UK, Ireland / Polish girlfriend is trying to claim working tax credit [12]

Then dump her.

Law / Permanent Residence in Polska: procedures, list of documents, etc. [59]

Really?

Again, you're showing your utter ignorance of the Polish system if you think that. Depending on where you live, the NFZ system can actually be very very good. Latest example for me - I broke my finger, so went to the hospital. I was seen, x-rayed and dealt with within half an hour. Not bad, don't you think?

When was the last time you actually lived here again....?

Study / A List of Schools in Poland? [12]


There's no such thing. Unlike the UK, schools in Poland are much more...hmm.. loosely organised - individual teachers are far less "managed" than in the UK. You'd actually have to contact individual teachers - and again, unlike the UK, many of them simply won't be interested in promoting such a thing - it's just not the done thing.

For instance - there are no "heads of departments" in Polish high schools for a start.

Also, many school teachers will be reluctant to endorse anything that they don't know personally.

Your idea is good, but it's been tried by many, many people in the past.

News / HIV infected Nigerian has bitten bus ticket's controler in Cracow! [56]


I've seen quite a bit of trouble on the services that go outside the city (non-ZTM organised) - often with controllers just being rude or aggressive. There was something a while ago in Poznan too where a controller had assaulted someone on video - I don't recall the specifics, though. I'm also not fond of the intimidatory tactics they use at times - and especially not of the way that they were authorised to use force.

The worst habit of theirs is to try and block the exits from the trams and buses at stops - winds me up no end, especially as I'm not big enough to push them out of the way.

Work / British English teacher moving to Poznan - work opportunities? [25]

Not in Poland, I'm afraid. Language is pretty essential here. Even for the lowest jobs, you'll need Polish - the level of English here just isn't high enough to accommodate a non-English speaker.

What's your background/experience?

Work / British English teacher moving to Poznan - work opportunities? [25]

It's a doddle, from what I've heard. The issue is the working conditions - it's a horrible job. Moneywise, it's quite terrible too - you won't clear more than 1500zl net a month. But you will have regular work, at least.

arvato.pl/praca_aplikacja.aspx

Apply here. There's really not much else here unless you have a specific skill that's in demand.

Law / Permanent Residence in Polska: procedures, list of documents, etc. [59]

If he's got a Polish birth certificate, that should do the job, I think?

Never heard of them refusing a Polish-issued birth certificate, actually.

Work / British English teacher moving to Poznan - work opportunities? [25]

I said it elsewhere, but -

Teaching English - it's a difficult market this summer. There's already been a bloodbath with salaries in at least two big schools, for instance. Essentially - unless you have experience/qualifications, it's not going to be easy to find work - unless you're happy accepting poor money and poor conditions.

Other sectors? You need to know Polish, unfortunately - the only exception I know of is the Easyjet call centre near Rondo Kapionera.

If you want to have a chat about this - there's a meeting of the Poznan Language Exchange Club tonight at "Baza Wilda", ul. Gorna Wilda 89/19 from 7pm until 11pm - you're welcome to come :) I'll be there from about 8pm or so - ask for Michael or Chris :)

Study / International Schools in Poznan Reviews - which is better for my child? [21]

Bloodbath in the English teaching market at the minute in Poznan - unless you have qualifications and preferably experience, don't expect much in the way of work, and what work will be offered will be very poorly paid.

Other sector? You can check out the Easyjet call centre located near Rondo Kapionera - they're happy to employ native speakers of English.

Law / Permanent Residence in Polska: procedures, list of documents, etc. [59]


Aha - thanks! Still, 360zl isn't a bad deal per month for coverage.


I'd say that they wouldn't be whining about having to pay 900zl of social taxes per month. ZUS is actually an utter bargain if you're self employed and earning a decent bit of money, compared to the contributions made by employed people.

How any medium sized business owner can complain about a tax burden in an EU country of 32% (higher rate) plus 900zl per month is totally beyond me.


Please do, actually. I can tell you for a fact that half of the things you mentioned simply aren't mentioned in the law at all. Polish law is very specific - if it's not mentioned, then they have no right to ask for it (and you can safely tell them such). Standing up to the dragons works fine if you know exactly what you're talking about - they won't risk pushing something that's actually contrary to the law.

