Law / Investment advice - my options in Poland? [50]

Polishinvestor check your PM...

Real Estate / Buying real estate in Poland advice [18]

So, let's get this right: your partner has inherited a bit of money ,which is burning a hole in her pocket, and somehow you've managed to convince her to invest in Polish real estate. Then you also talk about getting a mortgage to finance the purchases. I'll just assume you have some capital to invest in your venture and will need more to expand your portfolio. My candid advice since I have my own experience in this field: first of all if you are gonna be successful in real estate don't come down here with the UK way of doing things in this industry - it's a whole other kettle of fish. If you are a novice in this industry don't come in through this angle. If you wanna risk it here goes:

Krakow or Warsaw for new builds- Warsaw any given day, mate! For the obvious reasons if you are looking for a good return in the future. Population of your target market is growing. Overseas mortgage brokers in the UK to buy property in Poland? As part of your homework you can ask a few and gather as much info as possible. You don't have to accept any offers they might have for you. Keep in mind they are brokers not lenders. Deposit you will be ok with 20% both in UK and Poland. Then there is property registration in Poland which can also be a nightmare depending on who you are buying from and whether cash or registered mortgage. If you decide to let out your properties then you are liable to tax. Letting agents are plentiful but mostly make money by charging you and the tenant as well. I would never recommend letting out property remotely until you know the practices in the market.

Genealogy / How to legally change your name in Poland? [15]


May I come in on this one coz I remember a similar case. Be very careful if you gonna go down this lane. Depending on which country you

come from you risk losing one of your citizenships. I would never trust a Polish attorney or a lawyer to deal with such. Just like asking a Polish lawyer to help you set up a company as a non residing citizen. You better off with your USC office if you're residing here.

In most countries (including Poland) you can never identify yourself as a citizen of another country in a country that you hold the second citizenship.Most countries will either deny or make it complicated and very time consuming to change your name based on the fact that you hold second citizenship.The person I knew lost his first citizenship in a similar process coz when he applied for Polish citizenship he had not applied to retain his original citizenship and when his country of birth found out that he had aquired foreign citizenship he lost it. He couldn't go back to his original country coz of the complications which included being detained and not being allowed to travel for a period of 5years. Dual citizenship, if not done properly, without full citizenship knowledge of both countries can be very complicated and changing names can just make it even more complicated. The Polish embassy will not come to your rescue when you get detained in your own country of birth or other foreign country.

Real Estate / Buying property at the Bailiff / Enforcement Agent Auction (Komornik Sądowy) in Poland [20]


Well, doing business in Poland ain't for the faint hearted. Buying property in the whole country, commercial, residential or agricultural, is an adventure
with many pitfalls for the locals and foreigners alike. I would never advice a foreign novice to buy commercial and then let out to " Polish businessmen".

That's the worst start. If Spiritus has some experience or has lived in Poland long enough, should know how things are done.
My first property, bought about 14 years ago in a small town, is still my biggest earner. The town is developing and them Germans are investing big.

The rental on short term leases goes up every year by 10%. Whereas the other property in Warsaw doesn't yield much coz of new developers

who overbuilt in my area and villages that where on the outskirts. Flipping it would give me a good yield but I'm in for the long run.

Rentals are not based on interest rates or economic situation but by how much the place is sort after. During the so called crisis from 2007 to 2008, I managed

to raise my rentals by the usual 10% without any problems.In big cities, they are usually overpriced and if you buy blindly, you will be lucky to make a yield of 5%

My colleague was buying commercial targeting banks, chemists and businessmen but he's had so many problems that he's now renting "rynek property"
as residential from ground floor to top floor.

Real Estate / Buying property at the Bailiff / Enforcement Agent Auction (Komornik Sądowy) in Poland [20]

Any experience of property flipping ?
Flipping legit ain't worth it. They will tax you so much that you'll end up with a loss.
On the other hand if you have deep pockets and surround yourself with the right people
yes,you can flip houses.If you've never lived here don't expect anything like you watch on
TV programmes or the same way you flip houses in the UK. Poland is a very punitive country.
If the buyers were mostly cash buyers then you would make something but unfortunately
they all have to apply and register their mortgages.

If you buy now it's a good time coz rentals for students, Brexit returnees and well paid employees from multinationals
that are setting up base in the country are going up. Good example is Jawor- an almost abandoned town before Daimler
came to the rescue with a new plant. It's still quite cheap to buy and I can tell you that rental yields will go up significantly

before them developers start building new blocks. You can build a potfolio but keep in mind the time frame when it comes
to the value and subsequently the taxes.

