Law / Polish citizenship claim (father naturalizes as a citizen of Poland) [5]

That's correct. You are a foreigner just like any other, and the fact that your father is now a citizen is irrelevant. He would have to have been a citizen at the time of your birth to make any difference. If you want to get Polish citizenship, you will have to do it just like any other foreigner, as your dad did.

Travel / Where can you get a good cuppa coffee in Wroclaw? [7]

The coffee at Bernard on the Main Square is outstanding. Highly recommend it.

USA, Canada / Have an American passport and moving to Poland. Do I STILL need a visa? [17]

Yes, you will need a resident visa to permit here. Generally not much of a problem to get as long as you do not plan to work here and have sufficient demonstrable income/savings. Otherwise, major hassle from someone for the US.

Notice that you have two Polish grandparents. You could try applying for citizenship. You qualify for repatriation. Documentation can be a problem; you have to prove that your grandparents were from Poland.

Best contact an immigration lawyer and ask his advice.

Also, noticed that you were inquiring about apartments in Warsaw. Warsaw isn't cheap, as are the other larger cities in Poland. Frankly, it's a lot cheaper to live in rural Indiana. If you want to make your retirement dollars stretch, consider living in a small town near Warsaw, like £owicz or Skierniewice, for example. Rents are much cheaper. From Skierniewice, you can take the train to downtown Warsaw and get there faster than many people who live in Warsaw itself can. Train connections are very frequent- hourly at least.

Also, I see that you expect to live off of $1200 a month. That pretty much rules out Warsaw, and definitely anything in the heart of Warsaw (walking distance). A small one bedroom apartment alone is going to cost at least $800 with utilities or more (anything less, and you're getting into substandard housing territory). You'd have to live a very frugal existence. Nothing worse than living in a big city and not having the money to enjoy it. You'd be a lot better off living in someplace like Skierniewice. Rents are less than half of what they are in Warsaw, and the commute to Warsaw is convenient.

If you plan on working here, definitely look into citizenship. Otherwise, it's just not going to be possible, especially since you don't know the language.

USA, Canada / Have an American passport and moving to Poland. Do I STILL need a visa? [17]

@Harry: I'd consider that a pretty lucky find, especially if your friend recently signed the contract and is a non-Pole.

USA, Canada / Have an American passport and moving to Poland. Do I STILL need a visa? [17]

You really need to talk to a lawyer who is familiar with Polish residential visas. There are plenty in Chicago. Or at least visit the Polish consulate. Citizenship is definitely worth considering. Sorry, but you are not going to get the detailed answers you need on a web forum.

USA, Canada / Have an American passport and moving to Poland. Do I STILL need a visa? [17]


Citizenship is granted automatically if you can prove that two of your grandparents were Polish. Again, he would have to discuss that with the consulate and get expert help, but, if he has the proper documentation, it wouldn't be a long and arduous process.

Work / Thinking of moving to Poland after university...? Which courses to take before? English teaching/translating? [3]

If your planning to relocate to and work in Poland, your best bet is to get a degree in engineering, get hired by a western company, and get a transfer to Poland. Living in Poland on a western salary would be very comfortable.

Teaching English is ok if you just want to goof around. Don't expect big bucks unless your a really, really good businessman and marketer. I do some freelance teaching (actually, mentoring) for social contact, but I wouldn't rely on it to butter my bread.

Translating is also a very good option and in great demand, but you have to have experience in a specialty area (like science, medicine, business or law) to make a go of it. I'm a scientific translator, and have no shortage of work. Again, experience counts for a lot, as does self-drive and discipline. Freelance is the way to go, and you can make a pretty decent living.

Work / Advice on Teaching English in Poland [709]

@Laurie.123: Since you are a non-EU citizen, you would have to find an employer who is willing to take upon themselves the time-consuming and costly task of getting a work permit for you, which involves convincing the Work Office that you have qualifications that enable you to fill a position that a non-EU person could not, at a time when there are more than enough EU citizens with degrees from the UK and Ireland eager to work as English teachers in Poland.

