Real Estate / Renovating a house in janikowo.... [30]

Hey, who deleted my post?


I don't know how to explain this in a way that isn't offensive, but I would be very very careful if I were you. They may seem trustworthy, but they will also see you for what you are - a guy who owns a successful business in Scotland and who has money to spend.


This is your clue. If you can afford to, perhaps it might make sense to pay for someone to be there to manage the project of renovation - including keeping a very close eye on materials and money spent. I've heard of similar situations where the family made a complete mess of things - much of the materials went 'missing' (or in reality, sold) - and the project ended up costing a lot more than it would've elsewhere. I simply wouldn't trust Polish villagers to do the right thing here.


Experience tells me that village people have far more motivation when it comes to things 'vanishing'.

You need to ask yourself one question : are you able to supervise the project properly, and if so, are you willing to risk problems with the family?

Real Estate / Renovating a house in janikowo.... [30]

My advice is to run as fast as you can away from such a thing. Generally speaking, people in the old school villages are not as friendly as those in the cities.

Food / Is Domino's Pizza popular in Poland? [18]

Domino's isn't even in Poland.

As for options, there are hundreds. Poles have been eating delivery pizza for years.

Law / International student from Poland traveling to Norway on Karta Pobytu? [54]


I wouldn't say thrive, not just yet - they're only starting to really push for such students. But more and more will certainly start coming once the Polish students dry up - and I think we'll see more and more "students" vanishing once they arrive. Of course, they will probably spend three years trying to find a wife first - as that will give them full residence rights anywhere in the EU anyway.

I am absolutely against anyone obtaining EU citizenship with less than 5 years in the country as a taxpaying resident.

This is why the EU should require any non-EU student without firm links to a country to have a significant amount of money kept in a local bank while studying in the EU.

UK, Ireland / Use of UK/EU Driving Licence in Poland [15]


Not anymore - since the law changed at the start of the year, the licence must be exchanged for a 15 year one at some point between 2028 and 2033.

UK, Ireland / Use of UK/EU Driving Licence in Poland [15]


I think there may be some mix up with other requirements, such as having to register your car in the UK after a certain time. Either that, or they're tarring Johnny Foreigner with all the same brush, which would be quite normal...

UK, Ireland / Use of UK/EU Driving Licence in Poland [15]

I suspect it's the usual case with Plod - they simply don't know the current rules.

gov.uk/non-gb-driving-licence/y/resident_of_gb/car_mo torcycle/eea_ec - straight from the Powers That Be.

UK, Ireland / Use of UK/EU Driving Licence in Poland [15]

Yes, it's nonsense, she has been misinformed. All EU licences are valid until expiry in any EU state. One poster here is still happily driving around with his green piece of paper.

Law / International student from Poland traveling to Norway on Karta Pobytu? [54]

Not true. Under the new rules, a residence card from one Schengen state is valid for 3 months travel in other Schengen states.


He's actually not stuck, but certainly if they catch him doing anything other than tourism in Norway, he'll find him Polish residence card torn up and being put on the first plane home.

Work / 3500 PLN gross - not happy with my salary (working in Warsaw for an international company) [55]


Fuzzy, with all due respect, I don't think you quite understand what these jobs are.

They're normally outsourced jobs in support roles - so knowledge of the target language is absolutely essential. Yes, many Dutch people speak good English, but support jobs by their nature require the support to be in the native language. This is why native speakers are getting a premium for the work - their language is absolutely spot on. There won't be issues with miscommunication and so on - hence they can command a higher salary. It won't be native speakers getting extra as such, it will be anyone with a C2+ understanding of the Dutch language.

English may rule at the higher levels, but in support positions, the target language is absolutely essential. Mr Dutchman who needs his schedule organised will want to speak in his native language, not in a foreign language, hence why these jobs exist. Let's not forget that the Dutch who are getting the jobs done for them may also not want to speak in English - why should they? They may not even speak English - what use would English speaking support staff be if they can't even communicate in Dutch?

And from what I've seen, international companies still have a heavy use of native language.

Law / Need advice and help for obtaining a PESEL [8]


You don't need a PESEL in order to get a job. Plenty of people work here without one.

Anyway, the process is simple. You need to go and register your residence at the local Urzad Miasta, at the same place where your wife would do it. After you've done that, you need to go to the Foreigners Office for Malopolska, probably in Krakow (or maybe in Nowy Sacz) and apply for the certificate of residence as an EU citizen, then go back to the local Urzad Miasta and register your address for 5 years. Once you've done that, you can get the PESEL.

First step : go to the local Urzad Miasta, I forget the name, but it's the same place that your wife would go if she wanted to change the address on her ID card.

Love / Polish mother, possible UK father - child law Poland. [35]


It really isn't. The standard these days is around 700zl a month minimum.

Law / Chance for citizenship of Poland; my great grandmother born in 1898 - confirmation, granting by the President? [8]


Essentially, no.

The Presidential route is only for those who are of exceptional service to Poland - for instance, a 19 year old wonderkid at football. It isn't for people who think that they deserve Polish citizenship based on an ancestor - such people would be denied as there's nothing exceptional about their application.


She may have been ethnically Polish, but in terms of citizenship, she would have had Russian citizenship at the time of birth. Poland didn't exist until 1918, and the concept of Polish citizenship, not until 1920. If she emigrated before 1920, then she would never have obtained Polish citizenship.


