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Help from the Polish government

For any questions about moving to or living in Poland, you may be able to get help from the:

• Polish Embassy in London
• Polish Office for Foreigners
• Polish Ministry of the Interior and Administration
• Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs

The UK government and the British Embassy in Warsaw cannot give personalised advice on moving to, living or retiring in Poland.

Professional help in Poland

You can also get help from English-speaking professionals in Poland, including:

• lawyers
• translators
• notaries
• funeral directors

Help from the UK government

Read the travel advice for Poland to understand the risks you may face if you live in or visit Poland. This includes the latest information on:

• visas and entry requirements
• laws and cultural differences
• safety and security

Read our guidance on moving, living or retiring abroad.

Get help from the UK government abroad, including in an emergency.

Make sure you meet the entry requirements for Poland before you travel.

Visas and residence permits

Check which visa or residence permit you need to live in Poland. 

You can get a visa or residence permit to:

• work
• study
• live with family in Poland
• volunteer
• do research

For more information, read guidance on:

• visas for Poland
• entry and residence conditions for foreign nationals in Poland

You can also read the Polish government’s frequently asked questions on Polish visas (in Polish). 

Registering as a resident

Once you arrive, you need to register your residency in Poland.

If you have any problems or questions about registering your residency, contact:

• your local voivodeship office
• an English-speaking lawyer in Poland

Extending or replacing your visa or residence permit

Contact the Polish Office for Foreigners or visit the MOS portal for information on how to:

• extend your visa or residence permit
• replace a lost, damaged or stolen visa or residence permit

Permanent residency

You may be able to apply for permanent residency in Poland if you have lived there legally and continuously for at least 5 years.

To find out if you’re eligible and how to apply, read the Polish government’s guidance on permanent residence permits.

Citizenship

Poland recognises dual citizenship with the UK. This means that you do not have to give up (renounce) your British citizenship to become a Polish citizen.

To find out if you’re eligible for Polish citizenship:

• read guidance on getting Polish citizenship
• contact the Polish Ministry of the Interior and Administration
• contact the Polish Embassy in London

Help with visa, residency and citizenship applications

The British Embassy in Warsaw cannot help with Polish visa, residency or citizenship applications.

For any questions or issues, contact:

• the Polish Ministry of the Interior and Administration
• the Polish Embassy in London
• your local voivodeship office
• an English-speaking lawyer in Poland

If you moved to Poland before 1 January 2021, and have been legally living there since then, you and your family members have rights under the Withdrawal Agreement.

Residence cards if you moved to Poland before 1 January 2021

If you moved to Poland before 1 January 2021, make sure you have a ‘Dokument pobytowy dla beneficjenta umowy wystapienia’ residence card. This shows that you have rights under the Withdrawal Agreement.

Under the new digital Entry/Exit System (EES), you’ll need a ‘Dokument pobytowy dla beneficjenta umowy wystapienia’ residence card when entering or leaving Poland. If you have one, you will not have to register with the EES when entering, leaving or travelling within the Schengen area. Without it, you may be wrongly identified as overstaying in the Schengen area and denied entry to Poland or other Schengen countries.

If you do not have a residence card

If you were living in Poland before 1 January 2021, but do not have a ‘Dokument pobytowy dla beneficjenta umowy wystapienia’ residence card, you must register for residency. You’ll need to submit evidence to prove that you met the residency criteria at the time.

Read the Polish government’s guidance on applying for a ‘Dokument pobytowy dla beneficjenta umowy wystapienia’ residence card. You will need to complete an application form and provide the required documents.

If your application is successful, you’ll get a biometric ‘Dokument pobytowy dla beneficjenta umowy wystapienia’ residence card.

If your application is unsuccessful, you may be able to appeal. Read the Polish government’s guidance on the appeal process. Consider getting legal advice from an English-speaking lawyer in Poland.

For more information on how to apply or appeal, read:

• the Polish Office for Foreigners’ guidance for Withdrawal Agreement beneficiaries
• the MOS portal information on residence rights of UK withdrawal agreement beneficiaries and their families

Renewing your residence card if you moved to Poland before 1 January 2021

You’ll need to renew your residence card at least 30 days before it expires.