Real Estate / Buying property at the Bailiff / Enforcement Agent Auction (Komornik Sądowy) in Poland [20]


Sorry Spiritus I don't come on here that often- gotta work.
The market for buy to let isn't that profitable as long as you buy with a mortgage or use estate agents. You need to know how things work in this industry first. If you are buying cash then it's worth considering.

If you wanna start you can buy in small towns for less than 200 000zl and that can bring you a rental yield of about 6%. But be aware that if you don't know much about how things work around here you might not make that.

Good small towns are those that have growing industry and young population looking for good property to rent.

Real Estate / Buying property at the Bailiff / Enforcement Agent Auction (Komornik Sądowy) in Poland [20]

Just coming back on this one for some who might be considering going down this way.
First of all, it's much better when buying cash- with the banks don't even think about it, if the property
is at the bailiff's. I had to do it the Polish way. I spoke to the bailiff before the day and he advised me on what to do.

I got the keys 2 months after purchase, did some D.I.Y over a few weekends and now
there are 3 happy students renting the flat.

Love / Polish girl "loves" me, despite not meeting in real life first [56]


First of all, don't be put off by some of the comments on here. This is quite normal. She is probably a girl who's had enough of the local mummy's boys around and looking for someone different and believe me there are plenty of girls like that once you get to know them. Depending on where she comes from, she probabaly feels that those nudes are the only way you can appreciate her considering the long distance.

You mention, quite clearly, that she saw you while skyping with your mate's girlfriend and most people on here are missing that point. You didn't meet her on some random dating website. I have a mate who met his wife in almost similar situation. After 2 months of dating she sent tasteful semi naked photos and when she went over to visit, she paid for her own air ticket by the way, he found out she was a normal girl. She was still at Uni

fast forward 10 years to now- they have 2 beautiful daughters and still together. Whenever we meet we always say how brave she was to do such but when she tells us of her ex's you begin to understand why she had to look elsewhere...

Love / Should I follow her? I met a beautiful Polish woman who has been working in the UK [62]


In everything you've written it clearly shows the cultural difference betweeen the 2 of you, mate. You don't understand Polish women and you need to learn a lot about where they are coming from. It's quite natural for a boyfriend or girlfriend to be introduced to all family members or in your case for her to tell everyone that her British boyfriend is coming to visit. Polish women in the UK are the most confused when it comes to settling down coz most are trapped- they don't know if they are coming or going. My advice to you is come down here, see the place first and later work out if you can settle or not. If you've never lived abroad before it won't be easy. And as for women, the moment you start working, you will meet many decent ones. I'll tell you this, without any prejudice- Polish women love foreign men who at least try to speak Polish..

Work / Polish Canadian going back to Poland question - best city for computer networking / software development work [7]

To tookien: I guess your mind is made up then?
Why would a productive 31 year old leave Canada for Poland?
I hope you have not lived in one province for the time you've been there.
There are similar websites like craigslist where you can advertise yourself.
My advice would be to join a forum for developers, ask the right questions and make the right contacts.
You can also make use of company registeries through town or city websites to send your offers.
There is a lot you can do to get the word out there.
That said and done, how is your Polish interms of business contact?
There is potential but expect to survive on the crumbs first before you can
catch the big ones. It should take, give or take up to 5 years to establish yourself if
your Polish is good enough. If not- use the forums to find another developer who is Polish
born and bred. Then there is a way of doing business which might shock you- starting from your company
registration,how you draft the contracts and time of payment to the taxes and insurances you'll be required to pay.

Real Estate / Buying property at the Bailiff / Enforcement Agent Auction (Komornik Sądowy) in Poland [20]

To LondonNorf: Which type of ownership has been the most difficult you've had to deal with and which would you avoid in the future?

Is a lease of less than 90 years too risky? Is a second listed property a red flag?
I have bought in the past mostly from housing cooperatives (spółdzielcze własnościowe)
and have never had many problems with the whole process. The first property involved a family fued where the first of the siblings
was sensible and the other was a real pain but when a property is about to be repossessed, somehow they always come round.
50% of the true valuation- I have never been involved in such and would be wary of that.
The property I have my eye on is from a debtor. The details from the Bailiff's office and housing cooperative do match.
The Bailiff has a good reputation and opinions I have read are quite positive.
The previous owner is in the process of moving out. Only worry is if there are pitfalls and the competition from others.

