Important addresses

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In an emergency, mobile phone users should call 112 for the police, fire brigade or ambulance.

Call from a landline or public telephone as follows:

  • Emergency: 999
  • Fire: 998
  • Police: 997

English, German and Russian speakers have separate telephone lines for foreigners in trouble: +48 608 599 999 (mobile) or +48 22 278 77 77 (landline).

Hospitals / Health centres:

The emergency clinic in Poland is called SOR and should only be visited if absolutely necessary.

For less urgent emergencies, we recommend visiting a private clinic, where you can get better service and avoid the notoriously long waiting lines in Polish hospitals.

For urgent medical emergencies, use the lists below:

Police:

The Regional Police Headquarters in Lodz (RPHQs in Lodz) is divided into 34 departments and teams subordinate to the Regional Police Commander. The RPHQs in Lodz includes 22 city and district Police headquarters to whom the Police stations and outposts are subjected.

Banking:

Do you want to open a new bank account in Poland?

If you’ve recently moved, you may be looking for the best way to manage your money. Finding a bank account in Poland is likely to be a priority upon arrival.

Which one do you choose and how do you open an account?

Because banks offer different options, it’s worth doing your research before you arrive. To make it easier, we have compiled a list of the best banks in Poland, the types of accounts they offer and useful information about how the Polish banking system works.

The Polish retail banking market is relatively small. However, compared to the monopolized system of the 1990s, it is much better and customers have many more options. Opening a Polish account is relatively easy. Although it varies from bank to bank, you generally need to provide the following documents:

  • Photo ID (eg passport)
  • Residence permit (Karta Pobytu)
  • or signed residence permit

Polish banks, like others, often charge monthly maintenance for current accounts. However, some banks offer low-cost or free accounts, so it’s worth looking around.

There are many ATMs available in Polish cities, although they are hard to find in rural areas. If you have a Polish bank account, ATMs are often free. However, please note that foreign card withdrawals may incur transaction and currency exchange fees. If you need to transfer money abroad, international transfers can involve high fees.

The 3 best banks in Poland:

Now let’s look at some of your options when choosing a bank in Poland. Big banks are usually better for international clients because you can manage your finances in multiple languages. Here are some of the biggest and most popular banks in Poland:

PKO BankWarsaw
Bank HandlowyWarsaw
Bank PekaoWarsaw

The most popular online bank accounts in Poland:

In addition to traditional banks, you can also choose an online bank in Poland. If you don’t want or need access to physical offices, this can be the easiest, most transparent and most convenient way to manage your finances.

Online-only options in Poland include:

  • mBank – Poland’s first online bank known for its innovative digital products. With the MBank mobile application, you can create an e-account in a few minutes and manage your money. https://www.mbank.pl/indywidualny/
  • Revolut – an app-based digital bank that offers various monthly packages starting with the free Standard package. All include a debit card so you can spend and help budget. More features are added the more you pay for a monthly subscription. https://www.revolut.com/
  • N26 – A fully digital bank offering customers a regular free app-based bank account. Option to upgrade to a Smart, or Metal account for additional benefits. You can open an N26 account from your phone without any papers. https://n26.com/en-eu/

Registration of temporary residence by Foreigners

Description the procedure

How to handle the issue:

