Work / Self-employed American living in Poland? Is it possible? [54]

In the classic sense in which the saying "American Dream" was developed and popularized in 1931, yes. While I personally lived the dream and was very lucky in business, it is not that way for most people. Poland, in my professional opinion, offers much greater opportunity for success because it is still a developing market. Where as USA is largely developed and the entrepreneurial spirit may be alive but cost prohibitive for most. By Polish standards, making 100K USD per year makes you a very wealthy person, and US standards you are middle class. If you know how to make money, Poland offers significant opportunity as well as tax advantages.

Work / Self-employed American living in Poland? Is it possible? [54]

I have a 66sq meter flat 10 minutes walk from Rynek in Krakow in a great quiet neighborhood, secure building, with utilities, internet, ect total expense is 3000 pln monthly. The housing market is coming back to earth in Krakow and in Poland in general. Still lots of building going on but a lot of inventory available and lots of deals to be made.

Currency fluctuation isn't a big deal. But simply transferring funds monthly is not the way to go. If you want residency, you have to have a reason, and on top of the reason you need to show income, health insurance ect. If you don't have Polish roots, whats the reason? If it is because you want to develop your business and pay taxes in Poland, then great, but you still need to file the right applications with the right documents.

I commuted every two weeks to Poland from USA for a year, have a very successful company in USA, Polish ancestry, and still it took 6 months to get residency while working with the best attorneys you can hire.

Polish authorities still find it hard to believe anyone wants to leave the USA because of the "American dream" all Poles were told about. This is a real roadblock for some people in positions of authority to get over.

You need a real plan. Start by getting an attorney, and then visit the country for two weeks in a rented flat to see how life is. Don't be a tourist, work every day, shop, cook, and try to live a normal life for two weeks. That will give you a real idea if you can pull it off personally and not just financially. With the holidays ending, now is the perfect time.

USA, Canada / The proper behavior an American should show when visiting Poland [159]

Pretend you are mute? Don't act like your from USA? A short list...Don't talk politics unless you want to embarrass yourself. Don't talk about American Football. Don't act as though you expect everyone to speak English. Learn some simple Polish words and phrases and use them, locals will appreciate the effort.

Work / Self-employed American living in Poland? Is it possible? [54]

Everything depends upon going to Poland with some money to begin with. Setting up a company, and producing a profit in year one above 60K PLN will assure residency for at least 3 years. 1500 PLN per month for ZUS, 800 PLN or so for accounting, plus what ever you pay yourself. You can easily live a nice comfortable life as a single person on 24K USD annually. If you are earning more, or course its better. There are plenty of good real estate opportunities outside of the major cities. I have a friend in Katowice who just paid 150K PLN for a very nice flat about 10 minutes outside of the city. Like anything, planning and being prepared is key.

Work / Self-employed American living in Poland? Is it possible? [54]

I am an American living in Krakow. It can be done. You will need some money to get started, but its a fairly smooth process. You don't apply for a Visa, that's a mistake. Your company is not Polish and can not obtain a Visa for you. You will need temporary residency which you can get as a business person who owns a business in Poland. This will take a couple thousand USD. If its Krakow, I can recommend my attorneys who successfully got me through the process. Message me if you want more info.

Law / Closing an inactive company in Poland (limited liability company) [13]

@Abd10
Youre better off selling it to someone for a few dollars and getting your name off of it. I may know someone who would be interested if the price is right. DM me

News / How could PiS better spend billions instead of 500+ ? [280]

Tax and spend is what has the USA in the position it is in. Once you get in so deep, there is no amount of cutbacks that can get you out.

News / Scandals, conflicts, tensions, arguments - real life examples from Poland [532]

@Dirk diggler
Of course now we go to childish behavior and name calling. Not exactly how an intelligent business leader would react. Maybe I should update my profile since my Polish has improved considerably thanks to language school.

Intelligent discourse with you clearly will never take place because you lack the key ingredient.

News / Scandals, conflicts, tensions, arguments - real life examples from Poland [532]

@Dirk diggler "Same principles apply worldwide in capitalist countries."

