Law / Residence card-Karta pobytu issuance [5]


This is not entirely true for citizens that need a visa to enter Schengen - not all of the Schengen countries apply the rules equally, and some countries will demand a visa from someone that already has permission to stay in another Schengen country, contrary to EU law.

UK, Ireland / ABERDEEN MEN ADMIT ATTEMPTED MURDER OF POLE... [15]


Byron and Logie shops, a real breeding ground for the scum of the earth ;)

True story : I once stuck an ice-cream cone in the face of some little idiot who was mouthing off outside McDonalds on Union Street...never seen anyone so humiliated :D

Work / Job Opportunity for Non Polish speakers in Warsaw [27]


Actually - that link has nothing to do with employing Polish workers. It's to do with applying for a work permit for non-EU workers, the laws of which are harmonised across Europe.

So - try again, can you quote the law which states that a UK job must be advertised in the UK?

(Ah, BNP supporters, the type which tend to be on benefits while ranting about 'bloody immigrants taking all the jobs' - forgetting that they were on benefits well before 2004)

Work / Job Opportunity for Non Polish speakers in Warsaw [27]


Because he's clearly another Brit that BLAMES THE EVIL POLISH FOR TAKING HIS JOB when...well...he wouldn't take the job anyway.

Real Estate / 15 reasons why the Polish real estate market will crash soon [258]


So why are you posting so much about it Mark, using ten thousand usernames? Can someone not afford to buy in Krakow and is trying desperately to scare the market?

Real Estate / Prices of apartments in Krakow are collapsing further down in 2010-2011 [150]


Really?

UK government figures show that quite a lot went back to Poland recently.

Law / Starting a distribution business in Poland [11]


Compare that to the cost of starting a one person company - which is zero, zilch, nada, with just the 340PLN payment each month to ZUS (for the first two years) to deal with.

There are many decent mid-sized businesses in Poland that aren't incorporated - including many multi-million zloty turnover businesses.

Real Estate / 15 reasons why the Polish real estate market will crash soon [258]


Another username, Mark?

-30 is not commonplace at all - in fact, seeing -10 is quite rare. Summer tempatures stay above 20c for several months.

Law / Starting a distribution business in Poland [11]

Thank you Jonni, it's really appreciated :)

Yes, It's me and my website, I'm based in Poznan.

If he doesn't need the protection of limited liability, then a one person company is the way forward for sure. As an EU citizen, it's absolutely painless to set up - there's certainly no need to engage the services of a lawyer to do so. The real problem is in dealing with ZUS as an employer - but a good accountant can handle this for you.

As for warehouse facilities - at the minute, Poznan has way, way too much oversupply of them - you see constant advertising for units to rent, so it shouldn't be a problem finding a suitably cheap warehouse facility.


Not difficult - Poznan has a decent workforce and low unemployment, so you will have to pay quite a bit to attract good workers. But then again, people are perceiving a crisis here and that may play into your hands in terms of salary.


Given the traffic situation in Poznan is getting rapidly worse, I'd recommend something near public transport. Howeve, most warehouses tend to be located near public transport anyway - so I wouldn't worry in this respect.


You can do everything here :)

However - beware. Poland might not be better for you. We're happy to consult with you on this sort of thing - it does depend on your circumstances.

UK, Ireland / Applying for Polish citizenship; problem with old style UK birth certificates [7]


I don't think it's limited to Poland - they seem to be a disgrace worldwide!

Fair enough, the British Council does/did deal with some of the functions that might be dealt with by an Embassy - but given that they seem hell bent on cutting the British Council down to nothing in favour of grand (pork) projects, that isn't too good.

I'd personally like to know just how it costs over 600zl to stick a notice on a noticeboard for 3 weeks.

UK, Ireland / Applying for Polish citizenship; problem with old style UK birth certificates [7]

Thank you very much for the post, it's appreciated.

