News / "It's too late for Germany" (but not for Poland) [1798]

I look forward to you finally paying taxes in Poland to subsidise Polish farmers..

News / "It's too late for Germany" (but not for Poland) [1798]

I think they're not, rather it's just a pure populist threat. The idea of cutting money from Poland and Hungary will go down very well in poorer parts of Italy.

News / "It's too late for Germany" (but not for Poland) [1798]


It's quite surreal. We're already seeing the beginnings with the Italians demanding that Poland/Hungary and others take more migrants, or they'll stop paying into the EU. Kurz also hammered Hungary recently, and Orban got a nasty shock in the process.

Language / Polish words that sound funny? [224]


Slightly to the left a bit. Or maybe to the right (I was there a couple of months ago and didn't hear a word of Belarusian, though the Russian spoken in Brest is actually very pleasant to the ear - well worth a trip now that there's an easy visa-free way of getting in).


I'd rather it used Cyrillic to avoid the diacritical mess - there's actually a well thought out example here: steen.free.fr/cyrpol/index.html

I'm particularly fond of "щ". But yes, it's interesting how Czech orthography ended up winning the "Slavic alphabet race" and not Polish in the 19th century. Your example of Czech looks neater, but it's still plagued with the diacritical marks and the horror that is ř.

Law / How to exchange almost expired USA driving license for Polish license? [16]


Nope, in order to be eligible to sit the exams, you need to complete an approved course of instruction.

Language / Polish words that sound funny? [224]


Indeed. It tortures them because they can't even begin to read it. And well, Polish existing is also a form of torture who would prefer a different language being used in Poland, perhaps one spoken on the northern border.


So you have to bet now? Good to know that you aren't actually Polish. Now, can you drop the silly pretence?


Yeah, especially with all the non-natives using it for communication too in their own way. Something like Polish is much easier, because the accent in Chełm isn't radically different to the one in Jelenia Góra. English? Forget about it.

My only issue with Polish is the alphabet, but that's a cultural thing and isn't going to change.

Law / Archives said there are no records that confirm my ancestor's citizenship, is a petition my only option? [37]


Ziemowit, what was the name of the country after the war? Was it still legally Rzeczpospolita Polska until 1952?

News / "It's too late for Germany" (but not for Poland) [1798]


Poland, obviously. Nothing but martyrdom and heroism here!

Law / Permanent residence permit of the EU/Poland and language tests [10]


It changed for citizenship in 2013, but the rules surrounding the granting of long term residence permits changed last year.

News / "It's too late for Germany" (but not for Poland) [1798]


islamictribunal.org

So did yours. They're actually quite popular as a form of arbitration, and others have them too.
bethdin.org for Jewish issues, or perhaps lds.org/topics/church-disciplinary-councils?lang=eng for Mormon courts. And so on...

News / "It's too late for Germany" (but not for Poland) [1798]

It didn't work - money.pl/gospodarka/wiadomosci/artykul/maly-baby-boom-500-demografia,21,0,2404373.html - the positive effect was very short lived, especially as prices have risen dramatically under PiS (not a bad thing in itself, it means the economy is converging more with Germany's)

Law / Permanent residence permit of the EU/Poland and language tests [10]


Nope The regulations changed (as part of a general EU-wide push towards requiring language competency for long term residency by non-EU citizens), so you'll need to pass the B1 exam in Polish.

Frankly it's not even difficult to get to B1. A year of learning regularly should be enough.

Travel / Crossing to Russia: Planning a Motorcycle Trip from Poland to Kalinigrad [26]


It's doable, but you need to provide proof of residency in Poland, namely the EU certificate of registration / permanent residence card.

News / Poland's "historical path" is that of "fascism" (Jew attack alert) [43]


Be careful, because it seems to be one of those intellectual talking circles where they discuss theoretical situations, like taxing Germans to pay for Jewish people to return to Poland. It's been completely (and deliberately) misrepresented online by the usual suspects.

Work / Taxes in Poland if working for American company? [12]

No, they won't pay anything. They'll just pay what's on your invoice, which is a gross amount without VAT (as it's outside the scope of EU VAT as your customer is outside the EU fiscal area.)

Real Estate / Planning permission - buying a house in Poland [7]


What you could do - you can sign the preliminary purchase contract, but with the condition that you'll only transfer the deposit when the paperwork is complete. So, they can secure you as a buyer, but no cash changes hands until the situation is regulated. If they refuse to agree to such a condition, you'll know that there's a problem with the paperwork.

Real Estate / Planning permission - buying a house in Poland [7]

In general, if there's no paperwork, avoid it like the plague. It means that the situation hasn't been legalised, and permission might not be forthcoming. It can take a long time for such situations to be legalised, so it's likely that they're trying to get you to commit to the purchase or at least hand over some cash for whatever reason.

