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Posts by delphiandomine  

Joined: 25 Nov 2008 / Male ♂
Warnings: 1 - Q
Last Post: 17 Feb 2021
Threads: Total: 86 / In This Archive: 2
Posts: Total: 17823 / In This Archive: 755
From: Poznań, Poland
Speaks Polish?: Yeah.
Interests: law, business

Displayed posts: 757 / page 4 of 26
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delphiandomine   
1 Dec 2009
Work / Tutoring English/Nannying in Warsaw [13]

do you know where to get that?

You'll have to go to the relevant Urząd Miasta for the place in which you're registered (yes, you'll need to register your address too) and get it there - I'm not too familiar with the process, but it should be quite painless. The useful thing is that the card can be used for intra-EU travel, so if you want to take a side trip somewhere, you won't have to carry around your passport(s).
delphiandomine   
30 Nov 2009
UK, Ireland / Where, in the UK, is the most Polish? [18]

But they do integrate rather than forming communities - you'll find Poles all over the place, as opposed to certain areas being 'Polish'.
delphiandomine   
30 Nov 2009
Travel / Platform information traveling from Krakow to Rzeszow [28]

Hmm I'm not 100% sure but It could be peron 2, tor 3 -> each platform (except the first and last one...) has tracks on both sides... so there are tracks 2 and 3 next to platform 2...

No matter how many times you explain this, if the person isn't familiar with Polish railways, it'll still sound completely nonsense. It took me about 6 months to get to realise the idea of island platform sides being 'tracks' and not 'platforms'. :(
delphiandomine   
30 Nov 2009
UK, Ireland / Where, in the UK, is the most Polish? [18]

I understand that some towns in the UK have almost completely been taken over by Poles, at least this is what I've heard. That these towns have many Polish facilities including schools.

Not true. Even places like Peterhead that had a glut of cheap Polish labour to work in horrible fish industries still didn't become Polish - in fact, I'm not even sure that there is 1 Polish state school at all in the UK.

Poles haven't done what the Asian communities have and almost taken over some areas - they integrated much, much quicker.
delphiandomine   
30 Nov 2009
Work / Tutoring English/Nannying in Warsaw [13]

It will and it won't - you'll be required to enter/leave Poland on your Polish passport, and you'll also have to obtain a Polish ID card once you're here. It shouldn't be too much hassle for you, but expect trouble without it as a Polish citizen without an ID card will confuse virtually everyone. It's mandatory for you to possess the ID card if you are living here and are Polish.
delphiandomine   
30 Nov 2009
Love / Why are Polish girls constantly ill? [166]

polish girls are constantly ill because of the terrible FREEZING COLD weather in poland...

Er..aren't you from Estonia?
delphiandomine   
30 Nov 2009
Work / Tutoring English/Nannying in Warsaw [13]

In all honesty, it depends what your aspirations are. If you're simply looking for something to make money and aren't too bothered what you're actually doing, then it shouldn't be a problem finding work. It might not pay top dollar, but it'll give you extra cash.

The better jobs of course will require certification - but if you're only here for a few months, it shouldn't be a huge problem if you don't have a teaching qualification.

There is one issue however - do you have a Polish passport?
delphiandomine   
29 Nov 2009
Australia / Military service and taxation - Australian and Polish - dual citizenship [2]

Well - you should consider that Poland could potentially call you up for military service at any time as a Polish citizen - although the chances are very, very remote as conscription was abolished.

Taxation can be a complex affair - but it's based upon residence. If you're living in Australia and only pay visits to Poland on holiday, then you won't have any obligations (assuming you don't own property/etc here) regarding tax. It's not like the American system which obliges you to report your worldwide income regardless if you live there or not.

The implication with dual citizenship is more that in Poland, the Australian embassy system won't be able to provide you with consular assistance should you need it.
delphiandomine   
28 Nov 2009
Language / Not sure if I will be able to speak Polish [53]

It's simply too alien (for non-Slavs).

Not really - a lot of Polish is quite similar, and only the weird grammar is a problem - but if you don't care about talking grammatically in the beginning, it's really not that different.
delphiandomine   
27 Nov 2009
UK, Ireland / ABERDEEN MEN ADMIT ATTEMPTED MURDER OF POLE... [15]

The McAllisters,

Some little shite once tried to threaten me with "my cousins are McAllisters"...I gave him a hiding and no McAllister ever bothered me ;) The same little shite tried it on with some guy's little brother I knew - of course, his brother had some really vicious mates who weren't a 'McCally' but were nasty bastards all the same - and they went round to the little bastard's house and smashed his dad's expensive car up a few times. Just shows who the real hard men are, to be honest.

