You’ve got the job. Now comes the admin. This checklist covers the main steps after you move to Poland for a tech job: registering your address, getting your ID numbers, opening a bank account and sorting out health insurance and tax.
Some deadlines are only a few days. Put them in your calendar before you travel.
If you still need a work permit, start with our work visa guide.
Before you leave
- Passport valid for your whole stay, plus scans of every page.
- Visa or permit documents, if you’re not an EU citizen.
- Signed employment contract or offer letter.
- Degree certificates and reference letters. Foreign documents for residence applications may need a translation by a Polish sworn translator (Wielkopolska Voivode’s Office).
- Accommodation for your first weeks, with a written confirmation from the owner or a tenancy agreement. You’ll need an address to register.
- Health cover for the first weeks, such as a European Health Insurance Card if you’re an EU citizen, or travel insurance.
- Money to cover the first month before your first salary, including any rental deposit.
Step by step after you arrive
1. Register your address (zameldowanie)
Registering your address is called zameldowanie or meldunek. Deadlines depend on your citizenship (Population Register Act, art. 41–42):
- EU, EEA and Swiss citizens: by the 30th day after arriving at the address.
- Everyone else: by the 4th day after arriving at the address.
- You don’t need to register if your stay in Poland won’t be longer than 30 days.
Where: at the municipal office (urząd gminy, or urząd dzielnicy in Warsaw) for the area where you live. EU and EFTA citizens can also register online. Other nationals must register at the office and show documents that confirm their right to stay (gov.pl).
Cost: registration is free. A certificate of temporary registration costs PLN 17, unless the system registers you automatically (gov.pl).
Bring: your passport, and your tenancy agreement or confirmation from the owner of the flat.
2. Get your PESEL number
PESEL is Poland’s personal identification number. You’ll need it for many things: your employer, tax, healthcare, the bank and online government services.
- You get a PESEL automatically when you register your address for a stay of over 30 days.
- If you can’t register but need a PESEL, you can apply at any municipal office. You must state the legal reason you need it, such as employment. Citizens of countries outside the EU and EFTA must apply in person.
- It’s free, and the office accepts the application straight away.
Source: gov.pl, PESEL for foreigners.
3. Set up a Trusted Profile (Profil Zaufany)
A Trusted Profile is a free electronic identity for Polish government services (gov.pl). You need a PESEL to get one. Non-EU citizens need it to sign a residence permit application in the online MOS system (Wielkopolska Voivode’s Office).
4. EU citizens: register your stay after 3 months
If you’re an EU citizen staying more than 3 months, apply to register your stay (rejestracja pobytu) with the voivode’s office. Apply no later than the day after 3 months from your entry to Poland. You must apply in person. A certificate issued after 2 August 2021 is valid for 10 years (Wielkopolska Voivode’s Office). Check the fee with your voivode’s office.
5. Non-EU citizens: apply for your residence permit in time
If you arrived on a national visa, apply for your temporary residence permit (Blue Card or single permit) online through MOS before your visa expires. See our work visa guide for the steps.
6. Your tax ID
For individuals, your PESEL is your tax identification number if you don’t run a business, or if you’re a sole trader who isn’t VAT-registered. VAT-registered sole traders use a NIP (Taxpayer Identification Act, art. 3). If you’re going B2B, the tax office gets your details when you register your business. See our tax guide.
7. Health insurance (NFZ)
- Employees: your employer registers you with the Social Insurance Institution (ZUS) within 7 days of starting (Social Insurance Act, art. 36). This gives you public health insurance through the National Health Fund (NFZ). The most common reason NFZ can’t confirm someone’s cover is that their employer hasn’t registered them yet (NFZ). Check after your first month.
- B2B contractors: you’re insured through your own health contribution once you register your business and ZUS.
- EU citizens can use their European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) until they’re insured in Poland (NFZ).
- Voluntary NFZ insurance is possible if you live in Poland and aren’t insured otherwise. For July to September 2026, it costs at least PLN 845.67 a month. An extra one-off fee applies after a gap in cover (NFZ).
Some offers also include private medical care as a benefit. Check yours.
8. Open a bank account
You’ll need a local bank account for your salary and rent.
- If you’re legally resident in an EU country, you have the right to open a basic payment account. Banks can’t refuse you just because you don’t live in that country (Your Europe).
- Banks may ask for your passport, proof of address and your PESEL. Ask the bank what it needs before you visit.
- Ask whether the bank offers an app and customer support in English, and compare fees before you choose.
Your first-month checklist
- Register your address: within 4 days (non-EU) or 30 days (EU/EEA/Swiss)
- Get your PESEL (automatic when you register, or on application)
- Set up a Trusted Profile
- Open a bank account
- Check that your employer has registered you with ZUS and NFZ
- Non-EU: apply for your residence permit in MOS before your visa ends
- EU: register your stay before 3 months are up
Frequently asked questions
How do I get a PESEL number as a foreigner?
You get a PESEL automatically when you register your address for a stay of over 30 days. If you can’t register but need one, apply at any municipal office and state the legal reason, such as employment. Citizens of countries outside the EU and EFTA must apply in person. It’s free, and the office accepts the application straight away.
Can I register my address in Poland online?
Only if you’re an EU or EFTA citizen. Other nationals must register at the municipal office for the area where they live (the urząd dzielnicy in Warsaw) and show documents that confirm their right to stay. Registration is free, and a certificate of temporary registration costs PLN 17 unless the system registers you automatically.
Do I need a NIP number in Poland?
Usually not. If you don’t run a business, or you’re a sole trader who isn’t VAT-registered, your PESEL is your tax identification number. VAT-registered sole traders use a NIP. If you go B2B, the tax office gets your details when you register your business. Our tax guide covers the B2B side.
Do EU citizens need to register their stay in Poland?
Yes, if you’re staying more than 3 months. Apply in person at the voivode’s office to register your stay (rejestracja pobytu), no later than the day after 3 months from your entry to Poland. A certificate issued after 2 August 2021 is valid for 10 years. Check the fee with your voivode’s office.
How do I get health insurance when I start a job in Poland?
If you’re an employee, your employer registers you with ZUS within 7 days of starting, which gives you NFZ health insurance. The most common reason NFZ can’t confirm cover is that the employer hasn’t registered you yet, so check after your first month. EU citizens can use their European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) until they’re insured in Poland.
Can I open a bank account in Poland as a foreigner?
Yes. If you’re legally resident in an EU country, you have the right to open a basic payment account, and banks can’t refuse you just because you don’t live in that country. Banks may ask for your passport, proof of address and your PESEL, so ask what they need before you visit.