Steer clear.

Life / What are your experiences of care for your loved ones in hospitals here? [75]

No problem from my point of view as long as the burden is shared fairly. It can be progressive, but it shouldn't be only workers paying more.

Law / Can I use European Health Insurance Card in my application for an EU citizen Polish temporary resident permit? [4]


Yes, it can. It's what they normally advise for people who have just moved to Poland.


It's not needed. It's enough to pay ZUS as an employee of some sort (or be self employed), or to use the EHIC. Or you can be covered through the NFZ through a family member in the same household that pays ZUS contributions, too.

Poland is rather laid back in this respect.

Law / Stopped by the Poland's Police for no reason while walking at night [94]


Imagine having to beg to the police like that, LOL!

In Poland, we can smile and joke with the police without being forced to act like a dog.

Work / Electronic invoicing service in Poland for businesses? E-invoices (e-faktury) [10]

If it wasn't for OSX, I'd suggest the Ministry's own programme - finanse.mf.gov.pl/pp/jpk/aplikacje-do-pobrania

But in light of that - what about this? ksara.pl - it supports OSX. Or - if you are willing to consider something cloud-based, fakturowo.pl will do the job for 50zł a year. I use it and I can recommend it.

Split payments aren't anything to worry about, as it's the sender that deals with it through their bank. You actually shouldn't specify any split payment information according to the Ministry.

Law / Polish citizenship by petition to the president of Poland? [66]

Except it isn't true. The courts in the time of Tusk were independent, no matter how much Americans like "Pan" want Polish citizenship without documenting their claim.

News / Officials in Poland are hailing an upcoming visit by Donald Trump [720]


So why is Trump spending so much effort on fighting individual states?

Love / Polish Weddings the farce and how much money to give [22]

I gave something like that to friends - they drink a vast amount of wine, so I got some wine glasses made for the couple by a glassmaker. The date of their wedding was etched onto the bottom of the glass, and they were specifically made for Burgundy wine. Not cheap, but they were a quality product and they've had a lot of use out of the glasses.

Love / Polish Weddings the farce and how much money to give [22]


You seem obsessed with money, is it because you don't have much of it in your life? Do you find yourself burning with rage that other people are successful in life and you failed miserably? It's okay son, I understand. Now get back to the welfare line, LOL!


You see, when you work, you have a thing called "paid holidays". Oh wait, you're in the US, you don't have such things LOL!

Love / Polish Weddings the farce and how much money to give [22]


Shows how little you know about Poland.


Poor guy, you really have no experience with Poland whatsoever. The circles I move in don't need cash, they look for something more personal and thoughtful. They've got plenty of money, so why do they need more? The last present I gave was a piece of art by an up-and-coming Katowice artist who already has had several exhibitions to her name. You know, a cultured present, based on my knowledge of the Polish art scene. I could have given the same amount in cash, but it would have been seen as cold and crude.

You might think that money is everything, but then again, I doubt you've got much of it in your life, so that explains why you think about money constantly.

Love / Polish Weddings the farce and how much money to give [22]


What's new? That's been going on for years.


Depends how much of a villager you are.

What you'll find is the more garish and lavish the wedding, the more 'village' it is.

My rule is never to give money, so it never affects me. Giving money is simply distasteful, and it's even more distasteful to ask for it. Every present I give is unique and well thought out, but giving cash is just a no-no. If anyone demands cash, I'm not going.

Law / Polish citizenship by petition to the president of Poland? [66]


Poland has very generous provisions for citizenship. Some people simply aren't eligible, like yourself.

Travel / Poland - never again [593]


Nor should you. Be polite and civil, yes, but "yes sir", "no sir"? Not a chance.

Dirk, what's the deal with behaving in a certain way when you get stopped by the police? I read this nonsense -
al.com/opinion/index.ssf/2015/05/teach_your_kids_how_to_survive.html - what the hell, seriously? Are police there so desperate for respect that they demand people behave in that way? I mean - I got stopped in Slovenia for a random breath test, I smiled, laughed about having drank way too much coffee for 10pm in a cafe nearby, did the test, explained why I was taking a strange route back to Poland (huge jams on the main roads - Saturday evening coming back from Croatia is a disaster), asked them for some advice on possible alternative routes and wished them a good night afterwards.

No wonder you treat them the same way they treat you, and I don't blame you.

Travel / Poland - never again [593]


Or the person behind it will hysterically overreact and respond with abuse and threats now that "Rich Mazur" has been established as a stolen identity.

No wonder he can't sleep at night.