from the bank....But i do have addresses in Warsaw...try to find someone who speaks english thats the hardest part

cygThreads: 8 Posts: 153 Joined: Oct 31, 07 ♂	Oct 31, 07, 05:53 #8
I can recommend Millennium Bank - very few formalities, and you can open an Internet-accessible account with just a passport. AFAIK mbank.pl is also pretty friendly in that sense.

gdj67	Nov 1, 07, 03:36 #9
Thanks. For ome reason my Polish friends have warnedme against citi bank - they say they don't get a good service. I am contacting Multibank today. All they need me to do is give a Polish address (no proof required from what I've been told) and their form even has a place for a foriegn contact address - so even better. I'll let you know how I get on.

cygThreads: 8 Posts: 153 Joined: Oct 31, 07 ♂	Nov 1, 07, 04:14 #10
I tried Citi a couple of years ago, but have since closed my account - I tried to cash an American check once, and it cost me about 20 percent of its face value to do that, and even so it took about a month. For regular Polish banking they should be OK, though I always felt I was getting better service at Millennium.

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Feb 20, 08, 15:37 #11

Thread attached on merging:
Opening a Bank Account

Hi Everybody.
Some advice please.
I am looking to buy a property in Poland. It would be a great help if before I do this I could open a Bank Account to use on my visits to Poland and to transfer money to for the purchase and costs.
Does anyone know the rules and how I can open an account before I have an address in Poland?
I am an EU passport holder from the UK.
Many thanks, John.

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Feb 20, 08, 15:45 #12

bickerstonehall wrote:

I am looking to buy a property in Poland.

you're very brave...

Flat prices

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Edited by: GoDfaTheR420 Feb 16, 09, 15:36 #13

Thread attached on merging:
The Best Bank for Ex-Pats

Hi Guys...

Ok I have been with Bank Pekao SA for the last 5 months......and I've had enough...way too many problems to list here...but for example

Crap customer service...
Terrible internet service
6zl charge for taking money out of other cash machines..
No Call backs
7 days to recieve money from my English bank account
A crappy ''meastro'' debit card which is hardly accepted on line

I make pretty good money...better than I did in England...I brought a bit of my savings over due to the weak Zloty (Advice from an English accountant)...yet they bank don't seem to give a shit...£40,000!!! ......if as expected the Zloty goes back up I should make enough for a new car!

So..I'm changing.....I will choose the bank recommended most on here...If I can't trust you guys who can I trust!

Cheers

I meant to post this in the Life in Poland section!!...damn...I'm sure a kind mod will move it for me!...cheers

db1874Threads: 10 Posts: 252 Joined: Jun 28, 07 ♂	Feb 16, 09, 17:23 #14
From what I hear mBank is the best account, low charges, easy to open an account and it's in English. I've had accounts with BPH & Citibank and I'd recommend neither of them anymore.

delphiandomineThreads: 39 Posts: 9,571 Joined: Nov 25, 08 ♂	Mar 5, 09, 18:28 #15
mBank is sort of in English - the online banking isn't in English, although the website is. They do have English speakers in their call centre, and they do exactly as they say, although it takes a while to set everything up. But they are good, if you don't need face to face services. ING seem to be well recommended by people.

PaulBThreads: - Posts: 1 Joined: Mar 1, 10 ♂	Mar 1, 10, 17:54 #16
Mar 1, 10, 19:03 - Thread attached on merging: Polish Bank Account? Hi Everybody, I am planning to spend a considerable time in Poland (Kornik) in a few months with my work. I need to open a local bank account? Any suggestions as to what bank is better, and can I open the account from the UK...any ideas??? Help much appreciated

tonywobThreads: 7 Posts: 51 Joined: Jun 14, 09 ♂	Mar 1, 10, 18:10 #17
Try mBank.pl. They let you open a bank account using your passport and they speak English. Although you will need to be present in Poland at the time as they will send a courier to your home to sign some documents.

convexThreads: 47 Posts: 7,189 Joined: Nov 25, 09 ♂	Mar 1, 10, 18:13 #18
Millennium has been kind to me.

TITThreads: 9 Posts: 353 Joined: Jan 7, 10 ♂	Edited by: TIT Mar 1, 10, 18:18 #19
about Mbank you can actually sign all your papers in one of their branches across Poland ( mBank kiosks - mainly in big shopping centres ) but better call them first on 0801 300 800 ask you want to talk in English and ask about the closest branch where you intend to live. Bring with you passport, sign your papers and wait 2 weeks to get your debit card on your Polish address.