  1. A foreigner who is a national of an EU Member State, a national of a Member State of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) – a party to the agreement on the European Economic Area or a national of the Swiss Confederation, staying on the territory of the Republic of Poland, is obliged to register in the place of temporary stay on the 30th day from the arrival in the place at the latest.
  2. A family member of a foreigner who is not a national of an EU Member State, a national of a Member State of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) – a party to the agreement on the European Economic Area or a national of the Swiss Confederation, is obliged to register in the place of temporary stay on the 30th day from the arrival in the place at the latest.
  3. A foreigner not mentioned above, staying on the territory of the Republic of Poland, is obliged to register in the place of temporary stay on the 4th day from the arrival in the place at the latest. The period of the temporary residence at a specified address declared by the foreigner may not exceed the period during which the foreigner may legally stay on the territory of the Republic of Poland, in accordance with a document confirming his/her right of residence.
    In connection with the obligation to present the original document confirming the right of residence of the persons and their family members, the possibility to register the residence electronically is excluded.
  4. A person registering his/her temporary residence presents a confirmation of his/her stay in premises made on a temporary registration form by the owner or any other entity holding a legal right to the premises and, for reference, a document confirming a legal right of the owner or entity to the premises. A document confirming a legal right to the premises may be in particular a civil-law agreement, an extract from Land and Mortgage Register, an administrative decision or a court decision.
  5. The registration of a temporary residence may be made:
    • in writing, in a form submitted to municipal authorities competent as to the location of the property in which the person lives,
    • in the form of an electronic document, using the form enabling entering data to the PESEL (Personal Identification Number) register by municipal authorities competent as to the place of residence, provided that one receives an Official Acknowledgement of Receipt.
    • The form should be certified by the applicant with a qualified electronic signature or an ePUAP trusted profile.
    • The electronic form must be accompanied by an electronic document confirming the person’s legal title to the property, and in the case it is not possible to obtain – a digital image of the document. In the case of a person who does not have a legal title to the property, the form must be accompanied by an electronic document containing a statement of the owner or any other entity with a legal title to the property confirming the person’s stay in the property together with a document confirming a legal title of the owner to the property or entity, and in the case they are impossible to obtain – a digital image of the documents.
    • by an attorney-in-fact, holding a power of attorney granted in the form referred to in Article 33 § 2 of the Act of 14 June 1960 – Code of Administrative Procedure, after proving his/her identity by a power of attorney with his/her ID or after verification of the identity of the attorney-in-fact under principles specified in the act of 17 February 2005 on computerisation of the activity of entities performing public tasks.
  6. A person who makes the registration, receives a certificate of permanent residence which is not subject to a stamp duty and is valid up to the moment of change of place of residence.

Supplementary information

  • The temporary residence registration form must be filled in electronically or in one’s own handwriting, with a blue or black colour, in capital letters.
  • The form may be filled in by an employee of municipal authorities in the form of a printout from the IT system, in the presence of the person registering, based on data included in the PESEL (Personal Identification Number) register and the data provided by the person. A registering person confirms the reliability of data included in the printed form with his/her signature, and the entity holding a legal right to the property – confirms the fact of this person’s stay in the property.
  • In the case when the registration application is made through an attorney-in-fact, the attorney-in-fact must show a power of attorney and an ID or a passport.
  • The registration obligation of a person not having full legal capacity or having a limited legal capacity is fulfilled by a legal representative, a legal guardian or any other person having actual custody of the person in the place of their shared residence.
  • A person may have only one place of temporary residence at a time.

Completion date

Immediately, upon accepting the application.

Place of handling the issue

Citizen Affairs Division in the Department of Service and Administration, Population Registration Department
e-mail: ewidencja@uml.lodz.pl

  • ul. Zachodnia 47, 2nd floor, room 220, window 1, 2
  • al. Politechniki 32, 1st floor, room 102
  • ul. Krzemieniecka 2b, ground floor, counter 1–4
  • ul. Piotrkowska 153, ground floor, room 005
  • al. Piłsudskiego 100, ground floor, counters 8-10
  • ul. Piotrkowska 110, ground floor, counter no. 1 and 2

Fees

Stamp duty for a power of attorney                             PLN 17
Stamp duty for issuing a certificate                             PLN 17

The fee is paid by an attorney-in-fact acting on behalf of the applicant for a filed document confirming granting the power of attorney or a proxy or its extract or a copy. A power of attorney certified by a notary public or granted to a spouse, a descendant, ascendant, or siblings is not subject to a stamp duty. 

