Law / PESEL for EU citizen working for a EU company (not Polish) in Poland [42]


No they do not issue it automatically. A person needs to go to the city building and show their rental contract and passport and blue card (or equivalent) and then the PESEL is posted to the registered address. There is no automatic PESEL issue here, I don't know about where you are. I repeat, no automatic PESEL issue here :)

(unless they recently changed procedures)

Love / Addressing your Polish in-laws or boy/girlfriend's parents? [49]


Interesting post, and I suspect that sadly it's largely true.

Love / Addressing your Polish in-laws or boy/girlfriend's parents? [49]


When I was at school, we used to call teachers Miss or sir. But I am advised that in many schools it became just first names after that - I'm not sure that's a good thing in a youngsters' school environment.

Life / How do the Polish feel about air pollution in their cities? [35]

Big fine possibly looming due to alleged failure to get pollution within the limits agreed
thenews.pl/1/6/Artykul/192717,Air-pollution-costing-Poland-millions

Sadly very evident not just in the city centre but greener areas like Krzyki, Sepolno and similar

This is perhaps due to wood or coal being used to heat houses as well as older diesel vehicles clattering up and down the streets, rubbing shoulders with the latest megabuck BMW and Subarus and an assortment of Chelsea tractors that are seen here all over the place, somewhat curiously.

Work / Can I find a job in Poland that requires speaking in English? [82]


Is this because you have met a Polish man and you are following him back to Poland? If so, hopefully he'll try to help you find something. I think there's not a lot of options in most towns, maybe none. I am not sure there's much demand for Hindi, but you could offer lessons, although don't rely on that for a regular income. Can you maybe teach some other skill, like cooking or dancing or day trading or anything at all? If you have basic Polish, there's hope although not a lot unfortunately. Your best chance might be if your boyfriend's family can use you in their business, if they have one.

Life / How are electric cars doing in Poland? [413]

Merged: Polish bus manufacturer Solaris might make huge plug-in electric bus

autos.yahoo/news/80-foot-long-electric-bus-concept-poland-uses-150004128.html

Work / Overtime no honoured by employer in Poland [7]

If they paid you until 5pm but let you go at 3pm, I would doubt there's anything positive that would come of raising it as an issue with HR. If you're unhappy or resent your employer or managers, perhaps start applying for other employment while still in this job because it's usually easier to find a different job when already in a job.

(btw If they deducted 2 hours' pay because they unilaterally decided to shorten the day, you might have a grievance if you really want to be bothered with it, depending on your contract.)

Classifieds / Warsaw Speed Dating Event [34]


Here you go: speed-dates.pl/events.php?cityid=25

News / Polish PM Tusk- dictator or not? What Poles think? [374]

It's probably understandable admiration, for the man seems to be a very clever scientist who, if rich, has studied endlessly to get where he is.

chemie.hu-berlin.de/forschung/quantenchemie/Group/js-1/js_cv
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joachim_Sauer

As for him perhaps being a Jew, that info is not stated anywhere that I checked, not that it's any of our business what religion or race he belongs to. What is relevant to PF is that Mrs M is 1/4 Polish (Poznan).

Life / Most UK DAB radios don't work on Poland's DAB network [12]


Do you mean that a Polish DVB box for Polish digital TV will not send a video signal to a British standard TV set via the scart or any video cable? Oh terrific...

Life / Most UK DAB radios don't work on Poland's DAB network [12]

Thanks kpc.

I have had a Poland DVB box for 2 years, made by a company beginning with H, and the mains adaptor has packed up after not using it for a year (stored in a dry flat). It's 1.5A and 5V, so not the easiest to replace. When I plugged in a temporary 5V adaptor of 800mA, the box would not work and just gave me a flickering LED light.

Life / Most UK DAB radios don't work on Poland's DAB network [12]

Hi KPC, it's bbc.com/news/blogs-magazine-monitor-25813198
(yes they make electronics too, I have an excellent DVD player from their UK distributor, but the Polska TV box adaptor seems to have been made badly)

I can't find a cheap adaptor pushing out 1500mA here and 5V. It's cheaper to buy a whole new box.

Work / Moving Wroclaw/ Salary negotiations as a senior research engineer with PHD [23]

A search on the forum has all the answers - this question has been asked many times.

Life / Most UK DAB radios don't work on Poland's DAB network [12]

Thank you kpc :)

I went to some shops today. Nobody had a 1500mA 5V, although they had lower spec mA, priced at 75 zl. A new DVBT box (at Neonet) is 99zl.

Work / Moving Wroclaw/ Salary negotiations as a senior research engineer with PHD [23]

See threads on: PhD Poland.

Work / Moving Wroclaw/ Salary negotiations as a senior research engineer with PHD [23]


I hope all goes well, but I'd not do any of the hanging up the phone stuff suggested elsewhere of course. If they seem reluctant to pay what you want, merely politely suggest what is your minimum figure and say you can't afford to work for less, simple as that. Keep it all polite and good humoured. Of course, you don't need me to tell you this stuff, I know.

