Language / Email Translation for my genealogical inquiry in Poland [9]

@ Koach, you don't really need the first bit of your query as they've already told you that. There is a minimum charge of 40 zl. Thereafter it costs 40zl per hour (or part of presumably). Obviously I don't know how much information you're seeking about your family or how long it'll take them to search.


Get as much information as you can from their website as you can waste a lot of time waiting to get replies to emails. I can see that the query you originally sent was back in May! It could be next year before they reply to your latest query. The information you wanted is on their website actually, here on this page:

przemysl.ap.gov.pl/p,86,cennik

You should really learn how to copy and paste text and use Google Translate. It will save you loads of time and make your research more enjoyable :) I know a foreign language can look a bit overwhelming but with translation software you can make sense of it. At the bottom of the page they give the bank account numbers for sending money to. Here's the translation:

The bank account numbers of the State Archives in Przemyśl

Note: In the title of the transfer, please provide the case number.
An account to which you must pay for the services listed in the price list above:

National Bank of Poland Branch in Rzeszów

NBPLPLPW 43 1010 1528 0063 0522 3100 0000
The account to which the payment associated with sending microfilms should be made

National Bank of Poland Branch in Rzeszów

NBPLPLPW 43 1010 1528 0063 0522 3100 0000
Account of the Municipal Office in Przemyśl, for which stamp duties are to be paid

Getin Noble Bank S.A.

89 1560 0013 2787 7120 6000 0003

And here's information on how to send money to a bank account in Europe using Western Union, USA.

westernunion.com/us/en/send-money-to-europe.html

With the information I've given you, you should be well able to carry on from here. Best of luck.

Language / Email Translation for my genealogical inquiry in Poland [9]

I would imagine so as it's a bank. By the way they also say that you can book a certain number of hours research in advance but I would say just book the minimum. Get back to them, ask for the minimum and wait for their reply to see what payment options are offered. If you have any questions about the payment process Wells Fargo should be able to advise you. Just watch out for bank charges as they can be almost as much as the transfer itself, when you're only sending a small amount. However that's something you have to check with your bank.

You really should use Google translate as nobody here will translate all the communications you receive in the detail you need. Google isn't great but it will give you the general idea. Do you know how to copy and paste text? That's all you have to do. Just copy the text and paste it into the page that the other poster provided a link to. The translation will come up on the right hand side of the screen.

Language / Email Translation for my genealogical inquiry in Poland [9]

Bascially they're telling you that it costs 40 zl per hour with a minimum charge of 40 zl, for them to search the archives on your behalf, but that if you can go there in person it's free of charge. They ask you to confirm if you want them to search.

They don't mention the specifics of how to pay, but usually with Poland it's via bank transfer to an account number that they give you.

Life / Political correctness in Poland [210]

Every single post in this thread for the last two pages, since Johnny resurrected it (it's seven years old and five years since anyone posted in it, for God's sake) has been about America. If American posters want to discuss the problems of American society, then why don't they open a thread about it in Off-Topic? The old 'it might happen in Poland too' is wearing very thin as an excuse to talk about American issues.

Life / Political correctness in Poland [210]


Why can't you just wait in the hallway outside? They have to come out that way.

Travel / So I went to Warsaw - my thoughts after visiting Poland [88]


Kind of depends on whether you're talking about the European Union or the whole European continent. As soon as you start adding all the Eastern and Balkan places outside of the EU Poland probably doesn't look too bad, but in terms of the EU, Poland has still has one of the highest rates of road deaths. You know that that in the European Day Without a Road Death event over the last two years, about 15 EU countries had zero fatalities on that day whilst Poland came bottom with about 18 deaths on that day in 2016, and an even higher number the following year!! Don't know about this year.

One of the truly staggering stats about road deaths in Poland, is how many fatal accidents occur on pedestrian crossings. Excessive speed is one of the main factors of course but it's also lack of the most basic defensive driving skills, no 'mirror, signal, manoeuvre' routine, no reading the road ahead, driving up the arse of the car in front, road positioning, slowing down for a junction etc, none of that. Just get in to the car, start the engine and don't stop until you reach your destination. And of course lack of basic manners. In the same way that people on the pavement here never go into single file but simply shoulder their way through, they drive the same way, never slow down, never yield.

