Life / Living in Poland since 2010 and I still don't have ID. Advice needed please. [50]


Dubious to the extreme. It is really easy to zameldować się. If there are problems zamelding at your own residence (which I highly doubt would be the case if you have clear title to the property), you can always zameld at the address of a friend who owns a house or apartment. You just need the owner's signature and a copy of their their wydruk z księgi wieczystej. Piece of cake.

Highly unlikely that the wojewoda is going to decline your request for residency. The only exception that I can think of is that you don't have a clean criminal record. More like is the fact that you are missing key paperwork (like the zameldowanie).

As I said, go to the Wydział Spraw Obywatelskich is Cudzoziemców, ask them exactly what papers you need (they usually give you a list), get the papers, fill out the application, and submit it with photos and the required fee, and voila!

The Police department has nothing to do with this process at all, except perhaps issuing a certificate that you have no criminal record in Poland. You meet with the dzielnicowy, and pick up the certificate a few days later where they tell you to.

You will also probably have to provide proof that you can support yourself while in Poland (they'll tell you how to do this), and proof of health insurance coverage.

Life / Living in Poland since 2010 and I still don't have ID. Advice needed please. [50]


I'll take your word for that.


Apparently, they are trying to get Polish citizenship. Why, God only knows. There is nothing a Polish citizen can do that a resident foreigner can, except vote in national elections.

Law / Firearm permits in Krakow for civilian sport [2]

You're more likely to get a useful answer on the International Practical Shooting Confederation forum: ipsc.invisionzone.com/

You'll have to create an account and wait for it to be approved. Ask in the section called "The Road Warrior", which is for advice about travelling with firearms.

Also, it would be a good idea to join the IPSC. It would make demonstrating a need to import the weapons a lot easier. If you don't have a compelling reason to import the guns, it is likely that your request will be denied. Being a registered competitive shooter is a compelling reason. Being a hobbyist collector is most likely not.

The other organization that is worth looking into is the ISSF (International Shooting Sport Federation). They don't seem to have a forum, though. Just to cut you off at the pass if you're heading in that direction, no, the NRA is not a legitimate organization for this purpose.

UK, Ireland / looking for Lowicz pedy sosny - pine syrup for a very poorly friend [2]

Pine syrup is available in the UK. For example: nutritioncentre.co.uk/products/969-a-vogel-bronchosan-pine-cough-syrup

However, there are a lot better medicines on the market. He should ask his doctor.

Travel / A traditional Thanksgiving Dinner in Wroclaw? [16]

Except for the black walnuts, the ingredients for making a full-blown Thanksgiving dinner from scratch are all available in Poland, or there are very good substitutes available, like European cranberries for American cranberries. The one thing that is hard to get is molasses. In fact, you can probably pick up just about everything in Hala Targowa, including the turkey and the sweet potatoes.

As far as the black walnuts are concerned, I lucked out. There is a tree growing near my place that someone planted as an ornamental.

Work / Living in Katowice (programmer, 3000 PLN) - is it enough? [65]


Katowice is not an attractive city, by any stretch of the imagination. Not speaking Polish will be a problem, of course. As for whether or not you should accept the offer, it depends on what the offer is, what your personal circumstances are (age, sex, citizenship, education level, qualifications, experience), and what you expect to get out of it (a year of experience while slumming it, or a serious long-term career). Why Poland? And why Katowice? If you want to get a useful answer, you have to be pretty generous with the information you provide.

Work / Living in Katowice (programmer, 3000 PLN) - is it enough? [65]

The only thing you'll get out of it is one year of experience in IT support, which may, or may not, be useful in your future career. A more logical approach is to improve your qualifications by getting a masters or engineering degree. That will greatly increase your chances of finding satisfying employment and also greatly increase your lifetime earning potential. Your opportunities for advancement are quite limited with only a bachelors. You're going to hit the earnings ceiling very quick. Get some first rate advice on high-paid, always-in-demand careers and tailor your graduate studies to achieve a realistic goal.