Indeed. Principles are theory and theory works anywhere until its put into practice and found not to work. Poland business practices are nothing like USA. The only exception being that both countries have their own currency.

I am sorry to hear you have to have someone drive you around to collect cash and checks. That usually happens when people don't want to pay you. I just sit in my office while people pay in advance on line. Have a nice day.

News / Scandals, conflicts, tensions, arguments - real life examples from Poland [532]

@Dirk diggler
Owning a business in USA is not in Poland. Wroclaw is not indicative of any other part of the country either. I deal with big companies, those employing a minimum of 500 in most cases, and several employing thousands. Those CEO's and their HR counterparts are already talking about hiring freeze's today. In USA, where I also employ people, those I work with are still not hiring full time employees because of the increased insurance costs associated with them.

Quality employees in Poland isn't really a problem with the education system. Jobs are filled rather quickly, you stated as much several times. If anyone believes a nearly doubling of minimum work contracts wont crush the hiring and growth of a country, then they really haven't tried to pass increased costs on to the consumer before.

News / Scandals, conflicts, tensions, arguments - real life examples from Poland [532]

@Rich Mazur
Great point. In Krakow and other cities, the real estate market is slowing and starting to decline in some areas. While it is nice when there is a buyers market, it does not stimulate more investment. Gdansk is another city where real estate is starting to trend down.

When speaking with other decision makers in business yesterday, not one of them was excited about having to raise prices to cover rising costs. Not one of them was happy to pay more into ZUS the way ZUS is being operated financially.

The service industry will remain insulated simply because of tourism in major cities, and they a non typical employees. They are not on contracts and work for tips. Manufacturing on the other hand would be crushed. Tourism will not drive the Polish economy, just as it wont drive the US economy.

News / Scandals, conflicts, tensions, arguments - real life examples from Poland [532]

@Dirk diggler
This is where your argument becomes nonsensical. Firstly, pointing out that you have an MBA doesn't impress people, it shows you have an inferiority complex. Second, I never supported PO and paid no attention to daily politics in Poland until I moved here. Other than historical Politics there wasn't much need to for me.

Arguing the minimum wage increase wont bother employers is ignoring the facts of forced labor cost increases damaging business in the United States. Remember how increased employer costs with Obamacare cause employers to not hire full time employees?

As a business owner for more than 25 years, in multiple sectors, what effects the bottom line is what is considered first. Forced cost increases will immediately slow new business development and will definitely slow growth.

The reason the Ukrainians are here is because they are leaving the Ukraine for work that Poles typically wont accept. They are leaving the Ukraine for a better life here in Poland. They are not a catalyst for economic growth if this wage hike takes place.

Reading the news and forming an opinion is not the same as actually living in the country and experiencing what is really happening on the ground.

@mafketis
I live in Cracow Centrum. I went through the residency process and am going through the citizenship process. Pretty sure I have a good idea on what is going on here with immigration.

News / Scandals, conflicts, tensions, arguments - real life examples from Poland [532]

@Dirk diggler
Spending money they don't have? Giving money away as social welfare and bribery to keep people having children and staying in Poland. This is what it is. But how long will the social welfare bribery last?

Latest proposal in the news yesterday was raising work contract monthly minimum from 2250 pln per month to 4000 pln per month, thus also increasing monies paid to ZUS that can be diverted and pay for these social welfare programs. Meanwhile it discourages people from hiring, starting new business, and discourages foreign investment. This is the economic growth policy of PIS.

Lets not get into the inflation it would trigger based on automatically increased operation costs passed on to the consumer. Poles think food is getting expensive now? Wait until this passes, if it passes.

While I like the protections PIS has in place for immigration and these things, having gone through the process, the economic policies are worse than any democratic social welfare policies in the USA.

Life / Why Do You Love Poland? [907]

@Dougpol1
I actually thought of that Visa tit for tat idea. But was told by the investigator that is was actually simply because it is so uncommon for an American to request residency that they are surprised when it happens. The Visa situation is likely to change for Poland. If your understand the Visa approval process, and who actually is processing the Visa's, the waivers are based on successful application numbers compared with denials. Once successful applications reach a certain threshold, which Poland is now approaching, the waiver will happen. It really has very little to do with Poles over staying their Visa's now. I know this because I do a lot of Visa work for athletes going to the USA and Canada in my business.