Real Estate / Buying property at the Bailiff / Enforcement Agent Auction (Komornik Sądowy) in Poland [20]

To Chłopek2: Judging by your language you sound like a young person (below40).
I appreciate your advice but I've been there and done that.
I'm just looking for someone who has been to Komornik Sądowy auction to purchase a property.
To be a bit specific: It's not my first buy in Poland, I haven't just got off the plane, I don't use kredyt hipoteczny and it's just a city flat.

Would like to hear from Polishinvestor and others who have actually bought through this way.
Thank you.

Life / If UK votes to leave the EU - what repercussions for British people living in Poland? [32]


Where it has worked and benefited member nations it should be mentioned in disregard of what ever differences we have of opinions.


And I am sure this can be used to support the notion that we don't need the EU.
There are many factors that affect trade unless you have not been paying attention
to the crises that have been happening recently.That will never change the fact that the EU is still the biggest trading
partner of the UK.


The Rotterdam effect?? What did Labour say to the Tories when they started
touting this around as a way of trying to discredit trade within the EU??
The figure that I gave includes the so called "Rotterdam effect" because noone
believes in that and Economists don't even know to what full extent it has on EU trade.
Many statistical institutes and companies are still giving contrasting data on this.
Some of the exports that go through Rotterdam might not end up in the EU- so what?
Take away all the trade to the Netherlands and ,at 42% to maybe 45%, the EU
still remains the biggest and most important trading partner because of the openness and easiness of the the trade regime with in the bloc.
Where do most of the exports to the USA and Singapore, like you mentioned, end up?
So we should also invent another term for where all the goods end up in those non EU countries?- Please!!
Your figures don't add up at all. Are you using GBP or US?
Trade surplus with non EU countries has never been anywhere close to 251Billion GBP a year.
The surplus for last year, with non EU countries, was close to 50Billion GBP.
Making up large figures won't support your facts.
That figure was the total volume of trade to non EU countries which was supported
by a large growth in the services sector and not a trade surplus.
If you think a large economy like the UK can be sustained by outsourcing and
other services to Asian countries- then think again! By the way, what happens
to the services sector when people's buying power decreases??

To get to your accusations or what ever you wanna call it, I have neither ulterior motive nor am I clueless.
These are facts, as they are, and don't support my actual view on the whole Brexit case in anyway for this is
just an internet forum. If things are as simple as black and white and you choose to see the grey areas-
that is your choice and I can't change that.

Life / If UK votes to leave the EU - what repercussions for British people living in Poland? [32]


That is the biggest misconception that many people back home have.
The reality is that the empire that once was is no more.
The connection and trade that was there with former colonies and commonwealth states does
not measure up anymore. The EU, destination for 51% of British exports, remains the biggest trading partner of the UK and has been
for the last 20 years or so. What the EU has brought to trading in the last 20 years can not be achieved with other countries.
It is far much cheaper to do business with EU countries than it is with say Australia or US.
It is achievable but make no mistakes it will hurt businesses.
Most people will vote for an exit based on the fact that they want EU migration controlled and are not oblivious to
the repercussions it will have on businesses and jobs both in the short and long term future.
There are no contingency plans in place, right now, to cover the trade deficit that might
occur as a result of the exit. Dave and his cronies have no clue, that is why they will urge voters to vote to remain.

France will make sure that we can't have our cake and eat it too with other trade agreements
outside the EU bloc. If I am not mistaken the French and Germans have been very vocal about
any privileges should the UK decide to exit.

Real Estate / New flat / apartment - insurance in Poland? [9]


My first was a bargain but managed to get it insured for current value at that time.
I don't know where abouts you are but, with kamienice, insurance companies are very strict when it comes to valuation.
Shop around for a better deal but you will find out that, with most insurers, there will be a difference in what you paid for

and their valuation. The key word here is "kamienice" and the history of such properties in Poland.
If it was a new built or something else, probably it would have panned out differently.

Life / What's the best way to send money to people in Poland? Other than bank transfer, Western Union and Moneygram. [13]


And what about the fees? Just do a comparison, with say 10 000zl to the UK, using the cost
estimator on both websites and look at the difference. When using moneygram, get one number or letter of the code to
the recipient wrong, or worst still misspell the recipient's name by a single letter, miss out their middle name- then you
will wish you had never used moneygram.