Basically, a degree is indispensible. Your certificate as a teacher's aid would mean little, if anything, to a perspective employer. Your experience working as a teachers aid would probably not count for much, either. Without a bachelors degree, a TEFL certificate would be of little, if any, value, so don't even bother trying to get one. It would be a waste of money.

Frankly, the chances that a private language school would be interested in you are astronomically remote, and the chance that the Work Office will grant you a work permit without a degree is practically nil. Your chances of getting a job in the public school system are non-existant.

Sorry, but teaching English in Poland is not a career option that is open to someone of your background and qualifications.

Work / Advice on Teaching English in Poland [709]

Harry: Experience as a teacher's aid (not as a teacher) in a primary school wouldn't mean much to someone hiring a teacher for a language school, and would fall far short of the Work Office's requirements. All in all, she still has ZERO actual teaching experience.

No degree, no work permit. Even when I was applying for a work permit, they insisted on seeing my B.S. diploma, even though I gave them the diploma for my advanced degree. I had to send back to the States for a transcript, which the work office gave me a hard time over because they had no concept of what an American transcript was and meant.

I agree with you in principle that she may be "more qualified" than most recent grads, especially those with non-relevant degrees. But the Work Office isn't going to agree, and to them, a degree is a degree, regardless of what it is in. Your objection is a red herring that has nothing to do with the case at hand, which is that Laurie does not have sufficient qualifications and experience to land a job in Poland. Whether you or I consider it "fair" is immaterial.

I do stand by my statement that her certificate and experience will mean little, if anything, to a prospective employer. And nothing at all to the Work Office. A CELTA or TESOL isn't going to change much if she doesn't have a degree. Like you said, it's much less of a hassle to hire a Brit, and Laurie's certificate and experience as a teacher's aid is not enough by a long shot to make her worth the hassle.

Work / Advice on Teaching English in Poland [709]


If "ifs" and "buts" were candy and nuts, it would be Christmas every day.

The chances that she will find a school that is interested in her to the point that they take on the hassle and expense of getting her a work and residence permit is vanishlingly small. For God's sake, she's only a teacher's aid (again, not a teacher), with no relevant qualifications and no relevant classroom experience beyond passing out crayons and wiping snotty noses.

I can't for the life of me imagine why you imagine that a potential employer would find her at all a tempting job candidate, especially when there is no shortage of equally unqualified and innexperienced UK and Irish nationals willing to take a job in even the most remote and unattractive village in Poland. The days of schools having to choose between totally unqualified non-EU nationals or nobody at all are long gone.

And getting a work permit for a non-EU national is indeed a veritable *****. I would certainly not want to go through that again, and I have tons of well-documented experience and qualifications. If you think it's a cake-walk and a matter of "no one answering the ad", you're sorely mistaken.

Bottom line (literally, because the OP is essentially asking for advice on money), is it worth investing time and money in getting a CELTA certificate on the extremely off chance that some school somewhere in Poland might someday be desperate enough to be interested in someone of Laurie's qualifications and experience, the answer is "Hell, no!".

Even in the best of circumstances, it would take her a great deal of time to offset the cost of the certificate, her flight and relocation expenses to Poland with a job that will, at most, bring in $1000 a month for only nine months out of the year. Holding out false hope is doing her no service. Her time, effort and resources would be better spent exploring and preparing for more realistic job options.

(And no, no Polish employer is going to reimburse her for her course or flight costs from Australia, no matter how desperate they are).

Work / Considering doing a PhD in Poland: ECTS doctoral studies [10]

You would have to discuss it with the professor you would like to study under, who would have to discuss it with their department head, who would have to discuss it with the university rector, who would probably have to discuss it with the Ministry of Education. What answer comes back is anyone's guess. Things like this are handled on a case by case basis, and the results vary widely from case to case.

Work / Advice on Teaching English in Poland [709]


I still strongly disagree. She would be best advised, as I have already done so, to forget about doing a CELTA and pursuing employment as an English teacher in Poland, and spend her time, effort and resources exploring and preparing for more realistic job options.