Work / Living in Katowice (programmer, 3000 PLN) - is it enough? [65]


If by "IT support" the OP means "working in a call center", that's pretty tragic. Even more so if the best job he can find pays a measly $20,000 dollars or less a year. The experience gained won't mean anything at all on the job market. His is her time is better spent beefing up his qualifications by getting a higher degree. Or for looking for a better-paid job elsewhere.


There are very few jobs that specifically require a Finn. He'll be competing with scads of foreigners from other countries. And, of course, with scads of Poles.

Love / English Men vs Polish Men [207]

Agree. I'm 6'2'', and if I see a Pole as tall as me, he is invariably in his late teens or early twenties. I tower high above Poles in my age group (I'm 53). Don't see many over six foot.

Work / Living in Katowice (programmer, 3000 PLN) - is it enough? [65]

None of that contradicts what I wrote, that there are very few jobs that specifically require a Finnish speaker. The example you gave does not apply because the woman in question spoke Finnish, English AND Polish. I think you can count the native speakers of Finnish that speak reasonable Polish who are available for work in Poland without taking your socks and shoes off. That put her in a whole different class than the OP, who said that they did not know any Polish at all.

Law / Student. Looking for a way to extend my stay in Poland by study (to eventually apply for permanent residence) [19]


I have to agree with Monitor here. None of those degrees are of very much value on the job market, in Poland or elsewhere, and none of them will add much value to your B.Mus. degree, which is also not worth very much on the job market. IT may, however, be a good choice. And it is possible, theoretically at least, to combine it with your knowledge of musicology to find a niche in the market, if not in Poland, then elsewhere. I'm curious what the other choices were. Business might be a good choice, too, and could, theoretically, be combined with your music degree. I would talk to your professors about realistic career-enhancing degrees.

In any case, you don't say whether you speak Polish well. If you don't, you will be at a very big disadvantage in an job market that is highly competitive as it is, and have a very difficult time finding any decent-paying work here in Poland, unless you are a top performer on your instrument. Even then, jobs are few and far between.

Law / Student. Looking for a way to extend my stay in Poland by study (to eventually apply for permanent residence) [19]


IT and business are good candidates. Economics less so. There is a glut of economics majors at the present time. I once read that if Poland ceased offering degrees in economics altogether, it would be thirty years before there would be a shortage of economics graduates in Poland. Econometrics, on the other hand, is in demand, but that's a tough course and very math heavy.


Unfortunately, degrees in languages are not worth much on the job market, unless you plan on becoming a language teacher (in which case, you will need a degree in education, as well). For most other jobs, the only thing that counts is your practical knowledge of a language, which you can just as easily obtain without getting a degree, or without any university study at all.


Sorry to disagree with your friend, but degrees of that type are eminently useless. You're better off going with straight business instead, and learning Russian on your own. However, I would advise against Russian. Your time would be better spent improving the languages you already know (English, Polish, German and Spanish), than starting yet another one. And you can do that by simply intensively reading literature on your own.

Like I said, you should consult with your professors about which degrees would be best for you. All of the "easy" degrees are worth very little on the job market. Most degrees that are worth something involve a good deal of math. There are precious few non-math-intensive degrees that can help you get a well-paid job nowadays. The question is finding one that you can pair with your music degree so that they compliment and reinforce each other.

Law / Student. Looking for a way to extend my stay in Poland by study (to eventually apply for permanent residence) [19]


I'd like to, but I don't know a lot about you nor do I know a lot about the music industry. Talk to people who have made a good career in music business. Having a mentor who has gone the way you hope to pursue is very helpful.


International business is a good choice. I think IT may be beyond your grasp.


Monitor made a good point. Studying a real topic like business or IT is going to demand a lot of your time. And to succeed, you will have to make your studies your main passion for the time being, and music will be in second place. The next three or four years of your life are going to be very hard indeed. However, I agree that you don't have to abandon music entirely, and I think it's entirely possible that you can combine your music with international business and find a niche on the job market, if not in Poland, then somewhere in the world.