An uncle of mine back in the 60's laid waste to a few of them in some bar on the Castlegate, interestingly enough. Apparently it was hard to judge what was in a worse state - the bar or their faces. But he is a big bloke!

Just shows that even if you spend a sh--load of money renovating an area, you still need to deal with the scum, otherwise this stuff will keep on happening. As Seanus says, Alexander Drive explains it all - that part of the city is pretty rough.
delphiandomine   
27 Nov 2009
UK, Ireland / Exploiting Polish Workers by the UK businesses [90]

I agree. It fucks it up for people who are really exploited, like the binmen in Leeds who had their wages reduced from 18000 a year to between 11000 and 15000, and had to go on strike to make sure they could feed their families.

Wasn't this partially due to the fact that their jobs were overpaid to begin with, compared to more 'female' jobs?

I can't remeber the details, but there is/was havoc in Aberdeen City Council because of the agreement to once and for all sort out the differences in pay between men and women - which uncovered the nasty truth that men had been quite considerably overpaid for jobs that required a similar level of education and experience as the more 'female' jobs.
delphiandomine   
27 Nov 2009
History / Lifestyles of the communist elite [17]

Does anyone have any information on how the "elite" lived under communism.

It's worth reading into how the East German politburo lived - that's probably the most well documented of them all. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waldsiedlung does explain it, though not in that great a detail.

It's interesting to note that even the elite of the DDR were prisoners in their own way.
delphiandomine   
26 Nov 2009
Law / Building Home-Office company, running business from home... expenses, tax, etc [3]

My company, Lindenia, can help you with this sort of thing. Find us at lindenia.net :)

Do you happen to know of a good Accountant?

This is absolutely crucial. You want an accountant that will handle both the tax office and ZUS for you - many of them will only handle taxes and leave ZUS to you, which isn't what you want at all. Price-wise, expect to pay around 122PLN/month for a Polish speaking one in the suburbs, 180-ish a month in the centre, and around 250/month for an English speaking one. This assumes that you don't generate a lot of invoices and you just need them to handle everything for you.

Part of what Lindenia is for is to find people decent accountants - I've heard so many horror stories that I could actually weep - but unlike most of these expat services companies, we don't have any links to accountants paying us commission - our aim is to actually save you money!
delphiandomine   
26 Nov 2009
Law / D-type visa (long stay) in Poland - I cannot leave Poland? [10]

I don't know, but I wouldn't imagine that moving between Poland and Czech Republic is strictly monitored.

The problem is not so much the border anymore, but the fact that since Schengen, border guards can check you literally anywhere. It's not inconceviable that they might pull him in the street for a random ID check (especially as he's Indian), only to discover that he illegally entered the Czech Republic.

i could but it takes time...

For a Schengen visa? Nah, not really - you can get them pretty quickly. It might be worth actually asking the Foreigners office in wherever you are if they can give you a Schengen visa - as ridiculous as it sounds, it might just be possible.
delphiandomine   
26 Nov 2009
Life / Getting married in Poland - Marriage of no impediment [11]

The CNI must be obtained in person from your national consulate in Warsaw. It costs just over 600PLN (668?) and is valid for only 3 months so you have to time it well.

Nice little earner, don't you think?

(I've ceased to have any respect whatsoever for the FCO - embassies shouldn't have to be revenue-neutral, it's not what they're there for!)
delphiandomine   
25 Nov 2009
Work / Staying beyond 3 months as Sp. z o.o founder and manager [22]

That's possible. I also suspect the Polish government guidelines contravene one, if not two of the EUs Four Freedoms (Freedom of Residence, Freedom of Labour, Freedom of Capital, Freedom of Goods and Services), and they don't want a legal challenge.

I'm looking into it now - look at this for instance - citizensinformation.ie/categories/moving-country/moving-to-ireland/rights-of-residence-in-ireland/residence_rights_EU_national

You can stay in Ireland for up to 3 months without restriction. If you plan to stay more than 3 months, you must either:

* Be engaged in economic activity (employed or self employed) or
* Have sufficient resources and sickness insurance to ensure that you do not become a burden on the social services of Ireland or
* Be enrolled as a student or vocational trainee or
* Be a family member of a Union citizen in one of the previous categories.

I'm no lawyer - but it seems that it's a pretty universal situation that you're only entitled to 3 months for tourism, even as an EU citizen.