News / HIV infected Nigerian has bitten bus ticket's controler in Cracow! [56]


Given that those of us living in Poland routinely see the trouble that these 'controllers' cause on a daily basis, many of them being nothing but lowlife morons - it wouldn't surprise anyone here if he was.


"my country" - when did you last pay tax here?


I'm more surprised that they chose to bring up his nationality like this. Not exactly the kind of thing you'd expect from Gazeta Wyborcza, to be honest.


No, not much, apart from putting an alert in the Schengen database that you're wanted for unpaid fines. Good luck with that.

Incidentally, nice double standards there!


It's hilarious to see the kind of people that are defending them, isn't it?

(although - to be fair - they also employ utter morons in every country in the world, it's not unique to Poland)

News / Andrzej Lepper committed suicide [98]


Neither of them were Jewish, where did you get that from?

(not that it matters)

Law / Permanent Residence in Polska: procedures, list of documents, etc. [59]

Sigh.
NFZ = Narodowy Fundusz Zdrowia.
No-one mentioned private insurance. Perhaps you should learn a bit more about Poland and what the NFZ system is?

News / HIV infected Nigerian has bitten bus ticket's controler in Cracow! [56]


The vast majority of crap they get is self inflicted. The amount of stories in the press about their behaviour, the stories online - everyone knows that being a ticket controller is the lowest of the low in Poland - all because of their attitude towards people.

Why shouldn't someone talk back? At least here, they are expected to be polite and to announce the start/end of the controls. If they don't do the job properly, why should they be treated with any respect? Demanding a ticket in a rude way isn't going to win them any favours.

Let's be honest - he was probably threatened with violence. It's not like some "*****" is going to be able to get justice in Poland when ordinary Poles can't get it where ticket controllers are concerned.

(incidentally - your use of the word "*****" suggests jealousy and insecurity where they're concerned. Typical of bedroom brownshirts really)

News / HIV infected Nigerian has bitten bus ticket's controler in Cracow! [56]

When was the last time you paid taxes in Poland?

News / HIV infected Nigerian has bitten bus ticket's controler in Cracow! [56]


It'll be enough to put him in prison and tell everyone what he's done.

Mind you, given the attitude of ticket controllers in Poland, perhaps it was well deserved.

Study / International Schools in Poznan Reviews - which is better for my child? [21]

Neither of the two international schools are particularly good, unfortunately.

However, at a push - pbis.edu.pl - is the better of the two. The other one is dire, and doesn't even achieve particularly good results. Both schools aren't well funded, neither of them offers particularly great education - but the one I linked you to is perhaps the better of the two.

Law / Permanent Residence in Polska: procedures, list of documents, etc. [59]


To have health care on a voluntary basis, it's about 220zl a month. Perhaps it would be better to say that "NFZ cover is available for 220zl a month".


Self employment contributions have nothing to do with the cost of health care, except the 223zl.


No way to get around ZUS? Since when?

No way to live in this country? Of course there is - perhaps not as an English teacher working for other people, but there certainly is.

I know plenty of people living here who are saving quite a bit of cash.


Read the thread. The guy is British - hence - no need for a residence permit. Likewise for the vast majority of Europeans.


Of course. No EU/EEA/CH citizen has ever been prosecuted for not having it.


An irrelevance for EU/EEA/CH citizens - of which the OP is one.


Most of that isn't included in law and can be safely ignored by anyone with an ounce of common sense.

Some of it is also illogical and almost certainly the result of bad advice/blind obeying of some dragon in the Urzad who should be slapped with the relevant laws.

But then again, it's a good way to keep non-EU citizens out. We have enough workers in the EU - we don't need non-EU citizens in here.

Study / International Schools in Poznan Reviews - which is better for my child? [21]

How old is your child? Depending on their age, I might be able to advise a better option that either of the "international schools" here - both of which are quite poor.

Law / Why are the Poles following the Swiss Franc? [17]


Pretty simple - as Sky says, many of them took mortgages in CHF.

Essentially, the CHF/PLN rate was very stable once the PLN was introduced in 95 - it was always sitting around the 2PLN-1CHF mark. That, combined with low interest rates on the CHF made it incredibly attractive for people to take a mortgage demoninated in Francs rather than Zloty - it's only in recent times that the Franc has gone up, and up, and up, and up...