Life / Why Do You Love Poland? [907]

As with nearly everything political there are some hard line issues. I am a legal resident of Poland, pure Polish ancestry on both sides of my family. I pay taxes in Poland, have moved my business to Poland, and employ Polish people. I am learning the language, and assimilating. Yet according to hard liners, I am not Polish because I do not have a Polish passport.

Yet, the person who refuses to assimilate, and has a Polish passport by birth, is "Polish"? If you take the same argument to the USA, then everyone born on USA soil regardless of their assimilation should be a USA citizen. Yet in USA we want to drill down further and look if their parents entered the country legally.

The difficulty I went through in getting Karta Pobytu even with my ancestry, I was comfortable with. Irritated, but comfortable with the process and the thoroughness of it. This came across as a country being protective of who lives in the country, which is something I like.

Life / Why Do You Love Poland? [907]

While I agree with many of the discussion points on many topics in this forum, I cant agree with the theory or rule of being born on Polish soil or of Polish parentage making you Polish. Polish, in my opinion is the assimilation into Polish society and the acceptance of those traditions, language, and customs of the country.

While Poland is not a widely multicultural society, examples of this assimilation or non-assimilation can be seen everywhere. I recently met an Asian who is a Polish citizen by birth, but does not participate in traditionally Polish customs, or share conservative viewpoints, and prefers to speak Thai or English over Polish. This to me is someone who may live here, but is not really part of the Polish society.

I have also met Poles from London who don't speak Polish but carry Polish passports. To call them "Polish" is a stretch in my opinion when they only return to Poland for weddings or funerals.

As an American, living in large multicultural communities in the past, it was assimilation into "American" life that made "foreigners" not seen as being foreign by the community.

While I understand there are strong opinions on "walls" and immigration on this forum, I believe part of those opinions are formed because of non-assimilation of those foreigners that have helped create those arguments.

Life / Why Do You Love Poland? [907]

What about foreigners who have Polish heritage seeking to reclaim that heritage or citizenship? Are their distinct differences in types of foreigners? What about foreigners that are descendants of those who fled one of the great wars?

I ask because as a "foreigner" legally living in Poland, the native Polish people I know say that being Polish is not simply a matter of having been "born" on Polish soil. Many instances of those born on Polish soil yet not being accepted as "Polish" have been pointed out to me in person. While yet more instances of people being accepted as "Polish" yet not having been born here are also pointed out to me.

Some have gone so far as to say that being Polish is about living Polish, and not as much about being born in Poland.

Travel / What is the weather like in Poland where you are now? [211]

In Krakow its certainly been hot. But, its definitely better than cold. Heading to Krynica Zdroj tomorrow and it is supposed to be a little cooler.

USA, Canada / Will U.S. Citizens Need A Visa To Visit Poland Starting In 2021 [11]

This is an EU money making opportunity. Nothing more. The whole process will almost be instant on line clearance and it will cost 7 to 10 USD. That's a nice chunk of change in the EU coffers.

History / Poland - problem for Germany? (historically continual hostility of German state on Poland) [154]

Please. The Poles I work with and employ would string you up for saying there is no big problem. Its GERMANY for Christ sake. Every person with Polish blood should take issue with any German who does not visit a death camp and understand what happened. History can not be ignored.

Law / Anybody adept in requirements for non-EU citizens to start business in Poland? [39]

Yes. Hire an attorney. The VAT process is complicated and you need one to do it right. Also banking can be an issue. I am American and went through all of this, no way I would do it alone.

Work / Poland Work Permit / Study Visa Processing Times [191]

We will have to disagree. I have had many frustrations with Polish red tape in business. Banking laws, among other things change quite frequently without notice.

Anyone seduced by coffee and comfortable chairs isn't a business person, they are a sucker. Anyone can rent an office and hang advertising for services. What they cant easily do is be members of the BAR in the United States and Poland, have translators in the office, and have won awards for their practice.

