Just Landed in Poland? Your First 7 Days

Mobile coverage and speeds are excellent nationwide and among the cheapest in Europe, with strong 4G and widespread 5G in cities. Prepaid SIMs must by law be registered to your passport before full activation, which the seller usually handles at the point of sale; an unregistered SIM stops working after a short grace period. Home fibre broadband is fast and inexpensive, and most cafés, malls and transport hubs offer free Wi-Fi.

Typical cost: Roughly 25-50 PLN/month for a prepaid plan with 30-100 GB of data plus unlimited domestic calls and texts; home fibre broadband runs around 50-80 PLN/month.

Poland is one of Europe's most cashless countries: contactless cards, Apple/Google Pay and the domestic BLIK code work almost everywhere, including tiny shops, market stalls and street food vans. BLIK, generated inside your Polish bank app, lets you pay and transfer money instantly using a six-digit code and is worth setting up early. Keep a little cash for rural areas, older bakeries, farmers' markets and cloakroom tips.

Opening an account: Foreigner-friendly options include mBank, Santander, ING, PKO BP and Millennium, all with English-language apps and in-app BLIK. Digital-first Revolut is popular as an immediate stopgap because it opens in minutes without a PESEL. Traditional banks usually want your passport, often a PESEL number and proof of address, and a branch appointment, so expect this to take a week or two in practice.

Cash: Card-first, but independent ATM operators, Euronet in particular, push poor exchange rates and prompt you to accept conversion in your home currency. Withdraw from bank-branded ATMs (PKO, Santander, ING, mBank) and always refuse dynamic currency conversion so your own bank sets the rate.

Tipping: Tipping is modest and optional: round up or leave about 10 percent in restaurants for good table service. Crucially, never say 'dziękuję' (thank you) when handing over cash or your card to pay, because it traditionally signals 'keep the change'; say the amount you want to pay instead.

Residents are legally required to register their permanent (zameldowanie na pobyt stały) or temporary (pobyt czasowy) address at the local city office once settled, and the obligation applies to foreigners as well as Poles. Registration is free and is a separate matter from your residence permit, but it is frequently requested for other formalities. In the same visit most people apply for a PESEL number, the national identification number needed for tax, healthcare, banking, mobile contracts and signing leases, which is also issued free of charge.

Deadline: Register your address within 30 days of moving in (foreigners on longer stays are expected to register their place of residence).

Where: The local urząd gminy or urząd miasta (city or municipal office) for your district; bring your passport and your signed lease or a landlord's written confirmation of residence, and book an appointment online in advance where possible.

Public transport in Polish cities is cheap, clean, punctual and frequent, covering trams, buses, a metro (Warsaw only) and urban rail (SKM/KM). Tickets are time-based and must be validated; a 30-day city pass is excellent value for anyone staying. Intercity travel runs on fast, comfortable PKP Intercity trains and budget FlixBus coaches, both bookable online in advance, and Poland's motorway network makes driving straightforward if you bring a car.

From the airport: From Warsaw Chopin, take the SKM or KM train or bus 175 into the centre for a few złoty (about 20-30 minutes), or a Bolt/Uber for roughly 40-60 PLN. Warsaw Modlin, used by budget airlines like Ryanair, is around 40 km out and best reached by the dedicated Modlinbus coach or a train-plus-shuttle combination. Kraków's airport connects to the main station by a frequent train in about 20 minutes, and Gdańsk's airport links to the Tricity by SKM/PKM rail.

Most newcomers rent flats found on OLX and Otodom, or through agencies that typically charge a one-month finder's fee (prowizja). Long-term leases are standard, furnished flats are common, and you should always insist on a written umowa najmu because you need it for your PESEL, address registration and utility setup. Viewing in person before paying anything is essential, as fake listings that ask for an upfront deposit are a known scam.

Typical rent: A one-bedroom flat runs roughly 3,200-4,500 PLN/month in central Warsaw, around 3,000-3,500 PLN in Kraków, and noticeably less in Wrocław, Poznań, Łódź or smaller cities; monthly bills (czynsz administracyjny plus media such as electricity, gas and water) often add 400-900 PLN on top.

Deposit norm: Usually one month's rent as a deposit (kaucja), occasionally two, refundable at the end of the lease minus any documented damage; agencies may add a separate one-off commission of up to one month's rent.

Poland runs a public system (NFZ) funded by ZUS social-insurance contributions, alongside a large network of private clinics that most expats use for speed and English-speaking staff. Public GPs (lekarz POZ) and specialists are very cheap or free at the point of use but involve queues and a referral system for specialists. Pharmacies (apteka) are plentiful and pharmacists are knowledgeable; some larger ones open 24 hours.

How to access it: If you are employed, your employer registers you with ZUS/NFZ and you choose a public GP (lekarz POZ) at a local przychodnia by signing a declaration (deklaracja). For anything urgent, faster, or in English, book directly with private chains such as Medicover, LUX MED or Enel-Med, paying per visit or, more commonly among expats, through a monthly subscription that many employers offer as a benefit.

Insurance: EU/EEA citizens can use an EHIC/GHIC for necessary short-term care; everyone else needs either NFZ coverage through employment (or a voluntary NFZ contract via ZUS) or private insurance. Proof of health cover is also mandatory for many national visa and temporary residence permit applications, so arrange it before your paperwork appointments.

• Greet with a firm handshake and use Pan (Mr) or Pani (Ms) plus a surname until you are invited to switch to first names; formality is expected with strangers, officials and older people.
• Take your shoes off when entering someone's home; slippers (kapcie) are often offered to guests.
• Queues and appointment times are taken seriously, and turning up at an office without a booked slot rarely works, so book online and arrive on time.
• Learn a few phrases: 'dzień dobry' (hello/good day), 'dziękuję' (thank you), 'proszę' (please/here you are) and 'przepraszam' (sorry/excuse me); the effort is genuinely appreciated.
• When invited to someone's home, bring a small gift such as flowers (an odd number, and unwrap them before handing over), chocolates or a bottle of wine.
• Name days (imieniny) are often celebrated as much as birthdays, and religious holidays, especially around Christmas and Easter, are important family occasions.
• Don't be surprised by directness: Poles often say what they mean without softening it, and small talk with strangers is minimal rather than rude.

• Poles can seem reserved or blunt with strangers but are warm and loyal once you know them; a neutral public face is cultural, not hostility.
• Most official paperwork, contracts and government websites are in Polish only, so budget for a sworn translator (tłumacz przysięgły) or a Polish-speaking friend for anything important.
• Sunday trading is restricted, so many larger shops and malls close on non-trading Sundays; plan ahead and rely on Żabka, petrol stations and small groceries.
• History and national identity are taken seriously; be thoughtful and avoid glib jokes about the Second World War, the communist era or Poland's relations with its neighbours.
• Alcohol laws are enforced: drinking in public places such as parks and streets is generally prohibited and fined, so keep it to bars, restaurants and homes.