In this case, I'd be checking the relevant Polish laws to find out what exactly is required - if she was making up a requirement for the surname to be present, then I'd let her have it. I wouldn't be surprised if she was just being awkward for the sake of awkward - or even more specifically, she'd never seen it before.

Incidentally, your report about the British embassy is not alone - I've heard some horror stories about the Embassy in Kyiv, and the general feeling is that the embassies are now nothing but cash cows for the FCO. It's sad - I think most people feel that embassies are a focal point of a country's presence in another country, but it doesn't seem to be that way anymore.

Travel / New Year in Poznan [12]


It's about 5 minutes walk from Rondo Srodka, on the banks of Lake Malta.


Hmm...I don't think so, but I could be wrong.

Travel / Do you need passport to travel to Poland or is id ok? [11]


No. You need a national ID card or passport to cross an EU border - while you might not be asked for it, it's a Schengen requirement to actually carry such a document when crossing an internal border.

Of course, you could drive from Sweden to Poland with a low risk of being stopped. As Jonni says however, the carriers might not be too happy to accept a 15 year old. It does depend though - it is possible to do the journey without an ID card or passport, but if you're stopped, you'll find yourself in trouble.


Not just Schengen, but in the whole EU (plus some others), the national identity card is enough in lieu of a passport.

Travel / Crossing Poland - Green Card Car Insurance for Kaliningrad, Russia [8]


With the Ukranian and Russian borders, there'll be queues regardless of when you travel. The best bet with those borders is to allow 6 hours wait with a car, which is ridiculous, but sadly true at times.

Life / 3 Things I LOVED about Poland [58]

Three things I love?

1) The fact that you can get a straight answer from someone in an office instead of having to call 0870 555 3242 (calls cost 10 pence a minute, you are held in a queue and will be answered shortly) for a piece of information. Sure, they might interpret things differently in different offices where the same law is concerned, but on the whole, Poland's bureaucracy is remarkably accessible compared to the British.

The Urzad Skarbowy scores especially high with me in this respect - just compare and contrast getting a National Insurance number with getting a NIP!

2) The ease and availability of raw ingredients for food - wow. Eating seasonally is a big deal in the UK, but here, it's normal. And this is good!

3) Public transport is on the whole efficient and reliable.

Travel / Wroclaw to Lubin - the best way to get there? [14]


Yep. Fares are usually distance-based as opposed to being randomly set like in the UK.

As for trains - they're just stories. Use common sense and you won't run into problems - in fact, I'd be willing to say that you're more likely to encounter problems on UK trains than on Polish trains!

Life / 3 Things I LOVED about Poland [58]


Are you sure you earn anything?

I find it hard to believe that someone earning above the national average wage can't afford to eat in restaurants. An example - the Sheraton in Poznan does a Sunday Brunch for 120PLN per person which is all you can eat (and drink). If you can't afford that - you can't be earning "much more than the national average".

If you can't afford this, and this is pricey for Polish standards, then you definitely aren't earning that much!

Of course, you might have a CHF mortgage round your neck and that's why you can't afford to eat anywhere, and also explains the vast amount of bitterness you have towards Poland.

(must be dreadful being unemployed and unemployable in Poland...!)

Law / How to Create Computerized Invoices in Poland? [5]

I just use Excel, though I don't write the words myself (I have a slave to do that).

To be honest, I'd be inclined just to ask someone at the school to do it for you - or even ask your accountant to do it for you. You could even make it a quick exercise in class - translate from "two thousand, seven hundred and sixty one" to Polish ;)

Life / ANYONE KNOW THE COST OF A MEDICAL OPERATION IN POLSKA..? [28]


GP's don't unregister people very quickly - in fact, I went over 4 years without seeing a GP and was still registered on their books. In fact, they didn't even ask about me in that time - and they were still perfectly happy to give me an appointment when I needed one.

As I said - you can not pay NI or be registered with a GP and still be perfectly happily living in the UK. There is no effective way to prove whether or not a British citizen is entitled to use the NHS. It's not like Poland.


