Travel to Poland

by microedu · Published October 12, 2021 · Updated October 5, 2021

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Area: 312,679 km²
Residents: 38,427,000 (2016)
Population density: 123 E / km²
Form of Government: parliamentary republic
System of Government: parliamentary democracy
Neighboring countries: Germany, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Ukraine, Belarus, Lithuania, Russia (exclave Kaliningrad)
Capital: Warsaw (Warszawa) National
language: Polish
Religions:
90% Roman Catholic,
1.3% Polish Orthodox,
0.3% Jehovah’s Witnesses,
0.2% Greek Catholic,
0.2% Evangelical Lutheran
Currency: Zloty (PLN)
1 Zloty = 100 Groszy
Exchange rates:
1 EUR = 4.55 PLN
1 PLN = 0.22 EUR
1 CHF = 4.19 PLN
1 PLN = 0.24 CHF
(rate from 13.07.2021)
Telephone area code: +48
Time zone: UTC + 1

An average of around 8,000 Germans have emigrated from Germany to Poland every year in the last few years. However, the numbers are falling. In 2020, 3,934 Germans officially emigrated to Poland and 2,276 came back to their homeland. Within the 10 years from 2010 to 2019, 62,423 Germans officially emigrated to Poland and 63,754 moved back to Germany. In 2020 there were officially 7,437 Germans living in Poland. In addition, around 150,000 people of German origin are said to live here, some of whom no longer speak German.

According to allcitycodes, the proportion of foreigners is very low. In recent years immigrants have come from Ukraine and Belarus as well as from other EU member states, especially from Germany, Italy, France and Bulgaria. Other numerically relevant migration groups come from Russia, Vietnam, China, Turkey, Kazakhstan and Nigeria.

Besides Polish, the only recognized regional language is Kashubian. In areas with a German minority, signs and place-name signs are bilingual. German is one of 15 officially recognized minority languages.

The economy is growing well. This far exceeds that of the eastern European neighbors. However, Poland has comparatively high energy and living costs.

The Polish Baltic coast from the Pomeranian Bay to the Gdańsk Bay is an attractive destination for holidaymakers. The landscape of the Masuria and the Pomeranian Lake District as well as the High Tatras and the Carpathians are attractive and popular destinations for tourists.

General provisions for travel and residence (until the corona pandemic)

Stay up to 3 months

EU citizens and citizens from Switzerland can stay in Poland for 3 months without a visa. During this time it is also not necessary to register your stay. Entry is possible with both a passport and an identity card. Every child needs its own identity document.

Anyone who enters the country with the intention of looking for a job is not obliged to apply for a work visa for the period of the search or to take any other official steps. Always carry a valid identification document with you.

Stays over 3 months

For stays of more than 3 months, EU citizens are obliged to have them registered with the local registration office (voivodship office). An EU citizen or Swiss citizen can then stay in Poland for more than 3 months and have their place of residence registered if they meet one of the following conditions:

Carrying out an employment (employee, self-employment)
Have sufficient financial resources and health insurance coverage
Completion of a degree or apprenticeship while being able to prove that you have health insurance cover and sufficient financial resources
Be the spouse of a Polish citizen

If a family member is not an EU citizen or Swiss citizen, he or she must receive a residence card for a family member (EU citizen) in addition to registration.

Right of permanent residence

After the expiration of five years of continuous residence in Poland can be a right of permanent residence received. Your stay is considered to be uninterrupted if you have been out of the country for a maximum of 6 months per year (exceptions are an important personal situation, illness, etc.). An EU citizen who wishes to make use of the right of permanent residence must personally obtain a document from the responsible voivode that the right of permanent residence has been granted.

The application for the exhibition must be accompanied by 5 current photographs and a valid travel document (or other document proving identity and citizenship) must be presented.

EU citizens can carry out all financial transactions in Poland, including opening bank accounts, taking out loans or borrowing from financial institutions based in Poland. Everything you need to read and the necessary forms can be found in English or Polish on the homepage of the Immigration Office Poland at https://udsc.gov.pl.