I'm British in Poland and I think that it's time to go back to the UK!

Dude, you just don't get It... The whole problem is that people from outside Poland are treated the same way like people from inside of Poland.

Thats not entirely true but it's a good point

Sorry but that was funny and I do mean that only because it was not me.

I went to the tax office the other week and the girl asked me are "you a foreigner" and I said I was, she asked "have you always been a foreigner", I answered "No, not in my own country".

If you can't laugh you'd cry, I tell you.
One of the best things about Polish Forum is that I do not feel like the exception to every rule, thanks.

"tearing-my-hair-out phase and am now in the expect-it-to-be-a-nightmare-but-be-pleased-if-it-isn't phase."

Absolutely brilliant way of putting it..I am now in that phase and it is the best phase to be in as the first phase just leads to potential heart attacks.

1st world country it ain't, it most certainly ain't 3rd world either.

PESEL and REGON are very useful. Polish is used at airports back home and also official documents are in Polish. Here, they are very reluctant to use English or provide documentation in English. This is a breach of the law. U have a legal right to be furnished with documents in 2 languages.

???
I do not understand why the PESEL or the REGON numbers are usefull.
I have the REGON number and so far have not need/wanted the PESEL number, sure they ask for it but my passport number suffices.


Well the official language is "Po"l and then there is its other orientation "Polish", like greenish or twentyish. Of course I am joking and you are right, we are the EU and English id the language. That's a bit strong but I think it needs to be.

that gave me a giggle as much as the polish road signs (with hilarious tags underneath did earlier on)


now thats a new one on me .. i know what a NIP and a PESEL is but whats a one of those ie - REGON

company number, i think.

Well, I have a PESEL and REGON, the latter being sth which I needed to set up my business. It got me a MAKRO card, not so bad.

A PESEL is vital if u want to apply for residence in the future.

LOL

Do u guys have MAKRO in Canada? Or WALMART? I guess wholesalers are quite big business in Canada.

stat.gov.pl

REGON register is a continuously actualised set of information on subjects of national economy run as an IT system in the way of central database and local databases.

REGON register:

*serves reaching identification cohesion of businesses entered into another official registers and information systems of public administration,
*serves uniformity of descriptions used in nomenclatural and classification concepts in all official registers and information systems of public administration,
*provides general characteristics of businesses operating in national economy in following cross-sections: territorial, proprietorial, types of activity, legal form, etc.,
*enables preparation of address list of active businesses,
*is the foundation for creation of databases and data banks on businesses,
*is the main source of supply for the base of units drawn for statistical surveys.

------

Basically, it's a number you get when you register your business with the Central Statistical Office. When setting up a business you're required to state what sort of economic activities you will be doing, picked from the Statistical Classification of Economic Activities in the European Community. REGON is tied to that.

Walmart but I don't set my foot in it. I was LOL-ing because I think I have one somewhere too. It was not THAT long ago since I left. Loved Macro;)

That's exactly what it is. U must get in touch with GUS and go through the necessary procedure.

I think you are the sheep to ask, I am an EU citizen, why would I want/need PESEL or residency? I seem to be doing everything I want without the PESEL.

I did start a thread and people said it was like NI, I have a NI number from when I worked in England, needed it for tax purposes, in offices I use my passport number and just to make life easier. And I really do not like being a number, mind numbing spirit crushing cog in the machine.

U can vote through establishing citizenship via a PESEL. This is the key difference. It just depends how much u value a vote. For me, it'd be symbolic but worth as much as a punch in the teeth.

Thanks Seanus.

No worries matey

it is also ASDA here in the UK as well seanus :)

ASDA is a fantastic store now. I was in a couple of times last week and got some great Indian and Chinese food for cheap. I'll miss the vast range they have there. TESCO is good here but doesn't have the variety of Oriental cuisine that I like.

I use my UK makro card here in Poznań much to the confusion of the staff.

Hey guys, you keep complaining about having to apply for PESEL/REGON, but here in the UK, I had to get a NIN, a UTR (unique taxpayer's number - I am self-employed), of course I also have a whatchamacallit tax number because I work as an employee as well, if I were not self-employed, I would have to apply for a Workers Registration Scheme card and number, and re-apply if I changed employers within the first year, (plus pay 90 GBP for the honour! - admittedly only once), if I were in the building trade I would need to acquire a CIS card and number... In other words, there is no number-free country anywhere. And I daresay I have been given some other numbers I don't even really think about, like my council tax account number (VERY important) and stuff. ;-)

And living in the UK without a NIN is nigh impossible. The first thing anyone asks you about at any office is your NIN. So there. And, surprisingly, I do not see a great lot of Polish-language forms or official documents - and I should know, I am a community interpreter as you know. There are brochures about heating your home efficiently and protecting yourself against CO fumes, yes. But when it comes to things like benefit claim forms, rent agreements, or any other important stuff like Home Office documentation/correspondence), it is in English only - which does not surprise me, as we are in the UK after all.

Polish Translation - bassetlaw.gov.uk/services/advice__benefits/benefits/forms___leaflets_to_download.aspx
Home office: gov.uk/government/organisations/uk-visas-and-immigration - Polish version

Admittedly you have to search for them in English which kinda defeats the object lol
But most local authorities will have many language versions including Polish, and you can find this on most pages through the search function :)

Magdalena,

I think what people are saying on here is not only about the language problems. But even if I knew polish as good as you, it would still be very hard, and policy seems to change from one day to the next

Boss is away and you are skiving on the forums eh lol

Ha ha, lets hope she doesn't come on here! lol

You think my name is coded enough?

Not if she sees this hehe
Country, city:
Gdynia
Speak Polish?:
No
Occupation, website:
Internet Marketing
Interests:
Sports, Socialising

you can request it in polish actually :-)

You would probably have to know English to do that ;-)
But seriously, there is a huge market in the UK in so called "assistance", where people who know some English "help" those less linguistically talented to fill in their forms - for money of course, and a lot of it.

If Polish-language forms were widely available, this business would die a quick and painless death, don't you think?
Yes, government agencies and local authorities do offer a variety of translated material, but most of it is brochures, as I said before. Not the actual FORMS that need to be filled in.

But even if I am wrong about the above, I am dead sure that there is no such thing as Polish versions of rent agreements, employment contracts, medical notes, legal documents, and the like. I translate too many of them into Polish to think otherwise. For the baffled/mystified Polish end user that is!


I would really encourage you to actually follow the links and click the clicks. I tried, and the only Polish-language text I found was a LEAFLET for tenants and landlords about the Rent Deposit Scheme.

I even clicked a tempting looking link on the Home Office site which looked as if it led to a Polish version of the WRS form, but no, the actual form that popped up was English.

Again, not that this bothers me. I am, after all, living in an English-language country.

Why would they offer forms in Polish to be filled in, doesn't make no sense at all when after that the forms have to sent to be processed by English people who will have no idea of Polish, that's just daft!

And if there is any Polish information it will only be in a guide format.

I live in Poland and have had to learn enough Polish so I can get by and understand the crazy bureaucracy here; surly it is the responsibility of the person in question to familiarise themselves with the language of their chosen residency.

And I really do not see why it should be any different in the UK!
At least the language is easier to learn :)