Also, keep up your languages. Read constantly in them and look up all the words you don't know. Someone with a degree in international business who has a knowledge of music and is fluent in English, German, Spanish, Russian and Polish has a lot to offer on the job market. I know the music industry is a very difficult job market, but, with qualifications like that, you should be able to find a place. Good luck!

Travel / A traditional Thanksgiving Dinner in Wroclaw? [16]


I have a friend who knows a guy with an orchard who makes it. But you can make apple cider yourself very easily with an ordinary juice machine and Lobo apples, which are easy enough to find. Most fruit stands have them. Lobo is a MacIntosh hybrid that is ideal for cider making- pleasantly tart. After extracting the juice, let it sit overnight at cellar temperature to ferment slightly, then either chill or served warm with spices. Make sure you use Lobo's. If you use a different variety, the taste can be rather bland. Also be sure to let it sit overnight so that it ferments just a little and gets a little carbonated. Greatly improves the taste.

Also, you can buy a similar product at the Targ Ekologiczny that is now on Nowy Targ in the Old Town in Wrocław. A bit pricey, though.

Law / Student. Looking for a way to extend my stay in Poland by study (to eventually apply for permanent residence) [19]


I've spent the past few days reading up on people with music degrees. The prospects are even bleaker than I expected.

Having said that, I did find that there were some (not many) music graduates who succeeded in making at least a substantial part of their living either in performing, or in the music and entertainment industry in general. Those that succeed are unusually gifted and dedicated AND are assertive and persistent self-starters and shameless self-promoters AND are mentally flexible and innovative enough to find a rare niche in a highly competitive job market AND are extremely skilled at face-to-face networking AND have have serious qualifications in areas other than music AND, last of all, blessed by a lot of luck.

Even most "successful" musicians have to supplement their income as they are unable to make ends meet on the income generated by performing alone, and often have to rely on skills, knowledge and qualifications that have little or nothing to do with music. For every one that "makes it", there are thousands flipping burgers at MacDonalds, stocking shelves at Tesco, or working as barrister at Starbucks because they failed to develop skills other than music.


While I am a bit more optimistic that a business degree provides transferable skills that can be useful on the job market, I wholeheartedly agree that networking and developing contacts is essential for success in the world of business, whether you own your own company or work for someone else. This is true in any profession. The best jobs are always advertised exclusively by word of mouth are candidates are recruited by word of mouth on the grapevine. Your goal should be to figure out how to effectively become an integral part of the music and business grapevines. Learn to meet people and interest them in you. Take assertiveness training classes if your shy. Shyness is the kiss of death in fields like music or business that rely on aggressive self-promotion.

All in all, I think that, of all of the options open to you, a business degree is probably the most realistic option. An IT degree would be better, of course, but that may lie beyond your capabilities and inclinations.


Wholeheartedly agree here. These tests are obscenely expensive and often not required. You can always take them if a prospective employer specifically requires them. Until then, there is no point in shelling out the money for these tests. I do not think that language courses beyond the intermediate level are an effective way of learning a language. You would do much better by developing an avid reading habit under the one-on-one tutelage of a experienced native speaker. Almost all of the work in learning a language beyond the elementary level consists of vocabulary acquisition through intensive reading, coupled with fluency training in productive skills in speaking and writing. A group setting in a typical language school is not the best place to develop those skills at an advanced level. One-on-one tutoring is going to be a lot more cost and time effective.

Work / Moving to Poland to work at a company (Warsaw or Lodz). Average expense per month? [57]


I agree. If you are not bringing in at least 5000 PLN a month net, there is little incentive to move to Warsaw, unless you are satisfied with the idea of slumming it for a year to get work experience, for example. As a working foreigner who doesn't speak Polish, you are probably going to find it impossible to survive on less than 3000 PLN net, and at that level, life will be spartan, uncertain and joyless. You will not be able to save up any money to have a rainy day fund to fall back on should you fall ill.