Simply put, this is not going to be enough. If you had been active for years in Polonia organisations and spoke fluent Polish, then you may have had a chance - but speaking "some" Polish and knowing a few recipes and traditions will not be enough. As I said above, Polish citizenship is granted to those who have performed / can perform exceptional service for Poland.

Don't even bother with going via the President - rejection is almost certain in this case. You simply don't have the ties to Poland that they are looking for.

UK, Ireland / Non EU citizen married to a Pole. Living and working opportunity in the UK? [7]


Not quite. He needs an EEA Family Permit - not a visa. It's against EU law, but the EU has shown little will to intervene as the UK isn't a Schengen state.

Life / Which bank in Poland should I join for basic services? [14]


BNP might not be a bad idea, although given the way that Fortis ending up getting sold, you can never know. Credit Agricole is a different story - if they keep the bank fully funded (as it was at the end of 2012), then it's a very safe place to keep money as long as they don't do what Santander do and empty the bank's pockets to prop up the operations elsewhere.


I doubt it, because the banks are Polish and subject to Polish banking regulations.

Love / Do Polish guys tend to take things slow with regards to sex? [44]


Do they?

Link? Source? Or your own imagination?

Life / Which bank in Poland should I join for basic services? [14]


Not really, given the state of the French economy.

Best to choose a bank that has a significant market presence and is stable. Alior certainly isn't big enough.

Law / International student from Poland traveling to Norway on Karta Pobytu? [54]

So much misinformation here.

A long term residence permit issued in a Schengen country is good for three months stay in another Schengen country.

Love / Birth Certificate Questions (Polish rules require the mother to put down a Polish name?) [27]


Agreed. It might have been an old tradition so that the village girl could save face, but there's no need for it in modern Poland.

Love / Birth Certificate Questions (Polish rules require the mother to put down a Polish name?) [27]

I don't think it's wise to compare the law of California to the law of Poland, especially as two Poles have already told you the law.

Love / Birth Certificate Questions (Polish rules require the mother to put down a Polish name?) [27]

She's lying to you.

I suggest a very good lawyer, and fast. And stop paying money without a court order.

History / Polish hatred towards Jews... [1290]


But you live thousands of miles away, what would you know about immigrants to Germany?

I'd guess that those of us who visit Germany regularly know far more about the country than you'll ever know.

History / Polish hatred towards Jews... [1290]


And Austria, Barney?

That would be like demanding that the Soviets also got their hands on the Sudetenland...

History / Polish hatred towards Jews... [1290]


Yes, we get it. You're racist towards Jews because you spend your life on far-right wing forums.

Travel / Driving in Poland, are there any rules at all? [149]


As I understand Polish road rules : there's no need, obstructing a junction is an offence.

Law / WARNING - To Individuals setting up companies in Poland to trade outside of EU. [12]


I'm wondering if there's not something missing here, to be honest.

What I'd do is go to a couple of clearance agents (or call them) and ask them about the procedure in this case. Something just seems wrong - you shouldn't need to complete the SAD for something like this if the export documentation was done properly. Don't take the first person's word for it - try a few until you get a clear answer.

It seems to me that you should be supplying proof of the export (via the Urzad Celny computer system, whatever it's called here) when you re-import the goods - VAT and duty was already paid at some point, so it's illogical for them to be charged twice. Do you have access to the computer systems that they use? You should certainly have access to "CELINA" - if you don't, then it makes me think that something isn't being done correctly. UPS will provide the notice that the goods have been exported, but I think you should also be declaring the export.

Law / WARNING - To Individuals setting up companies in Poland to trade outside of EU. [12]

I've done some more reading, and while I don't know the Polish system well, I'd be surprised if it was drastically different.

It seems to me that you're being asked for the SAD document because you haven't informed Customs about the goods being exported in the first place. Are you just posting the items without making any declaration and charging 23% VAT?

Law / WARNING - To Individuals setting up companies in Poland to trade outside of EU. [12]

My question - are you exporting these goods from the EU properly?

It seems to me that you aren't exporting them properly for Customs purposes, hence why they want the SAD on import.

Real Estate / Restructuring of polish chf mortgage [42]


It may not be so sinister - I'm only going on what I know, but CHF mortgages were preferred for one simple reason : even with the CHF swing in recent years, interest rates are still dramatically lower in CHF than in PLN. My mortgage is sitting at 4% right now in PLN - but I'm under no illusions that it's going to stay there, I'd expect it to go back to 6% sooner rather than later. The CHF on the other hand won't be going anywhere - so in this sense, it did offer stable interest rates, and it seems that many people that took CHF mortgages are still ahead despite the currency fluctuations.


Hmm - this is where we get into very tricky areas of law. I actually don't think that this represents a potential angle of attack - if it did, then you'd have people signing up for all sorts of credit agreements in other EU countries only to cancel them on the basis of not understanding the documents.


It's a good question, and it may depend on the exact arrangements. If he did everything in Poland, then I suspect he's out of luck - but if he used UK-based companies...well, then things get interesting.

News / MORE ANTI-POLISH SENTIMENT IN GERMANY [280]


Clearly you haven't travelled very much in Germany.

Your ignorance is amusing. Perhaps you should learn about the backbone of the West Germany economy. Here's a hint for your racist self : they were ethnically not much different to you.