Work / Moving Wroclaw/ Salary negotiations as a senior research engineer with PHD [23]


Well, I was in Skytower yesterday and because they looked at me (perhaps because I looked a bit freaky!) I noticed lots of people yesterday, and a fairly significant number of males 20-40 years of age of Arab and also what might be regarded as Indian appearance. This is a change on a few years back, so I assume that communities are springing up. I certainly look forward to the day when I can get a decent Indian take away here !!!!

Law / Registering residence without renting or owning? [7]

This is a very important point, and one that horrified me when I first learnt about it some years back.

Work / Questions about moving from UK to Poland - work, taxes, child benefit [30]

Just to add, about jumping on a plane: Unless you book 3-8 weeks ahead, that jumping on a plane thing will cost your friends a good few quid Something like 200 quid return minimum excluding baggage and much more if less than a week before departure or peak time. So I hope you're all very well off because 20 quid fares have to be booked well in advance and even then they're not so easy to find.

I hope all goes well for you, but don't expect it to be easy in Poland.

Life / Electricity in Poland: plug and voltage? [72]


Can't get anyone to do the work. No one's interested, they have lots of work on or don't speak English and can't be ar$ed. Several electricians said they were coming to do this and that and give me a price for the rewiring, but no one showed up. They're snowed under with bigger jobs and don't need to mess around with a Brit who can't speak Polish. Think I'm kidding? I wish I was.

Life / Electricity in Poland: plug and voltage? [72]


Yes, you're right. I spoke to a Polish man last night and he also had problems getting an electrician and with them cancelling and so forth.

In this video, which appears to refer to AC current in the USA, the speaker says that it DOES matter which way an outlet is wired (ie where N and L are). He suggests it could otherwise be hazardous. There are many similar videos saying the same.

I would just add that I have UK extension sockets with a pilot light plugged in to the Polish circuit and those UK extension socket pilot lights glow even when the extension is plugged in but the switch on the wall is off. What happens is that if I then turn "on" a connected extension socket switch the glow extinguishes and of course the connected appliance does not work. But this does show that current is flowing. This suggests to me that the RCD trip would not work unless the wiring was changed, I assume it would be a simple case of swapping the L and N over on the plug but I don't know because of course I'm not an electrician. Anyone using UK equipment in Poland and vice versa should speak to a qualified electrician before connecting things, so as to ensure usage is safe.

In a nut shell: don't assume your UK appliance in Poland is safely disconnected just because you switch off the socket, and vice versa. And don't assume the RCD would work if needed with appliances wired for the UK and vice versa if in the UK.

Law / Price on printed pack of product sold in Poland differs from barcode & shelf price. System. [4]


Thanks.

Yes, it's definitely that yogurt the price on the shelf refers to. I didn't see an asterisk on the product price, but I know what you mean because we have the same in the UK.

It's a mid-size supermarket, not one of the big ones.

As for the portion size, I believe the manufacturer has recently downsized the portion size but kept the price (in most supermarkets) the same. This has also happened a lot in the UK over the past few years.

Real Estate / Swiss Francs Mortgages in Poland [71]

It'll be interesting to see if asking prices accelerate their price falls. Not really seen much downward movement in the last month or two, and yet the properties I check are still plodding on and for sale at the prices no one wants - for a year or two now.

Real Estate / Swiss Francs Mortgages in Poland [71]


Indeed! Seems that way almost always.
Just got a mailing from one of the portals, and I see a place that I offered on maybe a year ago is still for sale but now at 1.5% off !! :D A few developers have posters up saying 'nowy cena!' but from memory the prices are the same or very similar, so far. All around they're building new flats, all over the place. Some are nice, some are ghastly slave boxes. Quite a few houses being built here and there as well as refurbs. Had a look at the prices yesterday and don't really see any bargains.

Life / Planning to relocate to Wroclaw, Poland [17]

I only applied for 1 job, but for what it's worth it asked for a native English speaker to work in a department (not teaching) and field that I could easily demonstrate my experience and knowledge in. I never even got an interview (I am in my 40s). From that I conclude they had a respectable number of native English speaking applicants. So, I don't think it's easy to find non-teaching work here. I also believe the teaching opportunity is much less than it was.

It might come down to networking and contacts for the best or only chance of a foot in the door.

Real Estate / Sweeping powers? What rights do chimney sweeps have when inspecting rented properties in Poland? [8]


:)


Yeah I think if the owner had sent them he'd have had their name in a book. I very much doubt he was sent by the landlord.


Yes that's for blocks and I have seen those notices. I am in a rented semi detached house. It's privately owned by a landlord. He's very persistent, especially with his continual doorbell ringing. I'll have to write a polite note saying no thanks and hope he leaves it at that.

Please avoid excessive quoting

Real Estate / Sweeping powers? What rights do chimney sweeps have when inspecting rented properties in Poland? [8]

@Roger5, I am a naughty lil' quoter and perish the thought I dare mention here again in a grey box what you said about the insurance co regs! I am grateful to yourself and my cousin thrice removed inkrakow for bringing this factor about the insurance to my notice. I'd prefer a sweep to put a card in my box to make an appointment with his tariff itemised rather than have a sudden hawker on my door in some odd outfit similar to a pantomime character. If the landlord isn't expected to do or organise this check, I'll get it done shortly. Much appreciate this info, thanks again.