Law / Voting in Poland - Rights and Registration [11]

You can vote in local elections and European ones, so you can vote for MEPs. The link below gives you full details of what you need to do:

europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/residence/elections-abroad/european-elections/poland/index_en.htm

Travel / So I went to Warsaw - my thoughts after visiting Poland [88]


Oh God, yes I know. But I'm afraid we're just like that. I remember once stopping to ask directions to somewhere in Co Wexford and when she heard my non-local accent, the woman responded with "What do you want to go there for? There's nothing there but a church and one house. Now, I'll tell you a lovely place you should go......." I had to stop her and tell her that my friend had recently moved into the 'one house'. She very begrudgingly gave me the directions but I could see she thought I really should go the place she'd recommended instead :D Yes, the Irish are very, very chatty and love talking to strangers. We're genuinely extremely curious and interested in people.


Well I think it is really Doug. Social interactions differ from country to country in terms of what's considered acceptable. Poles are weird though. My husband once had a discussion with a work colleague about the lack of basic manners often exhibited in casual exchanges and the logic was "why should I say please when I buy something, I'm paying for it. Why should I say thank you when they give me change, it's my money." I'd better not think about it too much or I'll get 'annoyed' :))

Travel / So I went to Warsaw - my thoughts after visiting Poland [88]


Where did you get such a weird idea from? Of course they don't. Have you ever lived in the British Isles? It's a different culture, that's all. I smile a lot during my interactions with people, but it's genuine. I actually feel like smiling, would you believe that's possible?

I'm sorry if it upsets you to learn this, but staff can be very friendly in Poland too, if you're a regular customer. They also appreciate being spoken to politely, not snapped at by rude customers which happens all to often. One aspect of Polish customer service that's always impressed me is the patience they show with elderly people, especially when they pay in cash and the coins have to be sorted. A little bit of courtesy and kindness makes the world a much more pleasant place to live in. Being a rude, ignorant lump with a sour face and no social skills, is not a national characteristic to be encouraged and is nothing to be proud of.

Travel / So I went to Warsaw - my thoughts after visiting Poland [88]

My contribution to the Biedra controversy: it varies. I have two Biedronka locally. In one they're pleasant on the whole though they have their moments, in the other they're dog-rough. You'd swear they were habitual, petty offenders forced to do a few shifts on community service :)

Travel / Lot compensation for cancelled flight [18]

If you read the other posts in this thread you will see that you other people have claimed successfully in the past. I would contact them again, maybe by phone this time to see what the status of your claim is. Usually it's pointless phoning Polish officials because they either can't speak English or don't want to but with an airline it should be different. If you speak good Polish it would help though. You'll just have to be persistent as things are often done very slowly in Poland and many businesses who owe customers money, anywhere in the world, will do their best to avoid paying!

News / Poland's PIS party and the UK Tories [25]

But the 'job' doesn't involve any political power. The few monarchies remaining in the developed world are all constitutional ones. It's really just a diplomatic role and the Brits fill that very nicely. Queenie has always done a tremendously good job and Prince Philip's many gaffes and faux pas have provided great entertaiment over the years :) William and Kate are ok, although she's terribly ordinary and lower middle class, I still see her as a parlourmaid dressed up in Her Ladyship's clothes. Harry and Meghan are nauseating.

A Royal family of Poland would be very nice. I nominate Adam Zamoyski (sic), the author and historian. You see the thing is that as Poland had an elected monarch, you could have anybody really, it doesn't have to be somebody from a particular family with a claim, just a suitable member of the old Polish nobility. Also, apart from installing him in a palace somewhere, he doesn't need more than a basic salary plus expenses. No need for a big civil list with the world and his wife on it. A well-chosen Polish Royal family would do far more for the country's image than the clumsy, lumpen-footed members of the present diplomatic corps.

I was in Łazienki on Sunday for the last Chopin concert of the season and a nice Royal dignitary opening or closing the proceedings would have added a lovely touch :)) Seriously though, it was such a beautiful occasion, the very best of what Poland has to offer, it was a true Polish Golden Autumn day with the blue sky and the sunshine, and the music of Chopin wafting on the air, the romance of bygone Polish days.........

News / Poland's PIS party and the UK Tories [25]

What a wonderful sense of humour you have. I'm sure it greatly enriches your life :)

News / Poland's PIS party and the UK Tories [25]

Sounds quite good to me. But I do think you should reconsider giving Queenie a job as she would make a lovely addition to the Royal Palace at Wilanów; every palace needs somebody royal installed. Charlie could be made head of the Botanical Gardens as he's very keen on plants. I suggest housing him in Łazienki so that he's close to work and he could do a few guided tours in his spare time. Camilla could take over the Pride of Poland thingee as she's very horsey and it's going downhill at the moment, needs somebody new at the helm. William could be King after Queenie departs Heavenward. Their roles would be purely symbolic of course as they presently are in the UK. What do you think?