Others will know the actual interest rates better than me, but I recall figures of 2% for CHF and 8% for PLN being thrown around a few years ago. Clearly, 6% would be a hell of a difference in the long run for a mortgage - hence why people took CHF rather than PLN mortgages.

It's not the full story though - because Polish banks tend to prohibit people from actually paying the mortgage in CHF, so they can screw the client with poor exchange rates. For instance - let's say you go to Switzerland, work for a summer on some farm and come back with a decent amount of Francs in your pocket. Instead of going straight to the bank and saying "here, take this for the mortgage" - you have to convert them into PLN, then pay the bank in PLN - who will convert it into CHF for you.

Work / Polish Salary and Tax [43]


Yes, they do.

A 14 year old will struggle in Poland if they're not used to the mentality here, but a 4 year old should be fine.

My advice would be to steer clear of Poland unless you can get schooling included - a 14 year old is going to be pretty lonely here without the language.

Law / Permanent Residence in Polska: procedures, list of documents, etc. [59]


There's no need to have a residence permit - all you have to do is pay ZUS somehow.

It can be via a private contribution (around 220zl a month), via ZUS contributions paid at work, or via self employment.

Your residence status has no bearing on the ability to receive healthcare.

Real Estate / Best Mortgage Lender in Poland? [25]


True, but he earns in CHF ;)

Apparently it will change though - there's a proposal that mortgage lenders will have to accept payment in any currency, not just PLN.

Law / What's the best way to transfer £20,000 into PLN [31]


No need to declare anything at the UK border unless you're exporting it outside the EU.

Real Estate / Best Mortgage Lender in Poland? [25]


Don't take my word as gospel, but the general opinion is - no, at least not for CHF loans which are to be repaid in PLN. This might change when the law is introduced to allow payments in any currency, though.

Your best bet might be to try and go through a mortgage broker who can attempt to set up a specialist arrangement where you repay in CHF rather than PLN.

Law / What is better for money exchange - EUR to PLN in Germany or PLN to EUR in Poland? [18]


Yep - a spread of less than 2gr at Swiecko a few days ago.


They are in many places near the border. I went shopping recently in Frankfurt (Oder) and didn't use Euro.


Some places will, but don't rely on it. Places in very touristy areas will, but it's not like Croatia (for instance) where everyone will take Euro.

Law / How to obtain "prawo jazdy kat B"? [11]


Wrong. They do.

I know, because I did mine in English.


Ridiculously high? I paid 1600zl for mine. Not exactly expensive.


Wrong again. You merely have to have a sworn translator accompany you - cost - 300zl.

Me and several others have passed in Poznan in the last year this way.

News / Polish flag was changed by taking the coat of arms? [48]


I dunno, I quite like the Polish one, especially if you believe the sentimental version (white being peace, red being blood).

The Polish one to me has a simple elegance.


Oh, they are. You won't see people flying flags on national holidays with the coat of arms - it must be the plain version.

USA, Canada / Why are Polish restaurants not successful in the USA? [698]


Anyone (yes, including you Polonius :P) who wants to see how a Polish restaurant can work needs to go here -
...

Looks like they're doing a great trade, the reviews online are very good, the food is authentic, etc etc.

It's also, crucially, not pretentious - Polish food isn't (and shouldn't be - it's not in the Polish nature!), and I'm not surprised that the reviews all say that it's far, far better than that Warszawa place.


...working in shops, gutting fish, driving trucks....


It's really quite obvious that you've never, ever been to Poland. The claim that Poles are "above" this sort of thing - well - 2 million of them are doing exactly that in the UK. In fact, most of them are nowhere near running restaurants, but rather doing the jobs that no-one else wants to do - such as the jobs listed by me and Fuzzy.


Explains why 2 million of them had to leave Poland then to find work, and why there's still over 10% unemployment, doesn't it?

Incidentally, your ignorance of Poland shows yet again - because Poland is still characterised by heavy industry and hard physical labour. Things are changing, but slowly.


Gotta love someone who feels something in common with a people that he's never met.

News / Citizen-led Initiative on Abortion Law in Poland [50]

The part about "oh, they can just go across the border".

Most people can. The vulnerable often can't.

It's not rocket science to see that a ban can be completely ignored by anyone who has the means to do so - but vulnerable people in society often don't have the means to do so.