Work / Moving to Poland to work at a company (Warsaw or Lodz). Average expense per month? [57]


That's approximately correct for Warsaw. Note that this is for a pretty basic, frugal existence. With practically all meals cooked from scratch at home and few, if any, modest frills. To make it worthwhile moving, you should be earning about 1000 to 2000 PLN a month more, net, so that you are able to save money and have a rainy day fund. Also, during the first month, you are going to need an additional 1000 PLN or so to buy things for your kitchen and apartment, depending on how well it is furnished, and don't forget that you will have to pay for your residence permit, unless your employer does so. The same with health insurance, which you failed to itemize. That would put your minimum earnings at about 4500 to 5500 PLN per month NET, or 6000 to 7500 PLN GROSS. If you're not getting that, there is no point in coming to Poland.

Work / Moving to Poland to work at a company (Warsaw or Lodz). Average expense per month? [57]


It would be best to leave finding an apartment for you to your Polish colleagues. Finding an apartment on your own, with no knowledge of the city or the local language, is going to be quite a daunting task. Otehrwise, going through a real estate agency is probably going to be more practical than looking on your own, though that will cost you about one month's rent. Also, I forgot to mention that, the first month, you are going to have to pay about one month's rent as a security deposit, so add another 1500 to 2000 PLN to your first month's budget.


In that case, budget about 1000 PLN a month for food, considering you will be eating out two or three times a week. Yes, cooking at home from scratch saves a lot of money, though it can be time consuming, and least until you learn how to organize your time in the kitchen effectively.

Travel / A traditional Thanksgiving Dinner in Wroclaw? [16]


Actually, a juice machine is a press. The only difference is the nature of the force applied.


Can it? Probably not. Unless you're going to serve it warm after you thaw it. Apple cider freezes very well. Just leave about 10% headspace in the jug for expansion.

Law / Student. Looking for a way to extend my stay in Poland by study (to eventually apply for permanent residence) [19]

Well, Maślanka, it looks as if you have a plan now, or at least a concrete idea of what avenues you can further explore. Good luck with your studies, and with your future career!

Work / How much is the average living cost in Poland for foreign student? [44]

For a foreign student residing in Poland, that's going to be closer to 400 to 500 Euro. There are essentially no part-time jobs for foreign students. Make your plans on the assumption that you will not be able to find work, even during the summer.

Also, degrees from private universities are generally worthless, and degrees from public university for courses taught in English are generally worth much, either. You're better off studying in the UK, especially as a Malaysian. At least you'll get a degree that means something on the job market back home.

Work / Moving to Poland to work at a company (Warsaw or Lodz). Average expense per month? [57]

If you live VERY frugally, with VERY modest accommodations, with 5000 PLN net a month you could theoretically save up to about 1500 to 2000 PLN a month. That means you had better like potatoes and cabbage. You're probably going to grow rather weary of that type of monotonous lifestyle very quickly, and reduce your level of spending to increase your level of comfort. At best, you'll be putting just enough aside to provide a very modest rainy-day fund, that will cover, at most, a month-long illness, for example. You will certainly not be able to do any serious saving. Don't forget that during the first month or two, you won't be able to do any savings at all, and will probably have to rely on the money you bring with you to pay for your apartment deposit, residence permit and supplies for your apartment. So look at a realistic figure of saving up at most 10,000 PLN (about 2,500 Euro or $3,300) by the end of the first year, and probably somewhat less. I would make my plans on the basis that you would save up half that amount, or about 5,000 PLN. That's only one months wages. Not very impressive.

If you're coming to Poland to earn enough money to save up a substantial amount, forget about it. That isn't going to happen, even if you do live like a monk on a diet and live in a cave.

Work / Moving to Poland to work at a company (Warsaw or Lodz). Average expense per month? [57]


I agree. Having a car in Warsaw would significantly increase costs, and essentially eliminate the ability to save anything more than, perhaps, a small pittance. If that.

When I said frugal existence, I excluded having a car. That would be a luxury. However, it is quite possible to live comfortably in a large city like Warsaw without a car. Unless, perhaps, he is a salesman or something similar and has to visit multiple dispersed locations during the course of the workday.