We all know cases of "some guy" who was lucky and managed to fool the system and get away with it, or who got a lucky break in spite of the fact that they had no qualifications or experience. Sound advice is not based on such exceptional cases, though. Telling someone to spend a valuable time and a significant amount of money on what is, at best, a crap-shoot borders on being irresponsible, and even a tad cruel, especially considering that, as a teacher's aid, she doesn't earn very much and has to spend what little she earns wisely.

Love / What's a premarital medical check up in Poland? [15]

@abu3issa: The thing your talking about is called "genetic counseling". Check out the Wikipedia article on the topic. Pre-marital blood testing is something entirely different and unrelated.

It's wise to do if there is a history of serious inborn disorders in your or your spouses family. Sickle-cell anemia or cycstic fibrosis, for example. You meet with a specialist, who decides which tests might be necessary. Tests take no more than a week to perform, and then you meet with a specialist who discusses the results with you.

It's also a good idea for both partners to get tested for STI's, including HIV and HBV, and get appropriate treatment before a pregnancy occurs. Any physician can arrange the testing for you.

Work / Advice on Teaching English in Poland [709]


Not to move to Poland. Opportunities for finding gainful emlployment that provides adequate income are much higher in Australia than in Poland, as are opportunities for improving her qualifications. Moving to Poland would be expensive, risky and counterproductive. I would even advise against your suggestion of sending CV's around. As I said, the job doesn't pay well enough to justify the costs of the certificate and plane ticket, so it would just be a waste of time that could be better spent on looking for a better paying job in Australia.


Sorry, but native-speaking female EU-national applicants for teaching jobs in Poland are dime a dozen. Absolutely no pressing need to resort to non-EU citizens for female teachers. And there's a reason that you see more male teachers even though there are probably more female applicants. Non-Polish female teachers are high-maintainence and unreliable. Few stay for a second year, and a lot don't even come back from the Christmas break. Males are much more satisfied with "slumming it". Frankly, I wouldn't even consider hiring a female non-Pole, unless, perhaps, she was already established here in Poland.

Nor is there any dire need for anyone who likes to work with kids. Especially for somebody with no relevant qualifications or experience.

You're being overly optimistic.


You took my quote out of context. I advised her forget about getting a CELTA because teaching English in Poland is not a viable carreer option for her. In her case, a CELTA isn't going to open any doors, either now or in the future.

Work / Advice on Teaching English in Poland [709]


I agree with that. It's really the only option open to her. However, who said she has to move to Poland? There was nothing in her posts that indicated such.


I was going to mention that myself, but I figured my pessimism scale was already too far in the red zone. If the poor suckers had any idea what they were in for ... But that's another thread. And a very long one at that.

But really, the willingness to slum and deal with insecurity it is an important factor.


I'm not being negative. I'm being realistic. She's obviously disatisfied with her job as a teacher's aid in Australia, almost certainly because of the low pay. She's not going to make any more as an English teacher in Poland (and probably less). She'd simply be jumping out of the frying pan into the fire.

Her time and effort would be better spent looking for a better job in Australia, and/or enhancing her qualifications there. The cost of taking a CELTA exam is a considerable investment for someone on a teacher's aid's wages. It's a poor investment in my opinion, for a job that's going to pay so little without any realistic hope of advancement.

Remember, even if she does land a job, she's only going to be making about $9000 a year, a little more if she's lucky and there's work for her during the summer, a little less if she's not. And out of that, she has to pay the cost of the CELTA course, her airfare, her residence permit and her relocation expenses. She's going to be in the red for a while, with no safety cushion, and when she finally does emerge, she's going to find that saving up significant amounts of money is not an option, and that self-improvement is extremely difficult. In Australia, she can at least further her education. That won't be an option in Poland.

If, after five years, she manages to get her permanent residency card and wants to start up her own business so that she could be a freelance teacher, she will probably not have enough start-up money, and certainly not enough saved up to weather the start-up period. Even flying home to visit mom and dad will be a rare occurence, at best, unless they are paying.

If I may ask you a question, why are you painting such a rosy picture of the life of ESL teachers here in Poland? It's a lousy, low-paid job that's fine for a few years for fun and diversion. A good stepping stone and foot in the door if you have real qualifications, as it was in my case, but a poor dead-end choice if you don't.

