Life / Getting kaucja back - dealing with landlords [20]


I have never been a landlord, but I can see what you mean. A foreign tenant is a much higher risk. If you have a Polish person you have their Pesel and main address. However, a foreign person could just fly off home and not pay final bills...why should this person be given back their deposit based on honour? I think the best option is get the final bills and change the billing back to you and then, once all is finalised then give back the deposit.

Personally, it appears a lot of people here have such an "us and them" relationship with their landlord. I have always tried to be as friendly and open with landlords as possible in order that, if something happened with my income, I would let them know there may be a delay and they were always clear with me about where charges are coming from with receipts. My current landlord I have even invited over for drinks (it helps that he works for Heinenken and brings free beer!).

Why can't we all just get along?

Life / Getting kaucja back - dealing with landlords [20]

As the owner, she has every right to withold the deposit until the final utility bills can be confirmed. If you need your deposit back ASAP then contact the utility companies for proof of payment. I had one situation where I actually got more than my deposit back 2 months later because I had overpaid my bills.

Put yourself in the owner's shoes, she doesn't know how much you have used of the utilities, why give you the deposit back and then have to chase you up for money when you are long gone?

USA, Canada / Living 16+ years in the US. Is moving back to Poland a good idea? [14]


Also keep in mind that smaller cities, while hard for a non-Polish speaking expat, could be quite enjoyable for someone who speaks fluent Polish.

Food / Are eggs in Poland refrigerated/not refrigerated? [33]


Auchan and some Carrefours in Kraków have their eggs in the fridge...that would make the claims of it being illegal pretty far fetched.

Law / I'm looking for a polish website similar to Nisbets or Russums. [3]


Possibly one of the best websites ever. Even outside of the trade they still offer trade prices and delivery before 6am next day!

Love / What documentation do I need to marry a Polish girl in Poland? [28]


I agree and, as a leper in my own country, I can see why Poland whouldn't be keen, but if he get's a tourist visa he should be fine!

Law / Polish divorce - there is next to no help available from the law! [11]

Divorce is almost always messy, I have an aunt an uncle that are still fighting over property and custody for 15 years (and all their kids are adults now) and they still seem as far from a resolution as it was 15 years ago. I still think it's the courts forcing conflict to get more money.

Love / What documentation do I need to marry a Polish girl in Poland? [28]


As they are planning to live in India, surely the chap only needs a tourist Visa for Poland? He's not planning a prolonged stay, just go over, get married, and come back. In that case it's only a certificate of non-impediment that has been translated by a sworn translator and proof of marriage preparedness issued by the Church which does not need to be translated as it can be sent from his diocese in India direct to the diocese in Poland within the church.

I can see why people would be suspect, but if the plan is to live in India and they are both Catholic (I noticed he mentioned Christian and not Catholic) then it won't really be so hard.

Life / Want to watch BBC iplayer in Poland? [59]

I just went through the apps on chrome and it worked without problem...

Life / Want to watch BBC iplayer in Poland? [59]

If you only use Chrome you can use the Hola! Better Internet app and you can chop and change between countries as you wish.

Law / Karta Pobytu - Is the plastic card only given to non-EU people? [8]


That is indeed the case, I asked in the office when I got mine about it being rejected because there is no photographic evidence on it. They gave me a small sheet of paper I can bring along with it explaining that it is a legal document and it must be accepted as such. I have never had a problem with it being accepted, but I always carry the legal sheet with the Karta Ponytu just in case.

But yes, a photo card would be much more convenient.

Law / Is there a difference between karta pobytu and Europa card? [15]

I have never had a visit from the police and I have my PESEL and zameldowanie and have done for a year...should I still be expecting a visit?

Law / Are there any specific regulations regarding the Importation of alcohol from EU to Poland? [4]

Yes Balazs, you will need a license. As with everywhere in the EU, you can bring in as much alcohol as you want for your friends and you to drink, but as soon as money is changing hands you will have to pay duty. If I were you I would either find a supplier of Hungarian beer already in Poland to supply your pub or forget the pub and open an import business and try to flog Hungarian beer to pubs already here. I know my mate's pub has a Ukranian beer that's been selling pretty well. The Polish market is keen on new beers from different countries and small breweries especially.

Love / Cultural difference or flirting? My boyfriend is from Poland. [7]

Hard to say really without being there, it is most likely that it's as he says and they were just catching up. And I wouldn't say asking for a dance is flirting, in fact I often feel it's a necessity in a lot of situations and it would be considered rude not to ask someone to dance.

Law / Preferred online store for purchasing Electronics Item in Poland [22]

There are a good number on the internet. When I was shopping for a TV i just searched RTV AGD <insert name of city> and google brought up a good number of choices.

Travel / Is the Irish embassy bar in Krakow open or closed? [9]

Maurice is still there but he has other interests as well and spends a good amount of time in Wroclaw and Ireland. I would highly doubt that the Mbassy would be closing any time soon, i rarely go in myself (city centre is a bit far for me, Kazimierz is about as far as I go) but any time I have been in it's been mobbed!