Contact your local voivodeship office for information on how to renew or replace your residence card.

Bringing family members to Poland if you moved there before 1 January 2021

The Polish government’s information on residence rights of UK withdrawal agreement beneficiaries and their families explains:

• which family members can join you in Poland
• how and when they should apply for their residence document
• fees and processing times

Read our guidance on moving, living or retiring abroad. This covers how to:

• apply for a British passport from abroad
• travel urgently without your British passport

If you have a Polish residence permit or long stay visa, the time you spend in Poland does not count towards the 90-day visa-free period you can spend in the Schengen area.

Always carry your passport and residence document when entering, leaving or travelling within the Schengen area. If you’re asked to show your passport at border control, make sure you also show your residence document or other evidence of residence status. Your passport may be stamped if you do not.

If you have dual citizenship with an EU or European Free Trade Association (EFTA) country, you should enter and leave Poland using your EU or EFTA passport.

Dual citizens travelling to the UK 

When travelling to the UK, British citizens must carry a valid British passport or certificate of entitlement. Read guidance on dual citizenship.

European Entry/Exit System (EES)

Under the new digital Entry/Exit System (EES) there are new rules for entering, leaving or travelling within the Schengen area. Non-EU nationals will need to have their photo and fingerprints taken or verified at the border. This data will be stored in a digital record and used to monitor how long visitors have spent in the Schengen area.

British nationals legally resident in Poland, and who have a valid biometric residence permit or residence card, do not need to register with the EES.

If you’re legally resident in Poland but do not have a biometric residence permit or residence card, contact your local voivodeship office for information on how to get one.

For more information about the EES, read:

• EU guidance on the EES
• guidance on the EES for UK nationals

Read our guidance on moving, living or retiring abroad. This covers how to:

• plan your healthcare
• take medicine abroad

To find out how to get medical treatment:

• read guidance on healthcare in Poland and health in Poland
• find English-speaking medical facilities and doctors for British nationals in Poland

Read our guidance on moving, living or retiring abroad. This covers working abroad, including documents you may need from the UK government.

To work in Poland, you may need a work permit or work visa. Our guidance on travelling to Poland for work explains the different work permits and visas available to you. You can also read the Polish government’s guidance on working in Poland.

You do not need a work permit or visa if you have been living in Poland legally since before 1 January 2021 and have a ‘Dokument pobytowy dla beneficjenta umowy wystapienia’ residence card, or have applied for one. This is because you have rights under the Withdrawal Agreement.

If you live in Poland and were regularly commuting to work in another EU or European Free Trade Association (EFTA) country before 1 January 2021, read guidance for frontier workers.

Recognition of qualifications

If you want to work in Poland, you may need to get your foreign qualifications recognised.

Read our guidance on moving, living or retiring abroad. This covers how to:

• drive abroad legally
• take your UK vehicle abroad
• get driving licence letters

The Polish Ministry of Infrastructure provides information on driving in Poland, including how to:

• apply for a Polish driving licence (in Polish)
• register a vehicle in Poland

For more information read guidance on:

• driving in the EU
• road travel in Poland, in safety and security in the travel advice for Poland

Driving in Poland using a foreign driving licence

You can drive in Poland for up to 6 months using a driving licence issued in:

• the UK
• Gibraltar
• Jersey
• Guernsey
• the Isle of Man

If you have a valid UK driving licence issued before 31 December 2020, there is no time limit on how long you can use it to drive in Poland.

You cannot replace or renew any of these licences if you live in Poland. 

Exchanging a UK, Gibraltar, Jersey, Guernsey or Isle of Man driving licence

To continue driving after 6 months, you must exchange your driving licence (in Polish) unless it was issued in the UK before 1 January 2021. You will not need to take a driving test.

You may need to provide:

• a sworn translation of your UK driving licence – contact an English-speaking translator in Poland
• proof of address in Poland

You should apply for the exchange before the 6 months is over. Applications may take time to process, and you’ll need your Polish licence to drive legally. 

Disabled drivers

You may be able to apply for an EU parking card for people with disabilities or Polish parking card (in Polish).

If you have a UK Blue Badge and live in Poland, you must return it to the original UK issuing authority.

