Setting up small business in Poland?

If I'm reading this right - you entered Poland 2 years ago on the Schengen 90 day tourist stamp and haven't applied for residency?

If so, you haven't got a hope in hell of legalising your stay, business or no business. There's absolutely no way that they're going to show leinency towards someone who has overstayed by that amount - in fact, you should count yourself lucky that they haven't caught up with you yet.

Yes, there is the possibility of legalising your stay after starting a business here - but only for those who have time left on their legal stay.

hello everybody

i want to know i am non european. how can i get work permnent visa in poland? or if i make rigister any small company there?

or how??

Hello! I'm not sure if I can help you with getting work permission but I can help you with registrating your company here. I represent one of Polish coworking centre. Coworking is a great solution for people in a rush who don’t want to spend a lot of money. Firstly, you can register your company using our address. You are able to use our address as correspondence address. You can use our address on your calling cards, stamps etc. We are located in central area of £ódź ( the biggest Polish city after Warsaw). It means that your company will be registered in a prestigious area. Secondly, you can rent an office for you in a good price or conference room if you are going to organize a training or meeting. If you are interested in getting details write an e-mail or a private message. My e-mail address is biuro@city-office.com.pl

Not true in terms of area, business and inhabitants. How did you measure that?

But £ódź is hardly a prestigious location full stop - it's strangely like Manchester in the early 90's - not a particularly glamourous place to be.

Ok just read this about your stay and i'd say you're screwed. Imagine if I went to America and stayed for 2 years what would that make me. AN ILLEGAL ALIEN!! They would kick my ass into jail for 6 months and then put me on the first plane out. You are here illegally and a business won't help you. Or maybe I can just go to the US and set up a business and they'll let me stay (you really can't be serious) OH maybe us Euro country folk are easier on Americans than they are on us. Did that sound a tad to harsh. I stayed in America 2 days longer than my 90 day visa and they won't let me back in now. Good luck at the boarder when you're leaving.

Gotum, I know you are upset but don`t blame all americans. It is US goverment (I wouldnt be suprise if the us goverment would be the third antychrist!) not the civilians. Just help the guy find an answer. As far as I know, Gotum, you apply for business visa but it requries lots of paper work and you need to renew it every year. It would be easier if you had a polish spouse ;)

The government? How in the name ot the unspeakable is it their fault? The guy didn't care about legal side of his residence in Poland, but you say to blame US gov't?! Here's another one: my car didn't want to start this morning. I blame the government for it.

no Olaf, I meant immigartion rules in US. This guy has nothing to do with it so no reason to blame ot be rude to him. Please, read it with understanding and I am sorry about your car. Hope you fix it soon.

??
I see that you don't read with understanding: the quote I used was yours, not Gotum's. And I addressed to what you were writing, not Gotum. I actually agree with what he wrote, only thing I could not agree with was your post. By the way, the car thing was supposed to be a ridiculous example just as your opinion above and you didn't get that either, sorry; my car always starts.

Olaf, be cool. By saying no need to "be rude to him" I meant no need to be rude to Joey_Cali . Take it easy. You dont need to agree with my opinion. No worries, man.

I was the coolest guy in class, so I'm not worried, hahahah.
OMG! I was writing about your post, not his, and what you wrote not him, so IF I was rude to anyone that would be rather you. But I wasn't meaning to be rude.

were you? Good for you. Enjoy your day ;)

Merged:Opening a very small business in Poland - procedure/fees?

Old acquaintance of mine who is not internet savvy asked me to post this question:-

If a Brit opens a very small biz in Poland (in his case, repairing watches) and does the work from his Polish home by mail order with no shop or business premises as such, what does he need to do and what does he need to pay regarding The Authorities of Poland?

1 Does he need to pay any fees to any Polish Authorities if he is a sole trader and not a Limited company?
2 Does he need to register the business anywhere?
3 Does he have to open a business bank account?
4 Any other tips or advice perhaps?

Thank you.

Your friend will have to register as a sole trader and pay a monthly set of taxes called ZUS. The sole tradership must be registered to an address. I use my permanent address but my business activity does not take place at that location. ZUS which is about 800 zl a month must be paid regardless of turnover of the business. I don't know if watch repair includes VAT. In addition there is income tax. A business bank account is needed and I would suggest the services of an accountant to run the books.