I will permit myself a hearty lol!!

Incidentally did anybody see Theresa May or Tessie as I think of her, making a Holy Show of herself as we'd say in Ireland, at the Tory Party Conference with her dance moves. Cringeworthy in the extreme.

Love / Polish Man being with English Woman - he insists on paying for EVERYTHING [36]

Well it depends. I think that while one should be thoughtful and try not to hurt one's parents, at the same time, you are an individual with your own path to follow in life which may not always fit in with what your parents like. It can be a difficult balance to strike sometimes.

Love / Polish Man being with English Woman - he insists on paying for EVERYTHING [36]


I think the tolerating eccentrics thing exists in almost every society to some degree but I'm talking more about things like not eating carp on Wigilia :) Many British families still sit down to turkey and plum pudding on Christmas Day but equally you're quite likely to be served roast beef or salmon and a raspberry mousse instead of the pudding and it won't be considered 'odd', just different. British society, despite its long established traditions and respect for its own history, is much more diverse than Polish. And however much the post 1995 generation are different, I think they are still more family oriented and conformist than their British counterparts. They like to keep their parents happy as a rule.


Well Mr Atch says he wouldn't live anywhere in Poland except Warsaw :) He loves it.

Love / Polish Man being with English Woman - he insists on paying for EVERYTHING [36]

Gosh it's hard to say really. People are individuals, regardless of nationality or culture and age, social class, rural/urban divide plays a part in it too. I'll just give you my observations as an Irish woman but bear in mind that it's my own personal view. I'm married to a Polish man and he has some traits that I would consider typically Polish but he's quite different in some respects and over the years he's picked up a lot of Irish ways :) So my observations are more my general view of Polish men and Polish people in general.

The UK is a highly individualistic culture and there's a lot of tolerance for 'difference'. People have very different lifestyles to each other. Polish society appears much more conformist to me. There are ways of doing things and conventions which people rarely break with. Young adults often remain very close to their parents and spend a surprising amount of time with them. That carries on after marriage and can be quite intrusive. Also depending on the financial circumstances of the family, there is a definite expectation that a successful member will subsidize the less well off members, regardless of whether they're deserving of it or not. So there can be requests for money for Cousin So-and-So who drinks like a fish to get parts for his car, or for Auntie So-and-So to pay her gas bill or whatever. There is really no social welfare support in Poland to speak of so the earners in the family are expected to fill that void.

Men and women don't really have casual, platonic friendships as they do in the UK. Outward apperances of respectability are still quite important in Polish society. Men can have expectations of how a woman will behave in public when she's in his company. She mustn't be too chatty or animated with other men for example.

Quite young men can have surprisingly conservative attitudes towards women and there are still marriages where the man is head of the house and the woman pretty much does as she's told. I've seen that amongst well educated, professional people under forty. Bascially, with a Polish man, especially if he's from the country, he may have lovely, old fashioned, chivalrous manners, carry your shopping, hold your coat for you when you put it on and all that but the marriage can be like something out of the 1950s.

Now there are people who will disagree strongly with me but like I say, that's just what I've observed and how it seems to me. The best thing you can do is simply be yourself and see how it goes. Also just bear in mind that if the relationship works out and you end up getting married, you might also end up living in rural Poland and that's a huge cultural difference even if you're a country girl. Rural Poland is a very, very different society to the English countryside.

UK, Ireland / Options for Polish citizen with severe physical + mental health problems in the UK [4]


You make her sound like a parcel! However, I think you're fussing quite needlessly about Brexit. The British authorities will not deport Polish citizens or any other EU citizens. That simply won't happen.

Take Brexit out of the picture and just focus on your partner's health. You're a bit vague about it. You mention her mental health. Do you mean she's depressed and desperate because of her physical state or that her mental health has caused her physical symptoms because the two are rather different. I'ts my impression that she has one of those conditions like fybromyalgia which conventional medicine can do little to alleviate?


The Polish Embassy/Consulate will have zero interest and give you no help whatsoever.

