Refused credit for having a wrong residency card in Poland

Today I went into a bicycle shop and asked if I could by a bike on credit. The guy said no problems and I asked which documents he'd need. He said he just needed my ID.

Being a Brit, the only Polish ID I have is my long term residency card. The guy gave the credit company the info and we waited. They rang back saying i couldn't have credit as my type of ID, a long term residency card for an EU citizen, didn't fit their system. I believe it is Lukas bank.

This isn't the first time I've been buggered about for finance because of the "wrong' ID.

My question is, as someone who is an EU citizen, resident over 10 years, married to a Polish national, has a firm, pays tax, ZUS etc... why can I not get credit with a document issued to me by the Polish government?

The lady at the immigration office laughed in disbelief when I told her.

I've heard similar things from a couple of other Brits.

Discrimination, or just dodgy admin?

Don't think it's discrimination, the same also happens in holland,

Are you allowed to vote ?

Dodgy admin.


That's very strange - they should have no problem with a long term permanent stay card. Most credit-issuing banks will accept the EU certificate of residency, so the permanent residency version of that should be more than acceptable.


I *think* it's because they're still not used to the documents issued to EU citizens. I notice here, people don't really seem to understand what's given to us - especially as it's technically not a "karta pobytu" - which they're trained to accept.

Maybe, after all, the guy was giving them the info over the phone. The problem for me is that it has all my details, PESEL etc... Just don't get it. I had the same with GE moneybank a few years ago, because my 5 year card didn't have a PESEL on the card.

Dodgy admin.


Citibank won't when it comes to mortgages.


The fact that the five-year thing doesn't even have a photo on doesn't help matters. And neither does the fact that neither that nor the ten-year things are technically valid with a passport to go with them.

To be honest, no idea!


My old 5 year one did. Just didn't have a PESEL on it! As I say, this was done over the phone and the guy described it, gave them the numbers etc.

Local and European elections: yes. National elections: no.

No bugger worth voting for around here, anyway.

Strange, ING had absolutely no problems with mine. There was the usual look of "what's this?", but it wasn't an issue.


It's complete nonsense in every sense of the word. Would it really be so difficult to issue an ID card, especially given that the Poles get their dówod for free now!


I think it's possible that they simply didn't understand what it was.

Possible. I'm going to go to a branch tomorrow and see what they say face to face.

Just annoying when the shop guy told them it was an official government issue doc and gave them all my details.

Hmm - stupid question - but - did you have your passport as well?

No, cos I'd just walked into the shop. He told them I was a brit but they never said I needed to produce a passport.

The guy in the shop was just doing a credit check with the bank.

In that case they are technically entirely correct: your Polish issued ID is not valid unless accompanied by your national ID (i.e. passport for Brits).

Yep, that's more than likely the exact reason for getting refused - they probably thought he had no ID and the guy in the shop probably didn't realise that the Polish-issued ID wasn't valid by itself.

Hmm, OK, so I should go to a main office, then.
If they'd said that it wouldn't be a problem.

I'd go back to the shop with both the passport and ID and see what they've got to say then. If you've got another form of Polish ID (like a driving licence) - take that too.

Great, I'll try that. Thanks.

Be prepared for some mega moaning if it doesn't work ;-)

It probably couldn't hurt to take in a copy of the most recently filed PIT statement either.

Well, popped into Agricole, who are owners of Lukas bank. They said there was no problem with getting credit and all but took me through the procedure. They didn't even ask about my passport.

I asked why I couldn't get it with Lukas bank and the guy rang them to check. Turns out it must be something to do with the computer system not accepting the number on the Residency card (it has 9 figures... 2 letters and 7 numbers). Whatever.

Rather than get credit from Agricole, I decided to pop to my own bank, Multibank, and see what they could offer. They suggested just using the credit card (they would), as they reckoned the amount was too low for a loan.

I asked to raise my allowance on the credit card... and they couldn't process it cos of computer problems!!!!!

Jebus Trevek, you're not having much luck.
Maybe the many gods are tryin to tell you not to take up cycling :P

Gods - Smurf your an atheist man, don't tell me you are back in the land of religion :-)

Well, I was cycling home the other day (yes, I finally bought it... my father-in-law just lent me the cash!) and saw a girl who'd been knocked off her bike at a zebra...