One more point, this friend should become internet savvy or at least functional. It will save a lot of time if your friend pays ZUS and income tax via internet. Also it is the best way to find customers.

Is the business to repair watches for Polish people or mail order repairs for Brits? Your friend will have to learn how to issue invoices as well.

Good luck.

is it not true that ZUS is about 300 for the first year?

Thank you for the replies.

360zl for the first two years. Generally speaking, you can assume costs to be about 500zl for the first two years, then 1000zl a month after that. That's including the cost of an accountant, though.

Worth pointing out that although it seems like robbery, those figures include pension payments and health insurance - and if your business is turning over millions, you still only pay the same social insurance costs.

Thank you D & D

They expect a business to pay all this before even having one customer? Must stifle enterprise hugely. Who's going to take a chance on paying that figure monthly when they don't even know if there will be one reply to their adverts?

These sellers on street corners selling their gas lighters and spring onions paying 800 zl a month?
All those leaflets stuck to bus stops where you tear the phone number off, the owners paying 800 zl a month for the nail polishing or English lessons services?

I'm surprised there's any enterprise here at all if that's the case.

Thanks again, very interesting.

Indeed, it's compulsory. But -


The vast majority of those won't be officially registered. The black economy in Poland is huge - if everything is in cash, the taxman is unlikely to find out or care.


The normal way of doing things seems to be not registering in the beginning while you build your business, then when you get to around 4000zl profit a month - registering then. ZUS is written off as a business expense, too.

It seems to me that the high costs are a way of forcing people into saving for their retirement - given the Polish attitude, many of them would spend today and never think about tomorrow.

Thanks again D & D, very interesting tips and commentary on the Polish way of life.

I have to add, I take my hat off to the Poles who survive here - the wages are it seems very low compared to the price of food and everyday items like shavers, mattresses, cars, etc. I scratch my head and wonder how anyone affords things - I'm guessing that many have been lured on to credit cards and the never never, pushing prices up still further as demand increased. To me, it seems many Polish prices are not much less than the UK's, and rents and property prices here equally eyebrow raising, especially the latter.

Britinpoland,

You will find all regulations on this official website : paiz.gov.pl/en

See "Polish Law" in the upper right corner.

Thanks Moonlighting.

Bear in mind though, that many, many, many people pay next to nothing for their property. Many flats have been inherited, or have been purchased for peanuts post-1989 - Poland, as far as I remember, has quite a small mortgage industry compared to the UK. Property prices are only high in the major cities - the cost of living is dramatically lower outside of them.

And again with the wages - bear in mind that these wages are only the "official" ones. Teachers for instance - it might seem that they're low paid, but their compulsory workload is 20 45-minute classes a week. That leaves plenty of time for additional private lessons to bump up their income - and a lot of them do, especially teachers in "better" schools.

We don't see it from the Polish point of view - for instance, we would never "tip" the postman if he delivered cash to us. Yet many people do - that money could easily add up to 500-1000zl extra a month. Heck, you even see people tipping the guy who fills your car with petrol - that could easily add up over the course of a shift.

I didn't realise all that before, D & D. Lots for me to learn! I don't half wish I'd picked up some property when it was cheap - as you can guess. Prices now seem amazingly high (in the cities) so I'm assuming Poles are finding work and buying them on high income multiple mortgages (something I do not think is a good idea at all), and not just foreigners with money buying these flats.

I think you'd be wrong - the vast majority of Poles earn on the side and pay in cash for everything. Spend what you've saved - a novel concept, eh?

Hmm, well must've saved quite a lot then if they can afford the property prices, that's all I can say!
(If they have the discipline to save up and spend only what they have, it's a good thing.)

You are both wrong actually, as if their parents are not rich and unable to provide them with a property, then most young Poles gain financial help from their family in some way in gaining a mortgage through for example by, securing a loan against a family member's property.

And I would say that 'earning on the side' is rather limited in its prevalence then describing it as 'the vast majority'.

The property-dealers are trying that in the UK too - getting first time buyers to basically sell their granny. Or at least secure a loan against her property. That's never been necessary before, for the majority of home-buyers of previous generations. It may well mean that we are in even more dangerous economic territory than was first feared.

OK, OK, maybe I exaggerated :)


He should check whether he would also need to buy and register a cash till. There are subsidies available to cover part of the cost of buying an appropriate till, but the rules on registering them are pretty strict.