Yes, I think they don't know. For a start, there's quite a large unguarded border with the Republic of Ireland in which no controls whatever are used. The Irish authorities certainly don't share information with the British!

As for the comments about ID cards - not withstanding the fact that there are huge civil liberty issues, the Scottish Government has already categorically said that they will NOT be using them for anything government-related - which includes public health care, among lots of others. There's next to no chance of Labour winning a majority in the next election - and the Tories and Lib Dems are against ID cards. The system is very, very likely to be scrapped, not least because the next government is going to have to cut back public services dramatically.

The NHS ultimately works on an honesty system - and if someone has paid a significant amount in the UK system and had little in return, what motivation is there for honesty?

Lir - the UK has no concept of permanent residence of a person, except for tax purposes - which is incredibly complex and subject to so many rules that it's impossible to give blanket advice. Yes, in theory, people are no longer entitled - but there is no way of checking eligibility conclusively.

What do you honestly think the NHS would do with someone who turned up at a doctor, who said that they had been homeless for a while and who was clearly a Brit? They'd treat him, of course. He might be asked to declare that he was in the UK - but this is entirely up to his/her own honesty and nothing else.

I think the vast majority of British citizens aren't too bothered if their fellow citizens use the NHS anyway, even if they're not entitled to in theory.

Life / ANYONE KNOW THE COST OF A MEDICAL OPERATION IN POLSKA..? [28]


But we all have these numbers from pretty much day 1, don't we? They're certainly no proof of residency.


But who in their right mind would declare themselves non-resident to a GP, especially given the "computer says no" reputation of GP receptionists? It's far less painless just to give them an address in the UK.

As I said - there exists no record of 'registration' in the UK and it's perfectly possible to go completely off-grid to the point where even the government don't know where you are. How can the NHS differentiate between someone who has gone 'underground' and someone who moved abroad, particularly as there's no systematic record kept of entries and exits from the UK? The point is that they can't.

National Insurance contributions certainly mean nothing - because you're still entitled to NHS care as they aren't 'health insurance'.


Hang on a second. If that website is right, then there's a very good possibility that the NHS has been charging people wrongly.

Life / ANYONE KNOW THE COST OF A MEDICAL OPERATION IN POLSKA..? [28]


Yes. And? Someone who wants treatment is hardly going to tell the truth, are they?


And you think that the vast majority of expats, many of whom paid a considerable amount into the UK system - are really going to tell the truth? The vast majority simply won't do it - whether it's right or ethical is neither here nor there, the point is that there are no checks conducted.


What does an NI number tell you, bearing in mind that there's no concept of 'health insurance' and someone can quite easily be resident in the UK and yet be totally off-radar and still entitled to NHS care?

Life / ANYONE KNOW THE COST OF A MEDICAL OPERATION IN POLSKA..? [28]


What on earth were they doing? They have started to enforce the law that EU citizens must present the EHIC card in obtain to obtain treatment on the same basis as a UK national, but given that there's no national database of entitlement of British citizens, GP surgeries aren't even asking for proof - because - really - how can someone prove their residence in the UK when there's no 'zameldowanie' or equal?

Of course, if they gave their address as somewhere abroad, of course they're going to be asked to pay. But that would be stupid, wouldn't it?


The problem is that the UK has no way of checking the actual residence of people. How would they 'find out' if no-one is actually checking payslips and so on, unless someone is daft enough to declare that they aren't resident in the UK any more?

Anyone can declare "oh yes, I'm living in the UK again" - remeber, there's no concept of 'health insurance' in the UK unlike in most EU countries, so they can either accept your word or not treat you. The outrage from the Daily Mail among others about not treating British citizens would soon ensure that people would be treated by virtue of being British.