Life / What's the best way to send money to people in Poland? Other than bank transfer, Western Union and Moneygram. [13]

To Polonius3:
You have every reason to be concerned when it comes to internet transfers.
On transfer wise you have a choice of using your debit card to make the transfer and choose the recipient to
send bank details through e-mail if they want their details to remain private. When the recipient gets the e-mail
their bank account is not exposed on the website. On your profile you have the option of deleting
recipients and their details after the transfer is completed.
I had always been skeptical of such companies but after being ripped off many times
by my bank for my transfers, I decided to give Poland transfer a go.
What I like, above all else, is that I can always speak to a real person in their offices when I have a problem
and they can call you back ,as well- if you request to.
On my average transactions I am now saving more than 150zl in transfer and exchange fees per transaction.

Life / Moving to Wroclaw - is 10000 ZL a good salary for a family of 3 (Husband, Wife & Infant)? [5]

10 000zł brutto works out to just above 7 500zł netto if you will be taxed like the rest.
If it's your first time living and working in Poland, you will need to figure out how to save
especially on rentals. By all accounts that salary is not too shabby at all.
Best advice is come alone first for the first few months and find an affordable place
for your family and call for them when you're settled. As for an infant, you've already heard
from other posters, it's not cheap at all. Travel around Europe is cheap on budget airlines
and budget accomodation but with an infant it might not be convenient for you.

Law / In Poland on residence card (married to Polish girl) want travel to UK for 2 weeks! [16]


The EEA permit is more like a vetting process. It is for free but you are not guaranteed to receive it. If your spouse is not exercising her

freedom to work rights within the E.U, then they might deny you the permit.


Why don't you guys search on UK immigration forums like immigrationboards and ukresident?
You will find many posts on EEA family permits that can help you all.
UKBA doesn't care much what people in Brussel say.
Just reading one post on ukresident ,similar to what you guys have posted, clearly shows
that it's not as simple as what the EU directive says.

Love / English guy marrying Polish Fiancee - how expensive is a wedding in Poland? [6]

Three and a half years living in Poland! -why not get married here, mate? Weddings here are much more fun than back home and much cheaper too.

To get married here you need a CNI (certificate of no impediment) and an original full Birth Certificate.
Go back home and apply for the CNI from your local registery office, while you are at it get the B C, as well, if you don't have it yet.

The CNI will cost you about ‎£65- if it hasn't yet gone up. It's cheaper and faster this way. At the embassy you will pay extra

when you go to collect. It should take about 3 weeks to get it at your local registry office.
Instruct them that one of your relatives, in this case parents or siblings, will collect for you.
When they get it, have them sent it to you by post. On your BC, make sure your mum has her maiden surname on it.

When you get your CNI translated here, make sure you get a good translator who is going to get the wording right.
Some USC officials don't like the way the CNIs are written because they are diiferent from Polish ones.
If you get married in England, your fiancee will need the same documents.
In other neighbouring countries, if you are not living or working there, they tend to be suspicious and might
ask for many documents from the two of you. However, Mauritius is by far the easiest and most idyllic island to
get married on. If the two of you have never been married, it's just original passports, bcs and passport photos.
You will have to visit four offices in Port Louis for all the legalities.
Before you get married, you will have to point out to the issuing office
that you need a full marriage certificate to take back with you.
Without that it will be another nightmare to have your marriage recognised in Poland.
In other words, you will have to ask your USC office what they normally
want in foreign marriage certificates. Why?- because what is permissible in one
Voivodship or city might not be in another.
Whatever you choose, mate- good luck to you both!

Law / U.S.C. Requesting birth, death and marriage certificates. Any laws or restrictions? [7]


Like I said, your best option is to go to DC and apply from there.
The staff will help you with the paperwork.
If you need a lawyer, there are some good lawyers on this forum
who can help you to apply from your home town.

Law / U.S.C. Requesting birth, death and marriage certificates. Any laws or restrictions? [7]


If you are doing this out of curiosity, it's not going to be fun at all.
If it's for a valid reason, just be prepared to face a similar situation like when you got married.
In theory it shouldn't be difficult to access some of that information.
If your wife was born in Poland and still speaks good Polish, that can be done in a matter of days.
Before you come over, you could call her local USC to find out.
If they don't seem helpful- call the National Archives (Archiwum Państwowego)
That should ease some of your worries before making the dreaded trip
to your wife's local USC office. Don't waste time with e-mails.
Call them and demand to speak to the right person.