Another thing I did not calculate in to the equation was wardrobe, on the assumption that this is a short-term assignment and that the OP already has appropriate business attire that he will bring with him. He will, of course, have to buy a winter coat, gloves and hat, and perhaps a sweater and more durable shoes, but this should set him back no more than 1000 PLN, or less. If, on the other hand, he has to buy appropriate business attire in Poland, that can cost quite a bit, and further reduce savings potential. Also assumed that the apartment he finds would be more or less furnished, and that the most he would have to buy is a used desk and chair, bedclothes, and basic kitchen and bathroom supplies. Also assumed he doesn't smoke, which will set him back about 400 PLN a month at a pack a day. Or drink or go out to bars and clubs, which can also be rather costly.

All in all, I agree that the OP will not be able to save a substantial amount of money, if any at all, and should reconsider accepting the assignment if saving up a substantial sum of money during his stay is a primary goal of his. That goal is unattainable, even without having a car, without having to buy appropriate business attire, and without having to furnish his apartment.

There's also a big difference between how much money a native Pole who knows the country and the language needs to survive at a comfortable level, and how much a clueless foreigner fresh off the plane does. It is possible for a native Pole to live a modest life with a modicum of comfort in Warsaw for 3000 PLN. It would be difficult for a foreign SAP consultant to do so without living a very frugal, monkish existence.

Life / Conflicting views about life in Poland? [45]


As far as opportunities for job advancement and future earning potential in terms of how much absolute dollars you can save up per month, your options as an IT engineer are much better in a northern Western European country or in the Anglosphere (US, Canada, Australia and NZ) than in Poland. IT engineering jobs in Poland are often outsourced from these countries specifically to save money on wages, with the real good, interesting and high-paying jobs remaining in the home countries. You are likely to quickly hit a barrier that prevents significant upward advancement, unless you have some serious qualifications in management or finance, as well.

As for learning Polish, it is unlikely that you will develop fluency to the level that you will be able to compete with native Poles on the job market for about five years, at least. You would have to possess some serious qualifications in areas highly in demand to make a go of it until then.

I'm curious what you consider "good offers to work". How much have you been offered?


The lack of well-paying jobs, especially for educated young graduates entering the market, is a major problem. Low wages even for established workers is another. Poor quality of university education is a third. High cost of living in relationship to wages is yet another. Overall backwardness of the country in relation to its neighbors to the west is another. Not unique to Poland. Greece, Italy, Spain and Portugal share a lot of the same problems, and all of those countries are in the old EU. Poland has not been in the EU for a long time, only nine years. True, Poland is improving, but it still has a ways to go. Though no country is perfect, the overall quality of life is significantly higher in northern Western European countries and the Anglosphere than in Poland, and the higher costs are generally more than offset by the higher wages. While many Poles leave Poland to work in those countries, relatively few people from those countries come to work and live in Poland. For good reason.


Most Poles are appear sad a depressed, even when they move abroad. In Poland, there is a sort of taboo against demonstrating that you are happy in public, and that is deeply ingrained. I've been living in Poland for eleven years, and I have learned not to smile constantly from ear to ear like an American. Just today, when I was walking through town for a meeting, a random guy come up to me and complemented me on my long white beard. That put a big smile on my face, which lasted no more than 30 meters before I realized that people were staring at me because I was smiling so openly.

I mentored a teenage student for ten hours a week for five years, and in those approximately 2500 hours, he never laughed. Never. Not even once. The most I could get out of him was a brief, faint sort-of-smile. And his family was fabulously rich, even by American standards. It's different in private, with people you know. I mentor four other boys, all of whom are all smiles and giggles when we are alone. But when they leave the house, they put on their serious-looking "street face", and their reactions to my jokes are much more subdued.