Estonia's rules are here - smartestonia.ee/index.php?page=186 - and they again say the same thing.

It does indeed seem as if Poland is in line with Europe with this.
delphiandomine   
25 Nov 2009
Work / Staying beyond 3 months as Sp. z o.o founder and manager [22]

and I suspect a large proportion of the foreign residents here don't have one.

I don't think you're wrong there - which is why the whole system desperately needs reformed! I'm not against the principle of registering people to an address - just the concept of there somehow being rights attached to it is absolutely nonsense.

Quite possibly. I was just asked for some ID. I showed them my passport. They didn't even record the number. That was through UPC.

Crazy! You'd expect them to note something - but obviously not. It just shows that you can't rely on anything because you never know what they'll be expecting.

Here in Warsaw, I've not seen them ask for such things since EU entry. There is no requirement to carry out economic activity or have personal assets.

udsc.gov.pl

This is pretty much a carbon copy of what they say in Poznan - this clause in particular -

The Union citizens shall have the right to stay in the Republic of Poland for the period longer than 3 months, if:

(1) he/she is an employee or a self-employed person in the territory of the Republic of Poland (in this case the right to stay extends over the family member staying in the Republic of Poland with the Union citizen);

This is what they're using here to justify the economic activity part. They definitely will not accept applications from anyone who is just 'here' without a reason economically - unless you're retired.

And -

and is in possession of enough funds to provide for himself/herself and his/her family members in the territory of the Republic of Poland without the need to make use of social insurance benefits (in this case the right to stay extends over the family member staying in the Republic of Poland with the Union citizen);

Is what's being used to assess your financial situation. This is why there's a need for our services in Poznan at least - they will not give you any information as to what's acceptable and what's not acceptable, which is, as you say, probably the result of no clear instructions being given.

Maybe in Warsaw, they just don't have the time to judge EU members and grant the permits without delay because it's quicker?
delphiandomine   
25 Nov 2009
Work / Staying beyond 3 months as Sp. z o.o founder and manager [22]

No it isn't - it refers to real estate (owned or rented) only.

I know - but when you think about it, the fact that you're supposed to register in the country means that the piece of paper is like a statement that you're allowed to stay. I know the execution is dreadfully sloppy these days - but in so far as it stands for foreigners staying less than 3 months, it might as well be seen as a residence permit.

There isn't a new government, the present government isn't expected to collapse any day soon, and any future government is unlikely to start persecuting EU citizens, given the number of Poles residing elsewhere in the EU.

You never know though, there was murmurings not that long ago that PSL were very unhappy with PO and only Tusk's handling of Operation Blackjack stopped there from being a crisis in government. If Tusk does indeed go for President and wins, there's no guarantee that PO will keep being a decent electoral force.

I also wouldn't be so sure that there wouldn't be double standards applied -come on, some of the stuff that PiS did is unbelievably stupid, harrasing EU citizens could easily happen :)

Though last month I signed up for a new internet connection privately, just using my passport.

I think slowly, steadily, they're starting to learn of the existence of the 5 year permit - but it definitely isn't in public conciousness yet.

Wow! Where on earth do you live? I used to do the paperwork for any of my employees (all British citizens) who wanted one and asked for help with it, and was never asked for employment details. Not since EU entry in 2004, anyway.

Poznan - they're somewhat enforcing the legislation that you have to have a valid reason to be in Poland, and that simply 'I want to be here and I don't need to work' isn't a good enough reason for them. Even if you have bucketloads of cash, they still want to see evidence of economic activity here - which can include KRS documents and the like. It's all in the relevant laws - and from the sounds of things, they're sticking to the laws even when the laws are clearly a bit nonsense.

I just used to help them with the form, get them to drop it off,and wait for the letter to say it had arrived.

Aha - they're taking it way more seriously here and you can't get away with that. The problem here is that they won't even give you a clear list of requirements!

Where are you based? I'll bear it in mind if anyone contacts me from there - knowing that they don't need to bother with an interpreter is useful and saves them money!
delphiandomine   
25 Nov 2009
Life / Postal Customs in Poland [17]

Nope. Import what you like, no-one will care - unless the goods attract excise duties.
delphiandomine   
25 Nov 2009
Work / Staying beyond 3 months as Sp. z o.o founder and manager [22]

That's a 'zameldowanie', registered address, not residence permit. Two entirely different things.