Asf for her parents, even if they were in their full health themselves, there is virtually no support for unemployed people with undiagnosed and possibly mental health issues in rural Poland and little enough in the big cities. Poland is not the answer to your problems.

Your best option is to continue seeking help in the UK. The UK is one of the best places to be in terms of access to quality medical care at little or no cost not to mention support groups etc. Is there no support group for people with a similar condition to your partner's?

Law / Using Paypal to send money to Poland [12]

That depends on how you've set up your PayPal account. You set your own limits. To send large amounts you need to link your bank account and I think there's a limit on how much you can send in a single transaction but it's quite high, in the thousands anyway.

Law / Karta Stałego Pobytu - Polish heritage and permanent resident permit in Poland [7]

Yes, but I don't think you can get permanent residence right away. You have to get a 'Pole's Card' Karta Polaka first. That's valid for ten years but once you have that you can work in Poland without a work permit and you can apply for permanent residence. Why don't you just get that and see how you like living in Poland for a couple of years?

But actually I'm not sure if it's issued to American citizens.

Work / My experience leaving Canada and going to Poland to find a job [19]

It kind of depends on whether you're working for a Polish company or a foreign company. If it's an American company then there will be a bit of an American work culture, somewhat adapted for local style, but only somewhat. For example your working hours may be different because of the need to liaise with America which is between six and nine hours behind. Office hours can be in the more 9-5 category, even if it's supposedly flexi-time. Poles often prefer to work 8-4. Also Americans are more likely to expect you to work late on a regular basis with no extra pay whereas a good Polish firm often pays overtime for that.

I disagree with CMS about the socializing thing because I think there is still a big drinking culture in Poland and certainly my own husband has found that the guys he has worked with in a few companies drink together after work on a regular basis. It often involves going out to eat first but the drinking carries on after the meal and if they're on flexi time gangs of them will show up at around 11 next morning and then work till 7 or 8 in the evening. He has also experienced a culture of 'celebrating' milestones and successfully achieved deadlines in individual projects so the team involved will go out to celebrate which inevitably means more drinking. You're not strictly obliged to attend these but there is pressure to do so and a slight coolness if you don't. In one company where he worked, (it was a Polish one) there were also things like spending a whole Saturday together to celebrate Christmas. It involved going to the cinema in the afternoon, then on for dinner and then to a club/bar for, yes more drinking! He didn't go to that. He draws the line at spending any part of a weekend with his workmates.

Language / Polish words that sound funny? [224]

Wow! That's lovely. Thank you.

Language / Polish words that sound funny? [224]

Well, as a native English speaker myself, and having studied three languages before I encountered Polish, it's much harder than either German, French or Irish, although I suppose I can't be that objective about Irish as I was only four when I started learning and we had a lot talking before we touched any grammar. Mind you I still don't really undersand the fine nuances of Irish grammar, I just know how something should sound but often couldn't explain the rules of why!


I rarely agree with Rich Mazur but I would have to say that frequently I feel tired just looking at a Polish sentence before I ever begin reading it. I usually precede it with 'God Almighty' and actually take a deep breath before I start, then plough my way wearily through it, muttering plenty of good old Anglo-Saxon oaths under my breath as I go along. German is just as bad though in a different way because of all the bloody clauses. French is lovely, very pleasant to look at and read, for an English speaker.

However, to a native Polish speaker the above example given by Rich looks perfectly normal. Mr Atch wouldn't bat an eyelid at it.

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


Oh but it does, you were speed reading weren't you, you naughty boy!

It actually says:

"Point no 4 from the list above involves dual examinations of theoretical and practical knowledge. Both tests are organised by local road traffic centres called WORD in Polish. Before attempting to pass them, new drivers are obliged to enrol for a driving course. "

It's really bad luck but I don't see a way round it for you.

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

You have to enrol for a driving course, 30 hours driving lessons and 30 hours theory. You may find that they will want you to change some of your driving techniques. They don't really have the concept of 'defensive driving' here so they're not big on checking their mirrors, they may actually tell you not to! Also they do weird things like cross their hands on the steering wheel. Well, stuff that is very much a no-no if you learn to drive in the UK or Ireland. Don't know about America.

careersinpoland.com/article/living-in-poland/hit-the-road-jack-getting-driving-licence-in-poland

Read it - I'm not doing anymore Googling for you :))

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

As far as I know you don't need a residence permit. I can't see any reason why you'd be exempt from the six month deadline. As to what happens if you missed it, I haven't a clue but I don't think you'll be punished for it if that's what you're worried about.

