Life / Cosmetic surgery in Poland... [40]

Another thing to bear in mind is: If anything should go wrong with your surgery, you will have to take the case through the Polish courts and it will be absolutely impossible to prove that the doctor/specialist did anything wrong. The case itself will obviously drag on for at least 5 or 6 years.

Work / Suggestions for starting a business in Poland ( I have 50/60,000 USD ) [59]

YES, Poland is MORE expensive than Canada.
You have obviously forgotten, that before you open any business, you will have to 'grease palms' all the way along, otherwise nothing will get done.

You can calculate how much your 50,000 USD is currently worth (at a rate of 3.6PLN for 1 USD).
You will see that it is not very much. You can search on 'gumtree' at any locations in Poland too see how much your money will buy you.

Poland is not a cheap country anymore.

News / Doctors' surgeries and many clinics closed here in Poland - pretty chaotic [9]

One thing is for sure.
This is not a time to be ill in Poland, unless you have MONEY and access to a private doctor or clinic.
If you are unwell - go straight to Accident and Emergency....do not suffer in silence.

Law / PESEL for EU citizen working for a EU company (not Polish) in Poland [42]

Welcome to Poland!!!
Welcome to a nervous breakdown any day soon......

Love / Addressing your Polish in-laws or boy/girlfriend's parents? [49]

In olden days, elders were addressed as 'plural you' (WY-in Polish). This is still used in small towns and villages.
You should NEVER call someone by their first name unless they have given you permission to do so.

Law / Marrriage with my best friend (a girl from Poland) for papers. What are the chances of getting caught? [10]

Please remember, before you go any further, that once you are married, your wife is legally entitled to half of everything you owe. Now, if that is no problem for you then go ahead.

If you want to buy a flat, and get a mortgage - she could ask for half the value of the flat as long as she is your wife. She may wish to have her name on all the paperwork. She may also never allow you to divorce her.

Work / Job in Poland for MBA [10]

Do you honestly think that it will be a walk in the park to get any legal working papers in Poland, especially as you don't speak any Polish?

Work / Job in Poland for MBA [10]

I know that what I'm about to tell you might be unbelievable, but there are Polish people in Poland speaking Polish with an MBA who are out of work and can't get any jobs.

What do you think your chances of finding a job are?

Law / Incorrect data on Polish resident card [12]

NO, it would not make the forum absolete.

But unless you are a qualified specialist on current Polish law, karta pobytu, visa and other documentation - there is very little that anyone can advise the 'asker'.

My advice would be to go to the originator of the card and tell them they have made a mistake. They are only human and maybe able to issue another card immediately.

As an aside, I have my own specific problems with bureaucracy in Poland - my next step is going to the papers or on a TV programme.

Law / Incorrect data on Polish resident card [12]

Yes, you may have asked the PROCESS - but how do you think a person, (who has never needed, never will need a visa or karta pobytu) can help you. Surely, it is better to go and ask THEM - if you don't speak Polish, take a friend with you to translate.

Real Estate / Buying a freehold house in Poland - legal contract? How does the deposit work - to Lawyer 'in trust' or? [6]

Before you hand any money over for a deposit MAKE SURE that this money is refundable. In many situations the money is not-refundable and you will get NOTHING BACK.

Law / Incorrect data on Polish resident card [12]

Would it not be easier to go to the place which gave you the karta and tell them of this mistake?
How can anyone on this forum change your place of birth?

Travel / Do trains in Poland arrive on time? [38]

All trains work fine until fog (the wrong type of fog) , snow, (the wrong type of snow), frost (the wrong type of frost) comes.
As we are nearing winter, let's just see how many trains actually run on time.

Work / IT specialist from Turkey, is it possible for me to get work permit? [4]

'Some work experience' - did not enlighten me as to the extensive abilities of an IT Senior Programmer.
If that is the case, then surely, anyone writing should state at the beginning...I have 5 years experience as an IT specialist in a multi-national firm'. Words 'some experience' somehow do not give me that feeling.

I wish anyone who has to search for a job nothing but good luck in their search, but sometime 'some work experience' may not be enough.

Love / Any particular Polish customs or traditions that I should know about in my relationship? [45]

There is another consideration to be taken into account.
He sees you as 'eye candy' and nothing more. If you think that I'm actually wrong - ask him if he would ever marry you.

Don't waste your time with this guy.
If someone wants the following: change the way you look, change or limit your friends, change your job - ask yourself whether it is actually YOU (as a person that you are now) that he wants or is it someone else.You will never be 'good enough' for him.

Work / IT specialist from Turkey, is it possible for me to get work permit? [4]

You must take into account the thousands of Polish IT specialists (with higher qualifications that yours) chasing the same jobs and practically all of them speak English.

Then consider what factors a Polish or a foreign employer takes into account - Polish person - no hassle, non-EU-paperwork hassle.
In order to get a work permit - an employer has to evidence that YOU are the best person for the job rather than a person already in Poland.

If you also speak Turkish (which you don't say in your post and I cannot assume that) then you may have a chance in a call-centre.