While I will admit money doesn't buy everything, money and appearances do matter. You are right about ZUS though. This is critical now. And for foreigners it is no longer as inexpensive it was even a year ago.

Work / Poland Work Permit / Study Visa Processing Times [191]

Laughably low requirements? Residency permits are not mere formalities any longer. Proving you can actually afford to live in Poland is critical. Making 50K a year in the USA isn't going to cut it. Having a 4K pln per month job lined up in Poland isn't going to get it done either. Poland wants real investment. Real people with money. Not pretenders.

Proving you actually have ties to Poland other than a visit one summer also makes a difference. One of the reasons they want photocopies of every page in your passport and complete travel documentation for the last five years.

Of course you can do the paperwork yourself. You can ask for appointments, or you can stand in line for hours. Spending the money on real experts is always the best way to get things done. Spending money on these experts alone shows the processing people that you take the process and application seriously enough to hire them. It also shows you have the financial ability to pay them.

You may very well be intelligent, and capable of doing the work yourself. But to believe everyone is treated the same is naïve at best. Money talks and B#11$### walks is still an accurate statement in Poland.

Work / Poland Work Permit / Study Visa Processing Times [191]

Of course. You must be right, and my colleague's experience was just a fluke. I am sure I will get denied as you say and have wasted my money. It is completely unreasonable to think that Poland, its legal offices and officials could be influenced by money being brought into the country. My apologies. I do not know what I was thinking when I believed that business investment and experts with these matters could influence the project. I should probably not wait for my decision and just pack my things and go back to the States because it is after all the land of milk and honey according to many here. I cant believe they let me graduate from college being this stupid. Miracle I have survived this long in life. Many thanks for the wisdom.

Work / Poland Work Permit / Study Visa Processing Times [191]

Indeed. People who blindly trust and do not do a thorough research of the professionals are usually deserving of getting screwed anyway. I have been here almost a year now and no problems. Anyone who blindly trusts anyone, anywhere in the world, in business is likely going to get screwed. Poland is not special in that regard.

Proof is in results I guess. Having seen a colleagues results in a reasonable time frame I will trust in that process and preparedness. This said. If you think getting some cheap hack attorney to help you is going to get things moving, that's the first mistake. Real work costs real money. Plan on spending a minimum of 100 Euro per hour for legitimate professionals in these matters.

Work / Poland Work Permit / Study Visa Processing Times [191]

Let me guess. You believe Trump is good for Poland too? I trust professionals with experience, not what's said here.

Work / Poland Work Permit / Study Visa Processing Times [191]

Funny, that is not what my attorney told me, it is what they told me when they stamped my passport. I can pick up the decision in person in 30 days. Considering my company was set up legally and every other action completed by my attorneys has been exactly as promised, I will go with what I have seen and has been proven. Considering another colleague just went through same process with same attorney and received his TRP in less than 6 months in Krakow, I will trust that they know what they are doing.

Work / Poland Work Permit / Study Visa Processing Times [191]

I recently completed temporary residency application with attorneys in Krakow. Your application time will depend on how prepared you are and how complete your application is. I was also told it will depend on what country you are from. I was told a decision in 30 days, and from there it may take as long as 6 months to get actual documents.

This said, I did get my PESEL and have been paying ZUS for months, and those two items will go a long way in easing the process. While I can not comment directly in the work permit experience, I have looked into it because of bringing my employees over from US to work for our Polish company. The process in Krakow, according to very reputable attorneys is taking roughly six months.

Love / Foreign Older vs Younger Relationships In Poland [20]

Older with younger is entirely possible. But looking for that is a mistake. I met my GF 8 months ago purely by accident, and she is much younger than me. She has zero interest in ever going to the US, and is full of Polish pride, a trait that I admire. Look for a person, not any person of a certain age if you are going to look. If you want a real Polish beauty, inside and out, you had better be prepared for a strong, educated and opinionated partner. If you cant take that, then you probably need to look elsewhere.

Law / Opening a Polish Bank Account by a foreigner in Poland. Recommendations. [299]

I can tell you as a non EU citizen it was impossible for me to open a Polish account until I purchased a company with existing accounts. EU citizens should have no problem.