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Mar 1, 10, 18:26 #20

I opened 2 accounts with Bank Zachodni WBK, one a £ sterling account the other a PLN account. It was very simple to do at the branch with a passport.

The idea of the 2 is that i can transfer easily from my UK account to the £ account for free whenever I want, then I can transfer to my PLN account whenever the exchange rate suits me (again for free).

The account has a Visa debit card and has been ideal for all my needs so far.

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Mar 7, 10, 16:28 #21

hi,im from uk and i opened an account with wbk last year as i travel alot to krakow, you do need a address in poland for them to send statements and anything to do with your account. they do need your passport details aswell and they also charge monthly for your account its not much though. you can arrange to pick up your bank card from the bank itself i did no problems.i have a online account with wbk and its in english which helps.... good luck

erininwarsawThreads: 5 Posts: 3 Joined: Dec 21, 09 ♂	Aug 17, 10, 16:27 #22
Thread attached on merging: mBank... Is there a good bank for expats? Why does mBank have this fabulous website in English and yet they have no one who speaks English at the phone number they say to call. I've been hung up on twice now trying to get someone and I don't understand. I thought they would be the right bank for us (as expats) and now I'm rethinking whether I should even bother.

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Aug 17, 10, 16:39 #23

erininwarsaw:

Why does mBank have this fabulous website in English and yet they have no one who speaks English at the phone number they say to call. I've been hung up on twice now trying to get someone and I don't understand. I thought they would be the right bank for us (as expats) and now I'm rethinking whether I should even bother.

Citibank always have English speakers available (and the automatic telephone banking can also be in English). Unfortunately the customer service sucks, but that is the same in all banks in Poland.

mephiasThreads: 15 Posts: 811 Joined: Nov 14, 08 MEMBER ♂	Edited by: mephias Aug 17, 10, 16:42 #24
erininwarsaw: erininwarsaw I am very happy with citibank. There is at least one english speaker in every branch. Also I never had any problem with online and phone banking services so I agree with Harry.

dtaylor5632Threads: 48 Posts: 4,344 Joined: May 2, 09 ♂	Aug 17, 10, 16:42 #25
Harry: Unfortunately the customer service sucks, but that is the same in all banks in Poland. You mean on a par with the rest of Polish customer services ;) Deustche bank is the bank I'm using. I found them really helpful.

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Aug 18, 10, 00:29 #26

erininwarsaw:

Why does mBank have this fabulous website in English and yet they have no one who speaks English at the phone number they say to call. I've been hung up on twice now trying to get someone and I don't understand. I thought they would be the right bank for us (as expats) and now I'm rethinking whether I should even bother.

Weird, I've never had a problem getting an English speaker. Could it be because you're trying to open an account through the phone and they don't have any English speakers in that particular department? I will say - mbank does suck if you want anything beyond a basic banking service with them in English.

To be honest, mbank is not the best bank if you need English service - I don't, so it's an irrelevance. For English, citibank or Nordea would be my recommendation - they're about the only two banks that can be consistently relied on to have English speaking staff available.

WroclawThreads: 74 Posts: 7,270 Joined: Apr 1, 06 ♂ [Moderator]	Aug 18, 10, 16:47 #27
i would argue that most larger bank branches have a member of staff who speaks english. it's just a matter of if they are available or not.

OlafThreads: 8 Posts: 1,348 Joined: Oct 29, 09 ♂	Aug 26, 10, 14:04 #28
For an expat you say? - HSBC does the best expat-connected services. Also I can recommend BZ WBK, which for me has the best and flexible attitude.

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Aug 26, 10, 14:37 #29

Olaf:

recommend BZ WBK

Currently the best performing bank in Poland, and PKO BP (the last state-owned bank, and worst in terms of customer service) were looking at taking it over before the Government themselves announced they might be selling their stake in PKO, which has put the whole aquisition into doubt.

Still, aside from PKO BP every bank in Poland is foreign-owned, so the staff have to have a modicum of English to get things done internally.

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Aug 26, 10, 14:49 #30

What about Alior Bank? It has some financial connections from Poland, but I guess it's located in Italy (or the majority of shares held by an Italian-Pole or something).
I definitely will not recommend Deutsche Bank and Raiffeisen - the latter had good service till the point where they screwed me big time when I was leasing a new car. Because of lack of professionalism and tremendous stupidity I lost money, so I say no to those two.

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