Search this forum and the internet and see how much they pay in those and how really satisfying the work in a call-centre is.

Food / What are the laws regarding fresh veg and meat preparation in Poland? [4]

I can tell you straight off that you will have to deal with Sanepid, the Fire Service - and other government departments. The paperwork will kill you before you even start. Ask any 'veg and meat' businessman in Poland.

Travel / Wroclaw or Krakow - 1st time visitor to Poland [3]

1. Krakow.
2. Ask God who can tell you what he intends to do with the weather. Seriously, time is ok.
3. Do not rent a car - transport is excellent and cheap in Krakow.

Law / Large Bank Deposits - Poland Banks report them to government due to anti-terrorism laws? [5]

You can make any deposits, as long as you can prove where the money originated from. For example, bank statement, payslips, maybe money left in a will. You must provide copies of the evidence for the bank.

The threshold may vary - difficult to establish how much each bank considers 'questionable', but you should ask.

Just as an aside, yesterday I wanted to open an ISA (I am British) and I had to declare and sign that I do not have citizenship of any other country and that I do not have/never have had a US citizenship. I saw the actual questions written on the form.... Strange?

Real Estate / Ideas how to invest sum of 500,000ZL in Warsaw - real estate is recommended? [20]

Just to warn people SKOK recently has not had the best of press. Please read up all about it.
This may turn out to be another Amber Gold. (If you don't know what it is, please search on google).

Study / How do Polish universities compare with those of other Central/Eastern European countries? [7]

Thank you for the link which shows how many students study in other Eastern European countries. However, we are talking about Poland here.
Please be good enough to read my original post.
Unless you study at the best Universities in Poland .......

Real Estate / Ideas how to invest sum of 500,000ZL in Warsaw - real estate is recommended? [20]

>>>Hi Terri, how do you define "normal flats"?
Normal flat is one with a medium lounge, kitchen, at least one bedroom, a bathroom and preferably a little balcony, approx 35-50 m2.
Within the centre of Warsaw, (i.e. 15 minutes walk to Central Railway station) there is no chance of buying such a place. If you go outside and have at least a 45 minutes tram ride then you are in luck.

To the price of the flat you must add the following: the estate agent's fee, the tax, the notary fee (approx 10% of the value). This leaves 450,000 to buy a flat.

You must also have some money for emergencies i.e. tenant leaves without paying rent, floods the flat, does not pay all the utility bills.

IN order to get any return, you must also be sure that the place will always be occupied.
Seeing as you don't speak Polish, how are you going to do that?

Law / A question about divorce - how to get it from my ex who left Poland to Germany? [8]

Go and see a good lawyer and not ask people (on a public forum) who are not lawyers.

Real Estate / Ideas how to invest sum of 500,000ZL in Warsaw - real estate is recommended? [20]

For that money, you will definitely not buy any real estate in Warsaw. Have a look at the prices of normal flats.
If you invest it in a bond with a bank, the yield is approx 1.5%

Life / Mobile PAYG - ringing from Poland to the UK. [4]

Is it not better to organize a Skype connection before she goes?
She can then go to a cafe/or get somebody with a laptop/computer with a Skype connection and talk to you face-to-face for FREE.

Study / How do Polish universities compare with those of other Central/Eastern European countries? [7]

Unless you go to the best Universities in Poland, the paper at the end of your studies will not be worth a penny.
The question is not where to study, but what will future employers accept.

Work / Average IT salary in Poland [60]

The internet (esp. google) is a great source of information. If you ask about 'ATOS and opinions' of people working there, I am sure that you will get an idea of how much they pay. But be prepared, it is not as much as you may think.

Real Estate / Can a Non-European buy house in Poland? [14]

I am 100% sure, that if you pay in CASH, no one will be bothered who they sell to.
Prices of apartments (and everything is measured in square metres) can be found on many real-estate websites.

Law / Landlord approval needed to drill wall for internet cable? Advice please [10]

If an internet company (or anyone else) unlawfully drills in a wall belonging to the owner of a building, the owner has the right to sue the pants of the company, or in your case to also throw you outright out on the street for damaging his property. It is not your property - you are not the owner, you are only a tenant.

Your only recourse as a tenant, is to immediately get in touch with the owner, get his written permission and get the job done.
I don't understand why at the time of the rental, when you signed the rental agreement, you did not specify that you wanted an internet connection. The owner would be aware that you needed his written permission for the drilling and the connection of a cable and could have given it to you there and then.

I also assume that the owner has informed the tax authorities that he is getting an income from the rental of the property. If not - that could be your leverage (if you see what I mean).

Do not drill anything yourself - the internet company will ask you for the written permission. They will not connect you otherwise. No internet company will want to go to court for unlawfully drilling holes without the owners permission.

If you cannot sort this out - get another place already fitted with an internet connection. Simples!!!

Law / Divorced from Polish wife. Can I get a Poland's passport? [3]

No, you cannot get a Polish passport. You are NOT married to the girl.
You cannot go through life marrying girls from France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Spain - all the countries in the world - and then expect that each country will give you a passport.

Or is there something that we're not getting?.