A stamp duty for issuing a certificate of temporary residence is PLN 17. 

Stamp duties must be paid at cash desk in the office or as a non-cash payment to the bank account of the authorities. The bank account number for stamp duty payments: GETIN NOBLE Bank S.A. 08 1560 0013 2025 0305 5133 0016

Payments may be made by transfer (online, as well), in person, in any Post Office, in any bank and without administration fees in all bank branches of the Getin Noble Bank S.A. as well as in all cash deposit machines of Getin Noble Bank S.A. located in the buildings of the City of Lodz Office at ul. Zachodnia 47, al. Politechniki 32, ul. Krzemieniecka 2B, ul. Piotrkowska110, al. Piłsudskiego 100, Sienkiewicza 5.

Required documents

A filled in temporary residence registration form „zgłoszenie pobytu czasowego” or a form filled in by an employee of municipal authorities in the form or a printout from the IT system.

Original legal right to the premises at which one’s residence is to be registered.

Identity document for reference:a) A national of an EU Member State, a national of a Member State of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) – a party to the agreement on the European Economic Area or a national of the Swiss Confederation, presents:a valid travel documentor any other document confirming his/her identity and citizenshipb) A family member of the foreigner mentioned above who is not a national of an EU Member State, a national of a Member State of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) – a party to the agreement on the European Economic Area or a national of the Swiss Confederation, presents:a valid travel documentand a valid permanent residence card of the family member of the EU citizenor a valid residence card of a family member of the EU citizen, and if it is not possible, he/or she presents another document confirming that he/she is a family member of the EU citizen,c) A foreigner not mentioned in item a) and b) registering his/her temporary residence presents:a visaand in the case when a foreigner crosses the border in accordance with an agreement abolishing or limiting the requirement for a visa or a foreigner stays on the territory of the Republic of Poland based on Article 108.1 (2) or Article 206.1 (2) of the Act of 12 December 2013 on foreigners (a foreigner’s temporary residence on the territory of the Republic of Poland is deemed lawful from the day of filing an application up to the date in which the decision on granting a temporary residence permit is final) or based on a stamp fixed in his/her travel document which confirms filing an application for granting a long-term EU resident permita travel document, a temporary certificate of identity of a foreignera residence carda document “tolerated residence permit”or a temporary residence permitpermanent residence permita long-term EU resident permitor a decision on granting a refugee status in the Republic of Poland, on granting subsidiary protection in the Republic of Poland, a residence permit for humanitarian reasons or tolerated residence permit.

A power of attorney in the case of handling the case through an attorney-in-fact.

An ID or passport of an attorney-in-fact, if a person obliged to register his/her residence authorised other person to perform this activity.

Proof of payment of a stamp duty for the power of attorney, if he/she is not subject to exemption from the payment.

A proof of payment of a stamp duty for issuing a certificate of temporary residence.

Legal basics

  • Act of 24 September 2010 on the population register (Dz. U. [Journal of Laws] 2017, item 657, as amended),
  • Act of 14 June 1960 Code of Administrative Procedure (Dz. U. [Journal of Laws] 2017, item 1257),
  • Act of 14 July 2006 on the entry into, residence in and exit from the Republic of Poland of nationals of the European Union Member States and their family members (Dz. U. [Journal of Laws] 2017, item 900),
  • Regulation of the Minister of Internal and Administration of December of 13 December 2017 concerning the establishment of templates and methods for completing forms used while fulfilling the residence registration obligation (Dz. U. [Journal of Laws] 2017, item 2411),
  • Act of 5 November 2006 on stamp duty (Dz. U. [Journal of Laws] 2016, item 1827, as amended)

Appeal procedure

Not applicable

Executing authority

  • Entity: The City of Lodz Office
  • Unit: Citizen Affairs Division in the Department of Service and Administration

Useful link: Registration of temporary residence by foreigners: Urząd Miasta Łodzi (lodz.pl)