Work / Advice on Teaching English in Poland [709]

@Rozumienic: Sorry, my misunderstanding.

Work / Advice on Teaching English in Poland [709]


I'm sure they would, but are they going to pay her enough to make it worthwhile to relocate to Poland? At best, she'd still make less in Poland than she could make now in Australia.


Montessori teachers are required to have at least a bachelors degree, with additional Montessori training. The lass in question does not have a degree. But a Montessori course would be a good idea if she gets a bachelors.

There are courses for Montessori teacher's aids, though, and she might want to consider taking one to improve her chances of finding a better paying job in Australia. I doubt that it will be of any use in Poland, though. There are only a handful of Montessori schools in the country, all in big cities. And she would have to work as a teacher's assistant, which is unlikely to pay enough to survive in a big city. She might earn more for being a native speaker, but she would still earn less than she could in Australia.

Law / Here's an idea... I have multiple last names after marriage! [5]

Shorthairthug is right. For all official purposes here in Poland, the only name you are allowed to use is the name on your passport. You won't be able to change it here in Poland until you become a Polish citizen. or you change it on your passport.

For non-official purposes, you can go by whatever name you like.

Study / How hard is it to get accepted to Wroclaw University of Technology? / Unis in general? [37]


That's right. The way first year students are treated (or, rather, ignored) in Poland is scandalous. About half of the students will be rejected after the first semester, more or less depending on the major and university in question. Up to 100% in one case I know. Because of some quirk in the Polish constitution, universities are required by law to be less selective. They also receive government funding based on the number of students they accept, so there is a huge incentive to accept just about anyone. Once you're there, you'll receive little if any attention or help (unless you stand out above the crowd). The first year is little more than a weeding-out process.

Another problem you're going to encounter is primitive and insufficient practical instruction in inadequate, poorly equipped facilities, and primitive, rote-based theoretical instruction in areas that have little revelvance nowadays. I mentor a first-year biochemistry student at WUT, and am horrified at the atrocious level of instruction he is receiving. I got him through the first semester, though, and it looks like he will do fine. But that's only because his folks are rich enough to afford a tutor like me to spend six hours a week on private lessons so that he can do well in biology, chemistry, math and English.

To put things in perspective, if Imperial College is a 10 among engineering schools, WUT is a 3 , and no Polish university scores much higher.

Study / How hard is it to get accepted to Wroclaw University of Technology? / Unis in general? [37]


By Polish standards, WUT is near the top. By world standards, though, it's third rate. SGH and UW are among the few schools in Poland to be second-rate on a world scale, and, even then, that applies only to certain elite programs there.


I see. The choice you have is to go to a sub-par university in the UK and pay a lot, or to go to an equally sub-par university in Poland and pay less because you are a native Pole.

Have you thought about spending a year or two and beefing up your sciences and math so that you can get into a better university in the UK? Can you retake your A levels in a year or two? If so, get some remedial education and try to get into a better school. I have a student that didn't make the cut at WUT, and now he's taking math, science, German and English lessons with me so that he can get into a much better school in Germany. Like you, he had personal problems when he was in Liceum and his final grades were poor. But he's working his ass off now and he'll do great.

My brother did something simiar in the States. He did poorly in high school, but went to community college for two years, and then got accepted to Brown, and ivy-league school, where he did great.

As for the treatment you'll get as an undergraduate at a Polish university, I'm afraid that what I said above is true. It's not an environment that's conducive to learning.

Study / How hard is it to get accepted to Wroclaw University of Technology? / Unis in general? [37]

Keep hitting the math books hard until October. If you haven't done formal logic yet, try to get it in now. Brush up on rhetorical logic as well. Learn the list of logical fallacies inside and out, and you'll be living on a whole different plane of existence than the overwhelming majority of your classmates.

When you get to Poland, find a tutor to keep you moving. There are plenty of grad students who would gladly help for about 6 Pounds an hour. It's a lot easier to keep moving if someone is constantly kicking you in the pants, and is available to help you if you get stuck. Line up a place to live in May. June at the latest. The best, and most affordable, places are gone after that.