Read our guidance on moving, living or retiring abroad. This covers tax, including paying UK tax and National Insurance. 

The UK has a double taxation agreement with Poland so that you do not pay tax on the same income in both countries.

Contact the Polish Ministry of Finance for any questions about double taxation relief.

Consider getting professional advice on paying tax in Poland. To do this, find an English-speaking lawyer in Poland.

National Insurance

Check if you need to pay National Insurance if you’re going to work in the EU, Gibraltar, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, or Switzerland.

Claiming your UK pension

Read our guidance on moving, living or retiring abroad. This covers:

• how to claim your UK State Pension
• where the UK government pays an annual increase in the State Pension

Your UK state pension is calculated differently if you’ve previously lived in Australia, Canada or New Zealand and now live in the EU.

Claiming a Polish pension

Contact the Polish Social Insurance Institution to find out whether you can claim an old-age pension in Poland.

Claiming UK benefits

Read our guidance on moving, living or retiring abroad. This covers how to claim UK benefits abroad, including Child Benefit. 

You can also read guidance on benefits and pensions for UK nationals in the EU, EEA or Switzerland.

Claiming Polish benefits

You may be entitled to some Polish benefits.

To find out if you’re eligible and how to claim, read:

• the Polish government’s guidance on social assistance for foreign nationals
• general information on pensions and benefits from the Polish Social Insurance Fund

Read our guidance on moving, living or retiring abroad. This covers buying and renting property abroad. 

To buy property, you may need to apply for a permit from the minister responsible for home affairs. For more information, read guidance on buying property as a foreigner in Poland (in Polish).

Contact an English-speaking lawyer in Poland if you’re considering buying property or land.

If you plan to study in Poland, you must meet all visa and residence requirements.

You do not need a student visa if you have been living in Poland legally since before 1 January 2021, as you have rights under the Withdrawal Agreement.

For more information, read guidance on:

• studying in Poland
• studying in the EU
• travel grants for students studying abroad or on placements (England)

You can also contact:

• your higher education provider in the UK or Poland
• the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange
• the Polish Embassy in London

Read our guidance on moving, living or retiring abroad. This covers moving abroad with children, including:

• getting permission to take your child abroad
• claiming UK Child Benefit abroad
• child maintenance payments if a parent lives abroad

Schools and education

The European Commission provides information about the school system in Poland.

All children aged 6 to 18 must attend school or home school in Poland.

For more information, read the Polish government’s guidance on:

• education in Poland
• enrolling your child in kindergarten (in Polish)

Childcare

The Polish Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy is responsible for childcare services in Poland.

Read guidance on:

• early childhood education and care in Poland
• care for children under the age of 3
• Polish childcare and family benefits

Births

If your child is born in Poland, register the birth with the Polish authorities.

Read our guidance on moving, living or retiring abroad. This covers how to:

• register the birth with the UK authorities to get a UK birth certificate
• apply for your child’s first British passport

Deaths

Read our guidance on moving, living or retiring abroad. This covers:

• what to do after someone dies abroad
• how to register the death with the UK authorities

If someone dies in Poland, read guidance on:

• what to do when someone dies in Poland
• English-speaking funeral directors in Poland
• reporting a death in Poland

Marriages and civil partnerships

Read our guidance on moving, living or retiring abroad. This covers how to get married or form a civil partnership abroad. 

The Polish government provides information on how to get married in a civil ceremony in Poland.

Poland does not legally recognise same-sex marriages or civil partnerships.

Divorce and separation

Read our guidance on moving, living or retiring abroad. This covers how to get a divorce or end a civil partnership.

The European e-justice portal offers guidance on divorce in Poland.

Consider taking legal advice from an English-speaking lawyer in Poland.

Read our guidance on documents for British people abroad. This covers: 

• legalising and certifying UK documents
• marriage and civil partnership documents
• affirmations and affidavits
• witnessing signatures

Certificate of clear criminal record

You may need a certificate of clear criminal record for job, visa or residency applications. This is also known as a good conduct certificate (‘zaświadczenie o niekaralności’).

To find an English-speaking lawyer, translator or notary in Poland, read guidance on professional services if you’re abroad.