Life / ANYONE KNOW THE COST OF A MEDICAL OPERATION IN POLSKA..? [28]

Lir - they haven't bothered to enforce it. I'm sure the expat issue is actually the reason why - there would be massive protests from the blue rinse brigade in Spain if they actually did try to enforce it, and the Daily Mail vote is absolutely crucial to both parties right now.

Wildrover - give me a week or so, I might be able to sort you out with ZUS coverage if all else fails.. :)

Travel / Polish consulate returned my official letter, what do I do next? [4]

Ouch. The invitation letter is a dreadful relic from communism, and it isn't made clear at all online that you actually need such a thing.

All I can suggest is getting the relative to go to the Voivode office and explain what the problem is - you never know, it might get processed on the spot or very quickly. But will you get an updated appointment at the Consulate so quickly?

Life / Any tips for a first-time Expat? [13]

My God, the life of an unemployed expat must be unbearable...

Real Estate / 15 reasons why the Polish real estate market will crash soon [258]


I'm all ears too, how do you suggest buying a property if you don't have a large amount of capital behind you and you don't wish to continue throwing good money after bad (also known as renting?), nor do you wish to stay with someone else?

Travel / Warsaw to Szczecin--bus, train, fly? 1 adult, 2 children. Suggestions needed [7]

Yes, it is. I've had a look at the current timetable and it's 114zl per person - however, this could go up with the new timetable. I'd predict no more than 130zl per person. I'm not sure if PKP InterCity offers child discounts with IC tickets - I would assume they do, but I don't know for certain.

I've just double checked and the journey takes 5:30 or so direct on IC trains - it's a pleasant enough journey and painfree. I don't recommend a car or a bus - the road from Warsaw to Lodz is terrible, and while Lodz to Nowy Tomysl (south of Szczecin) is motorway, the road from Nowy Tomsyl to Szczecin is busy and dangerous.

If you want it sorted before you go - contact Jeffrey Dobek at Polrail - polrail.com - his customer service is said to be second to none :)

Life / Pay by Credit Card at Postal office? I need Bulk rates of stamps! [4]


It's much quicker to handle, especially for small transactions. Can be cheaper too.


Not always - they might not want people to use cards for small transactions, and indeed, many older people don't even have bank accounts here. Generally speaking, for the low value transactions that post offices usually deal in, cash is king.


It's not illogical when you consider the commission taken by Visa and Mastercard alone - then you have to pay the bank on top. It can easily add up to 3-4% - which given that netto/biedronka customers are very price sensitive, it's a significant amount of money. The average Biedronka/Netto customer isn't spending hundreds either.

Poland also followed the German approach - which still treats credit/debit cards as being somewhat alien and strange. It's a feature of European low cost supermarkets not to accept cards - it's certainly not unique to Poland.

Travel / Warsaw to Szczecin--bus, train, fly? 1 adult, 2 children. Suggestions needed [7]

Thinking about this, I've seen Poznan-Bydgoszcz/Krakow/Szczecin/Zielona Gora flights advertised, so there could very well be a flight from Warsaw to Szczecin - but the IC train is a much, much more pleasant way of travel.

Don't make the mistake of going to Lodz on the grounds that it's closer to Szczecin than Warsaw is - the connection from Lodz Kaliska is shockingly bad.

Travel / Warsaw to Szczecin--bus, train, fly? 1 adult, 2 children. Suggestions needed [7]


It's available already - go via polrail.com :)

Warsaw to Szczecin by train should be about 6 hours with a change in Poznan, or about 4:30 if it's a direct train. Pricewise - depends, you can do it as cheaply as 75zl or so, or could be 200zl for the best trains.

I'd recommend the train personally - there's two IC departures (reservation mandatory) a day, one TLK departure (reservation mandatory for part of the route) and two IR departures (no reservations) - off the top of my head, IC should be about 150zl, TLK about 65-70 and IR about 50zl. I'd recomend IC trains if you're travelling with a family as they give peace of mind and are very comfortable. TLK or IR can be hit or miss.