As for neighborhoods, I would go with Szczepin/Mikołajów (Tram stops Młodych Techników, Plac Strzegomski and Zachodnia). Yes, you'll be living in a block, but the meighborhood is really clean and safe. Mostly retired engineers live here. The most important thing, though, is the trams. It take about twenty minutes to get from there to WUT, and there is a tram every four or five minutes (lines 10 and 33). Prices tend to be lower than the trendier areas like Biskupin, Ołbin, Sępolno or Krzyki, and the value is about the same as far as a student is concerned, so the value is good. Access to downtown and to stores is great.

Avoid Śródmieście and the Trójkąt Bermudzki areas unless you are experienced living in rougher neighborhoods. Their generally safe during the day, but at night drunks, both young and old, can make life unpleasant.

Stay about a month or two ahead of the curriculum, and always know the subject matter to be discussed BEFORE a lecture. The more you go in with, the more you come out with, and if you go in with nothing, you'll probably come out with nothing. Keeping ahead is also important just in case you get sick and have to miss lectures. Once you fall behind, it's incredibly difficult to catch back up again. Treat lectures as a SUPPLEMENT to your own self-guided studies.


Not exactly cynical, at least in my case. Just experienced. I did my own studies in the States, with graduate school at top-knotch schools in Germany, the States and Denmark, and six-month research stints in Israel, Greece and the UK. I've been in Poland for ten years, and work closely with all of the universities in Wrocław. On top of that, I mentor students, and know the situation very well. The Polish higher educational system in far inferior those I experienced during my own studies (even Greece). After ten years, I'm still in shock. The level of the practical courses is especially shocking.

Study / How hard is it to get accepted to Wroclaw University of Technology? / Unis in general? [37]


No. It isn't. Most of the people I know in Wrocław graduated in IT and related fields from WUT, and/or work in the IT industry in Wrocław. They find themselves at a distinct advantage vis a vis engineers trained in Western countries, especially in terms of practical training. Like I said above, if schools like Imperial College, Stanford, MIT and ETH Zürich score a 10 on a scale from 0 to 10, WUT scores about a 3.

Study / How hard is it to get accepted to Wroclaw University of Technology? / Unis in general? [37]


Oops. My typo. I mean "disadvantage".

Study / How hard is it to get accepted to Wroclaw University of Technology? / Unis in general? [37]


It is. I would have given the same advice if he were going to any university in the world, good or bad.

Life / Planning a first time leave towards Poland soon,need advice! [10]

I have to agree with delphiandomine. There is nothing in your post that indicates that you will be able to find work and make a career in Poland. A lot of the things you write are way off-base, and you have clearly not thought this out or done your research. You very obviously don't have the slightest clue about the realities of the job market in Poland. Poland is definitely not a job market open to bunglers, and you're never going to "figure it out". You will need real qualifications, proven skills and experience to survive. Sorry, but your plans seem totally unrealistic. The only hope you [/b]might[b] have is landing a job in a call center, and the pay there is lousy, and probably not enough to you to even survive on, never mind live at some level of comfort. Even then, I think your chances of finding work are practically non-existant, especially without a good command of the Polish language. You'll have a very difficult time getting a work permit, and I highly doubt that you will at all.

Get some vocational counselling and see what options are open to you in the States. You'll probably need some additional education, but at least you will have a chance of finding a job that pays half-way decent. That won't be an option for you in Poland.

PS: I'm from the East Coast (Scranton) and I've made a good career for myself here. BUT I have a doctorate, tons of experience, am fluent in Polish and am anything but a bungler. Most of all, my skills are so unique that I have virtually no competition. I hate to sound trute, but this is by far the best advice that anyone will ever give you: Don't be a fool. Go back to school.

Law / Investing money in Poland - what are the best areas / ways to invest private money? [23]

If you're misguided enough to ask for investment advice on an internet forum, I can save you a lot of time and trouble. Just deposit the cash you have in my bank account for my personal use. You won't get anything back, but that's a lot better than what would happen to you if you invest without taking the time to do some serious research and consult with real experts. You'll be happier in the end, and so will I.

Second option is to spend the money on professional psychiatric evaluation and treatment. You're dilusional. Seriously.