Law / Can I drive my wife's car in Poland on a GB licence? [7]

You make a good point, insurance companies will do pretty much anything to get out of paying you what they owe.

Life / Are there any Muslim areas in Poland? [173]

I don't understand why the OP would think there would be a dry area in Poland. The UK has a large Muslim community and yet there are off licenses everywhere there. If you choose to live in a non-Muslim country then you need to accept that Sharia law will not apply. Same applies to someone from Europe moving to Saudi for work, you just need to accept the bad differences with the good.

Life / E-books in Poland? [10]

I never really liked reading in PDF format, it reminded me too much of reading on a laptop which I never enjoyed. I now just use iBooks.

Slightly off topic, with Dances with Dragons on iTunes you could buy the whole, unsplit, version for £3.99 or you could buy the two halves for £6.99 each...who is seriously buying the two parts???

Law / Can I drive my wife's car in Poland on a GB licence? [7]

Yes you can, you can use any EU license to drive a car in Poland. Likewise using a Polish license in the UK (although it has to be a new Polish license I believe because the older ones were laminated and not very secure against forgery).

Life / Where to buy a clothes dryer in Poland? [16]

Don't bother with dryer sheets, just ball up some aluminium foil and throw it in.

Food / Borscht - Zurek / Bialy barszcz recipe [153]


Yes, that is a good way to make it have the sour taste if you want to have it quick. Traditionally the sour taste comes from fermented rye (or barley) and the difference is quite noticaeable. Luckily here in Poland you can go into any shop and you will find Barszcz Koncentrat which is basically the fermented grain stuff concentrated down to add to the soup. Makes żurek really easy to make quickly, instead of it taking days.

Travel / Ryanair cut charges. Poles to take advantage? [20]


This right here is why I don't want to work for Ryanair. Trying to clean down a plane in tight conditions in the space of 20 minutes seems almost impossible to me. That's a LOT of seats to get through.

I don't see why there is such animosity towards budget airlines. No-one complains about budget bus companies, you get what you pay for. I personally think that, for so long, flying had an air of grace to it. People complain about flying economy class on long haul flights, but it's never great being stuck in a tube for 12 hours. I think people assume that they should have Long Haul level comfort (keep in mind the RyanAir "bus" style seating with no booking and no reclining is a relatively new concept) on the short haul budget lines. Just sit down, be quiet and get on and off in an orderly fashion. It's not so much to ask.

Law / List of banks from Poland offering free ATM withdrawals and spending worldwide? [12]

Back in the day the <30 account with WBK had free ATM withdrawals. But now it's only the salary account with that (it's not much though, only need to put in 1kPLN per month). I know M-Bank is currently advertising free withdrawals but I haven't looked into the details.

As for foreing transactions, unfortunately I'm not your guy as I have bank accounts abroad and I just send money there and spend using a local card.

Travel / Ryanair cut charges. Poles to take advantage? [20]

I agree, it's hardly the most pleasant of flight experiences having to rammy into the plane if you don't want to be stuck between folk. But other than that I have never had a problem, never been late and (because I weigh my luggage and use cabin appropriate cabin luggage) never been stuck with extra charges. I would never want to fly longer than a few hours but you gets what you pay for.

I love all these people complaining at the gate about the charges, but they are very clear about the limits and charges online. It's their own fault for not checking their luggage before they left and trying to cram 42 outfits into a bag for a weekend. If you want to bring big bags and have a seat and fly in comfort, then you need to pay for it.

Law / Registering in Poland for a NIP tax number? [9]

It used to be that you needed a NIP for working and PESEL for credit or other stuff. But now it has become a case of one or the other. If you have a PESEL now, you don't need a NIP.

Law / Moving to Poland - How do I get the Polish Identity Card [17]

^Pretty much what they said. If you have a Polish passport then you need to go to Urzad Miasta and they can sort out your ID card. If you have a Polish Passport then you will already have a PESEL so it shouldn't be a hassle. If you don't have a Polish Passport then it might be a bit harder.

USA, Canada / Only one county in the USA has more Polish-Americans than any other group! [38]


That's a fair point, I know a few people who have lived in Poland for years and don't speak any Polish. I think it does make it easier to learn Polish if you are in Poland because you will pick up bits and pieces, but you really need to put in a good amount of effort if you want to be coherent!

Food / PIZZA & KETCHUP served only in Poland? [159]

With a portion of that nuclear chilli sauce that can stain anything within 3 feet!

Food / PIZZA & KETCHUP served only in Poland? [159]


A fried pizza with gravy would be grand, but not a regular pizza! I like plenty of cheese and toppings on my pizza in Scotland and Poland. But if I am going for proper Italian pizza then it's all about the dough and so a simple margherita with some fresh basil and garlic is ideal!