De jure, certainly - but the zameldowanie is a de facto temporary residence permit too in terms how it functions for foreigners. I know it's not related to immigration, but to all extents, it does function as a 3 month residence permit. There is possibly an interesting legal argument in there - in that Poland (by having the law requiring registration within 4 days) could be breaking EU law in terms of freedom of movement. That may actually be the reason why they don't enforce it for EU citizens - but who knows?

And legislation to remove the zameldowanie is pending, and lack of one is no longer enforced. Three weeks ago I had to get the police to evict a tenant and they didn't bat an eyelid about me not having one.

Do you know what the latest is with the zameldowanie? The last I saw, the government had put it on the backburner because of a lack of consensus with what to replace it with.

But I wouldn't be surprised if a new government decided to enforce it again - possibly under the guise of 'FOREIGNERS TAKING OVER POLAND'. This is the only reason why I recommend people do it - what's happening now is no indication of what could happen tomorrow. It's not inconceivable that they might link the zameldowanie to much more - especially if they can't get rid of it.

But they haven't. And they can't deport to another part of the EU unless you're a terrorist, or your presence is prejudicial to the wellbeing of the country. Unless you want to vote or get a mortgage, they aren't an essential. I have a moblile phone subscription, and leasing contracts without one.

Are the contracts through a company (or self employment?) I was told by all the big mobile operators that they want the 5 year permit from anyone taking a contract privately. Most 'na raty' offers demand the 5 year permit too, and the banks as a whole are starting to see it as a requirement for any sort of lending.

The can't deport thing is a bit of a red herring - as far as I gather, they can actually deport you after 3 months if you don't have a valid reason to be in another EU country. But of course, they can't stop your return! I seem to recall this happening in France - Romanians were getting thrown out (well, 'encouraged to leave') - and they got straight back on the plane and went back. Stupid, stupid system.

But just because they're not doing something now doesn't mean that they won't do it in the future. Given the crazy new Gambling law that flies in the face of logic - anything could happen where residence permits are concerned. The shoddy implementation of the EU residence permit should tell you everything! ;)

No. If you're a member of the management board of a limited company, and you're frequently out of Poland, and not a Polish citizen, it is quite legal and correct to pay tax on your director's fees (so they should be your main source of drawings) at only 19% on a monthly basis, without taking account the 'próg' or any other taxable income. You still have to pay any dopłata at the end of the year, but what you do with the moohlah in the meantime is up to you.

Aha - I get you - I thought you were saying that you don't have to pay tax at all!

If someone really wants the Karta Obywatelstwa it takes a few days.

Plus the waiting :/ But the problem is often that if someone has anything but clear cut circumstances, they seem to particularly enjoy asking for obscure pieces of nonsense - my favourite was getting told that they can't just accept contracts with how many days worked - they also wanted a handwritten letter from me confirming how many hours I worked a week.

To register as self-employed took me four visits to offices, two days in all (mind you, I already had a NIP - that would be a small delay, but you can use the 'provisional' NIP quite correctly if need be). To register a limited company took a phone call to a lawyer and one visit to his office to have the Akt Notarialny (printed off the internet) witnessed.

Yep - I think a lot of the hype about the difficulty of these things is greatly exaggerated online. If you know what you're doing and can actually read, it shouldn't be a problem at all - when I registered as self employed, I just had three trips to make - twice to the Urząd Miasta and once to the Urząd Skarbowy.

Though somebody completely new to PL might (instead of trailing round govt. offices and being bled dry by lawyers setting a company up) do very well to use your service lindenia.net. Looking at the site, it seems a good idea, especially for non-EU nationals.

Even for EU nationals - we can probably (it does depend on time, if someone has complicated circumstances, we need to make sure that everything is right!) get them sorted out documents wise for less than 50PLN. I've heard of people paying over 100EUR for the same thing - which is nonsense, because most of the hassle just involves obtuse answers from the offices and having to guess what they actually want in the face of ridiculously badly written governmental websites. It certainly shouldn't in the vast majority of cases take more than an hour to sort out - and that includes checking documents for them.

The thing I'm trying to do is provide services at Polish rates, not at expat rates - I called a few of these 'foreigners services' in Warsaw and was getting quotes like 100PLN/hr (at a minimum of 1 hour) for translation at the Foreigners Office there for an English-speaking EU citizen - I had to struggle not to laugh down the phone! That kind of price is crazy - and just shows how much people can spend here if they're not careful. Obviously you might have to pay that for a high level professional interpreter - but for someone to turn up to the Foreigners Office? An English filology student would be more than enough for an EU citizen there!
delphiandomine   
25 Nov 2009
Work / Staying beyond 3 months as Sp. z o.o founder and manager [22]

Jonni, I like you and I like your posts - but I'm sorry, you're way off the mark here.