Genealogy / OLD POLISH CHURCHES (Catholic Church in Krostkowo in 1875) [9]

The nearest church is two or three miles away in Białośliwie:

Parafia p.w. Najświętszego Serca Pana Jezusa (Most Sacred Heart of Jesus)
ul. Kościelna 14, 89-430 Białośliwie

According to Polish Wikipedia, it is one of the most beautiful churches in the diocese.

Work / Krakow: possible job offer: 6.500 PLN [20]

2000 is about the lowest you're going to find for a two-bedroom apartment, furnished or unfurnished. You're going to need a lot of luck finding anything cheaper, at least at the standard that you seem to expect. Add about 300 to 500 for building maintanance fees (generally not included in the rent), and about 300 to 500 for utilities, not including internet/phone. So the apartment will cost you between 2600 to 3000 a month. Internet and phone will cost you about 75 a month. A monthly bus/tram ticket about 100. So fixed expenses range from about 2700 to 3200 a month for an apartment of that size. That leaves you about 1300 to 1800 disposable income.

For the type of lifestyle you mention, budget at least 50 OR MORE a day for food and cigarettes, more on weekends. Probably a lot more. That will take up all of your disposable income, and probably more. You won't have much left to buy clothes, little luxuries, or to do much travelling. Saving up is pretty much out of the question, and I wouldn't be surpised if you end up in the red until you learn how to live within your means, which I expect to take more than six months, at least.

Like it or not, you're not going to be making enough to be living the high-life existence you desire, which by Polish standards is extravagant: huge apartment, alcohol and tobacco, nightlife, steak etc.

You either have to lower your living requirements by taking a smaller apartment, quitting smoking, adjusting your diet, spending your free time in a less expensive manner. Or you have to find a much higher paying job.

Sorry, but you come across as incredibly pampered and prodigal by Polish standards. Air conditioning? That's something beyond the imagination of most people here. Steak? A very special treat for most Poles. Definitely not an element of the daily diet. Nice fish? You must be joking.

I think you will have a very difficult time adjusting to living on 4500 a month, even though most Poles would be living quite comfortably at that salary for a single person. Frankly, your going to learn some pretty tough lessons here and you will have to do a lot of growing up. From your post, I don't think you have it in you. Sorry.

Work / Krakow: possible job offer: 6.500 PLN [20]


That will save you about 400 PLN.


That will save you from 200 to 500 PLN.


Poland is not a beef and good fish country. They eat mainly pork and chicken. For most Poles, fish means herring, smoked mackarel, and frozen filets, mostly of pollock and Vietnamese catfish (panga). Salmon and trout are upscale. What you as a Dutchman would consider "nice fish" is largely unavailable here, or very expensive when it is available. Even more so for seafood. Trying to maintain a beef and good fish diet in Poland is going to cost you.


The cost for internet is about 75 PLN, with or without the landline phone.



Trying to figure out how those two quotes don't contradict each other. In my opinion, someone who drinks 12 to 18 beers on the weekend is definitely a heavy drinker, and probably has a drinking problem.


Probably one of the worst ways of meeting quality people who can help you adjust and help you advance socially and professionally, who are going to avoid you if you are three sheets to the wind. One of the best ways to meet drunk losers who will drag you down. You really have to think this one out.


The ZUS is taken out of the 6500. The net pay is what's left after ZUS, taxes and insurance are taken out.

Sorry, but I'm still detecting a distinct odor of immaturity here in your part. If you consider your stay in Poland an opportunity to become responsible, disciplined and mature, go for it. If you don't want to leave your cocoon of comfort, try to find a job at home.

Another thing. Poland is not a bicycle country, either, and bicycle theft is a MAJOR problem. Actually, it's the national sport. If you come here with a nice bike, it will be stolen within days.

Work / Salary and cost of living information - Krakow [257]


I have to agree with Zetkom. Your lodging together with utilities and internet are going to set you back some 2000 to 2500 PLN. Public transportation another 100 PLN. You'll spend about 1000 to 1500 PLN on food. That leaves little, if anything, left over for other expenses with a net salary of only 3500 PLN.

The move is not worth it. You'll be struggling to make ends meet.