Work / Moving to Poland to work at a company (Warsaw or Lodz). Average expense per month? [57]

You're budgeting a bit low for rent, and very low for eating at home. You aren't going to tolerate a spartan diet like that for very long. So bring that up a bit closer to 4000 a month, at least, depending on how good a deal you get on rent. That means you'll be able to save no more than 10,000 PLN, if you're earning 5000 PLN a month (remember, the first two months, you won't be able to save anything). My guess is that you are not going to be able to maintain the discipline necessary to continue with that spartan a lifestyle, and will not be able to resist the temptation to improve your living conditions at the expense of your savings. Like I said, don't count on putting away much more than 5,000 PLN. If saving up money is a primary goal of yours, taking this job is a very bad idea. If going home breaking even while living like a student is OK with you, you might consider taking the job. Bottom line: it's not going to improve your financial situation much, if at all. You'll probably be better off staying at home.

Life / Conflicting views about life in Poland? [45]


Actually, there is a desperate shortage of university graduates.... in STEM fields (hard Sciences, advanced Technology, Engineering and high-level applied Math).

Problem is that there is a huge glut of graduates in areas like arts, humanities, law, journalism, education, social sciences, and soft sciences like psychology and economics, as well as graduates of low-quality programs from low-quality universities, a huge problem in Poland right now. In some fields like the arts and economics, the number of graduates per year exceed that of the total active workforce in the field.

Graduates of STEM fields create wealth and more jobs. The more engineers, for example, a country has, the more it will need in the future. Non-stem graduates generally don't. Foolishly, young people continue to choose non-stem careers, often fully aware of the bleak job prospects, and governments foolishly continue to finance their studies, fully aware that it is a bad investment.

Work / Moving to Poland to work at a company (Warsaw or Lodz). Average expense per month? [57]


You forgot about czynsz, which is not included in the prices listed. And location (prices discussed above were for Warsaw).

Work / Moving to Poland to work at a company (Warsaw or Lodz). Average expense per month? [57]


.

You're confused because you are not reading those adds carefully, and not taking into account that you will have to also pay, on top of the listed rent about 400 to 500 PLN building maintenance fee (czynsz) per month. You're also not taking into account that the lower-priced apartments are either in areas you probably would not like to live (unsafe or very far from where you work, or are unfurnished.

If you plan to live in Warsaw, you are probably going to have a difficult time finding a suitable apartment in a suitable neighborhood for under 2500 PLN rent + utilities + building maintenance fee. The rest of your monthly expenses (internet, telephone, transportation, food at home, food out, entertainment, and sundry kitchen and bathroom supplies like soap, detergent, toilet paper, toothpaste, socks etc. is going to be at least 1000 PLN, and probably more if you eat away from home more than occasionally.

Sorry to burst your bubble, but substantial saving at the wages you are getting for living in Warsaw is completely out of the question. After a year, you will return to your home country either with a small pittance in savings, or completely empty-handed. It's not entirely impossible that you will lose out on the deal, especially if you get sick and can't work for a month. How much the work experience is worth to you and the adventure of living in a different culture, I can't say. The only substantial financial reward you may eventually get out of this in career advancement after you return to your home country.


When you ASSUME you make an A$$ of U and ME. I would not count on a substantial raise after a year. It would be a pleasant surprise if you get one, but I wouldn't make my plans based on that assumption. The only way you are going to get a substantial raise is if you get promoted to something like project manager or senior consultant.


You should have done your research BEFORE you accepted the offer. Now you're stuck with it. You'll just have to make the best out of it, as best you can. Good luck!

Polonia / Procedure for obtaining a student visa at the Polish embassy in New Delhi? [26]


Your English is not good enough for you to be able to study at the graduate level in Poland, or any other country. Not by a long shot. It's just not going to happen, and trying to get a visa is a complete waste of time. Your only option for doing a masters at this point is in your own language in your own country. Sorry.

Polonia / Procedure for obtaining a student visa at the Polish embassy in New Delhi? [26]

No. Regardless of spelling, the OP's English is sorely inadequate (pre-intermediate at best). He has years of English learning to do before he is anywhere near capable of pursuing graduate studies in English. He would not be able to understand a high-school level textbook at the moment, and would struggle even with elementary school textbooks. Reading, and comprehending, several hundred pages a day of dense graduate-level scholarly English is far beyond his level.