That should be the fastest way of getting your documents.
If you can't speak or write Polish it could be a problem.
Why don't you just send one of your relatives, living here, to the city you were born?
If you don't have any relatives, then applying for the bc in Washington DC sounds
like a wise choice but ,of course, it will take long.
Good luck!

Real Estate / Refusal for a mortgage in Poland [18]

To Braveheart, if this is going to make you feel any better: there are probably more than 100 banks in Poland.
PKO is run like some state companies that are still stuck in communism.
Some years back, when I first arrived on these shores, a colleague told me he had been refused to open
a bank account coz he didn't have permanent residence. Surprisingly he travelled to another bigger city and they
allowed him to open, in the same bank, upon showing them his passport.
Shop around, mate. There is plenty to choose from.
In your situation you are eligible to receive the extra you need to purchase your property.

UK, Ireland / We just got married in the UK! (can we change her Polish surname on her Polish passport?) [12]

To maseaudio
She's got to get down here, mate. You are less than 3 hours away by plane.
Forget the embassy. When she gets down here, it will be done quicker than the embassy.
She has to be prepared to spend about a month waiting for the I.D, first.
I know it sucks but that is probably the fastest way, if the process hasn't been speeded up, yet.
She can apply for the I.D to be changed first and then travel back to UK using her passport.
One of her relatives can pick up her I.D when it's out and then she can apply for a new passport.
That's probably the best way to beat the bureaucracy.

UK, Ireland / Traps for "expats" returning to the UK - bank account and tuition fees [13]

That's why they are called "Banksters". Santander, with all due respect, were a reputable Spanish Bank once.
It all started when they started snapping up banks that had gotten too greedy and went under during the 2007-2008 crisis.
They also snapped up BZ WBK and ever since their charges for everything have skyrocketed.
They need to make money somehow but it's just ridiculous how they are literally stealing from their customers.
HSBC are probably the worst bank in the UK. With the scandals they were involved in- they are now
making the lives of their customers difficult. The fines they had to pay, amounting to billions of pounds, now have to be recuperated from somewhere.

Work / Income tax for remote workers in Poland [5]

Had someone in a similar situation but not in real estate. German citizen who was running a small business in Poland while employed full time in Germany.

In Poland they can tell you that they can get the German tax office to return the tax. Theoratical, if all the papers are in order and you find a tax office which has dealt with such before, this should be painless. Realistically it takes a bit of going back and forth. At one time the Polish authorities were asking him for something the German authorities didn't have and then the next it was about the tax codes. Lastly, the German authorities told him clearly that the Polish guys didn't know what they were doing and hence it wasn't going through. It was in the thousands of Euros and ended up taking about 5 months to receive. If you leave it with them and don't keep an eye on the progress they won't do much for you.

Real Estate / Pitfalls of buying a Polish Flat built in 1950's [20]

Hi there, mcrpolak!
If I read correctly you are based back home in Blighty.
Pitfalls are galore when buying any old property here in Poland.
My experience : Cracks that were hidden in a new coat of paint.
Dodgy plumbing and electric wiring. Actually had a fire coming out of the faulty electric wires and kept wondering
what was burning in the flat.Uneven floors and walls. If there is new double glazing windows check the sills and area around the corners.

Then if you are worried about health and safety ,especially incase of fire and any emergencies, the regulations are different from back home.
Educate yourself with the monthly charges and other fees to the local Municipality.
Generally speaking all the renovation that has been done in an old flat has to be checked thoroughly.
Then there is the paper work- this one is very complicated if you are a first time buyer in Poland.
If it is cooperative, co owned or inherited without proper documentation then you will have a mountain to climb.
Then of course there are taxes and other fees to be paid.
If your mind is made up and don't mind much about other irregularities, then start looking for a good surveyor and good
lawyer who will do all the paper work. Other than that, you are better off coming to Poland first, experiencing
the reality of life, which is often overlooked, then deciding later on what to buy.
375k these days, which might easily go up to 400k with all the other fees, I'd personally invest that in a new built.

All the best and tell us how it goes.

Law / Your experience as a foreigner running a small business in Poland [43]

All sounds easy coz most people have small businesses providing a service. The key word here is "service". It becomes more difficult when you have a product to sell,employees to be paid and rentals to be paid.Would love to hear from people who have actual "physical companies" rather than working from home or small office offering services.

Life / Best selling womens items at daily and weekly markets in Poland? [11]


I wonder when was the last time you were in Poland to come up with such an assumption.
Your time difference, considering you posted this less than an hour after me, sells you out.
Are there any market vendors within the country who can help me with this?

Thank you.