If you'd clicked on the very first link I gave you yesterday (God give me patience!) and read the post plus comments you would have found this, the post is from July of this year:

"I went with all my required documents to the "Urzad Gminy" and was told I need the USA to verify the authenticity of my drivers license. They said they cannot do it as the US does not respond. In addition they told me I cannot be the "middle man" and give them the validation documents physically, it needs to be done via mail or email.

The US DMV told me they do not email anything, only fax or regular mail. They also do not send items via mail abroad.
The US embassy here in Warsaw informed me they do not do authenticity checks.

Seems it will be easier to just take the written and practical examas the US and PL cannot communicate with one another."

The Mods here don't like us to copy and paste but maybe they'll be kind to me as I'm trying to help somebody :)

I think especially as you missed the deadline for a straightforward exchange, you'll have to take the Polish driving test as well as the theory exam :( You should really just bite the bullet and go along to the Urzad. You won't get any definite answers on this forum.

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

Einsten, did you not look at the first link I provided? It is current information and gives very detailed instructions on the application procedure for those with non-EU licences.

justaskpoland.com/polish-driving-licence/

Here's what the EU has to say about non-EU licences specific to Poland:

"If you hold a driving licence issued outside the EU, you must exchange it within six months of the date on which your permanent or temporary residence in Poland began.

If you hold a valid driving licence issued abroad, you can ask to obtain a Polish driving licence for the equivalent category, but you will have to pay for it (and produce proof of payment) and return your foreign licence to the body that issued it. If a driving licence issued abroad is not covered by the road traffic conventions, you will also have to pass the theory part of the national examand present a certified translation of the foreign licence."

A USA licence is not covered by the road traffic conventions because they are not a party to the Vienna Convention hence you have to take the theory test. It's in English but you'll need to swot up the Polish rules of the road - not that you'd ever know there WERE any, watching the way people drive here!

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

Rules from 2003 will be obsolete as they pre-date Poland joining the EU.

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

Apparently you need to pass a written theory exam before you can exchange an American licence. The exam is available in English but you may still need a translator to accompany you. Scroll down to the 'other countries' section of this post linked below, it's very helpful:

justaskpoland.com/polish-driving-licence/

It seems from the EU's own website that you should have exchanged your American licence within six months of arriving in Poland:

europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/vehicles/driving-licence/driving-licence-recognition-validity/poland/index_en.htm

But there may be other posters here who have had personal experience of this and could confirm.

Work / Work in Poland for a person who moved to America as a kid, and who speaks great Polish [5]


It depends on which European countries you were in. The culture, mindset and people vary quite a lot from country to country. Also, it's been said many times on this forum but holidays are a very different matter to living somewhere especially when you have to navigate bureaucracy and find how differently things are done from what you're accustomed to.

One of the things I find difficult about Polish people is that they are somewhat reserved but if they decide they want to be friends with you, they tend to smother you a bit. For me as an Irish person (so also European) I am accustomed to the casual friendliness and outgoing manner of my counytrymen which makes it easy to interact on a day to day basis, but I find the 'be my best friend forever' vibe of Polish people a bit overwhelming. They're very nice, but it's just too much.

Also they don't read signals, you have to be very direct and blunt with them or they don't get the message. I'm not comfortable with that, as such interactions can seem rude/confrontational to me. It's a different communication style.

Another thing is that people in an 'official' position get very defensive and quite angry if you ask for information and they don't have it or if you press them for details. My husband, who is Polish, and myself were once doing some business with a Notary's office and I asked the secretary a few polite questions about the process in the same way I would in Ireland and she replied to my husband 'will you tell your wife that if she keeps asking questions Iike this I will have to ask you to leave' !!!

Recently we had to go to a government office on some business and when my husband asked a question about something not very complex or controversial Pani Kommandant snapped 'What are you asking me for? I'm not a lawyer'. Another time, he was talking to a goverment department and they told him he had to call another internal office. When he asked for the number, the girl actually laughed and said 'look it up'. My husband calls it boorishness and it's found at every level in Polish society. On that occasion my husband 'lifted her out of it' as we'd say in Ireland :)) In other words, he told her in no uncertain terms what he thought of her. That's one of the weird things about Poland, how easy it is to end up having a row with a complete stranger when you're not an aggressive person at all by nature.

They probably seem like trivial things to you but when you have to deal with that every day it can get very wearing.