If you're from Belgium, and a Belgian citizen, then you don't need a residence permit.

Yes you do. Legally, you're required to register where you're staying within 4 days with the Urząd Miasta of the locality in which you're residing. Communist era law indeed - but still very much in legal force.

There's a thing called a 'Citizenship Card' (Karta Obywatelstwa) that you can have, if you like, but no-one can force you to get one.

Actually - while there may be no punishment for not having one, you are still technically illegal without one. It wouldn't take much for someone to decide in Warsaw that EU citizens that haven't registered should be chased up - and indeed, EU law only provides you with a 'right' to three months temporary residency in a country. There's also the point that an EU citizen without the residence permit will effectively be a second class citizen here.

If you want to set up a limited company, there are certain tax advantages to not having such a card, though they may change soon.

Isn't this pretty clear cut tax evasion if you're resident in Poland under the EU 185 day rule, yet you don't declare to the Polish taxman that you're actually resident here?

Other question: which documents precisely do they require for the residence permit

It's very much up to the whim of the individual office. My company - Lindenia can provide you with the details of what ensures a successful application, but this is simply based on experience of knowing what exactly they're looking for (and ignoring what they actually tell you, as this changes on a daily basis!). But with this, we also provide a comprehensive guide that ensures no suprises with the offices.

Should I better apply for resident's permit in my country, by the Polish Embassy before starting anything in Poland, or can/must I come to Poland first, register the company, start working, and use this 3-month period to introduce a permit request ?

You can't do anything outside of Poland - you have to come here and set the ball rolling. But be warned - it can be a hideously complex affair, even for EU citizens!

edit - there is a point that many EU citizens live here without ever bothering to obtain legal residency. There's no punishment for doing so and no-one really cares - but this could change at the blink of an eye in Poland, particularly if they decide to start issuing proper residence cards again. It's also much, much easier to get things done here if you play by their rules - but you do not formally need it. There's no saying however that the rules won't change in the future.
delphiandomine   
24 Nov 2009
Law / Poland selling Carbon Credits [16]

Carbon trading is completely nonsense no matter how you look at it - and does anyone believe that the UK/France/Germany will actually be sanctioned if they go over some arbitary limits?
delphiandomine   
23 Nov 2009
News / European Quality Of Life Index: Poland in the middle [29]

I need an address in Poland to get a mortgage but I need a mortgage to get an address :(

Then do what most people would do and rent somewhere!

Or register at your girlfriends place.
delphiandomine   
22 Nov 2009
Law / Staying in Schengen beyond work VISA for tourism [6]

she is very scared at the possibility of ending up in England with nothing but a piece of hand luggage.

The problem is that she'll probably be readmitted (the rules are clear - you're allowed 90 days in every 180 day period, starting from the first day of entry) - but she won't 'reset' the clock and will start to overstay her tourist stamp. Or of course, if she's in her final week, they'll see this and may very well refuse entry if it's obvious that she's trying a 'visa run'.

The most important advice I can give is that she needs to sort it out - if she gets found out for overstaying, then a ban from the entire Schengen zone will follow - which isn't nice!
delphiandomine   
21 Nov 2009
Study / School in Poland - "hellish torture? [20]

but I'm asking about school more academically.

Academically, Polish schools are quite tough going. Very heavy subjects in general, no 'soft' subjects and a system that requires passing all subjects before being allowed to carry on to the next year.
delphiandomine   
21 Nov 2009
Law / Staying in Schengen beyond work VISA for tourism [6]

What terrible advice she has been given! It used to be possible - but now that Poland has joined Schengen, the 'any 90 days in every 180 day period' rule applies for tourist visa waivers - the clock isn't reset by simply going to the UK and back. I'd strongly recommends she receives professional help - she runs a real risk of being refused re-entry if she does a trip to the UK and back. My company deals with this sort of thing - lindenia.net

Can you get a simple 90 day tourist VISA after your work VISA and how?

Yes - you can. There's a provision in Schengen law that means that after a visa has expired, *if* you are entitled to the 90 day visa free period, then you can travel freely as a tourist. If you need more information, feel free to contact me.
delphiandomine   
21 Nov 2009
Life / TV signals in Poland [3]

Analogue TV is transmitted over the area, analog cable is widespread, digital cable is starting to be adopted, and most (all?) satellite services are digital.