On Arrival in Poland

Most important things to do as you arrive in Poland

1. Register yourself with Indian Embassy in Poland

Embassy Website: http://www.indianembassywarsaw.in/

For Indian Nationals: http://www.indianembassywarsaw.in/register.php

Indian Students Please register using this link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScI55NP24Me0udae2d1TUhaRzsLaq8QV20RCsAJfQPlrK1LHg/viewform?c=0&w=1

EMERGENCY HELPLINE: !!! EMERGENCY ONLY !!!

24 x 7 Helpline for Indian Nationals only in +48 606 700 105

We also recommend to register with Indian Community of Poland and connect with our social medial platforms (links at bottom of page) for updates and information which might be helpful in your daily life. You can receive information from us through mailing list subscription, sms alerts, WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

2. Where to get Sim card and what documents are required to get Sim card ?

You can go to any mall with your passport / TRC (Temporary Resident Card) and buy sim card. There are 4 biggest players in the market: Play, Orange, Plus and T-Mobile. All of them have competitive tariffs. For calling to India you can use Lycamobile or Klucz mobile SIM.

More details can be found here: http://prepaid-data-sim-card.wikia.com/wiki/Poland

3. Where to exchange money near to airport or Can I exchange money at Airport ?

Dont exchange in Airport, rates are very high. There is a scam as I know many people are ripped off in the point just opposite to the baggage collection unit. There are many “kantor” (this is Polish word for Money exchange) available throughout Warsaw where you get good rates.

In Warsaw: Till now as far as I know the best rates is given by “Kantor Wiek”, which is located in Arkadia (ground floor and first floor) and Wileńska Mall.

The kantor situated in Galleria Mokotow is offering decent exchange rates.

Website to Kantor Wiek http://kantor-wiek.pl/

4. How to find a flat / house ?

Search on websites

1. www.gumtree.pl (polish website)

2. www.olx.pl (polish website)

3. www.Otodom.pl (polish website)

4. https://gratka.pl/nieruchomosci (polish website)

5. https://erasmusu.com/en/erasmus-warsaw/student-housing

6. https://www.facebook.com/groups/485933348146385/ (Facebook group)

You can also just write in google and for sure you can find something for yourself.

Attention: Be alerted on agents. They shouldn’t take money from you in advance. If agent takes money before transaction….. run :-) it’s a fraud !. Most of good companies takes charges from the house owner not from tenant or costs can be divided between both but never before transaction is finished

5. Where to register home address / Zameldowania ?

Registration you can make in Town Hall (Urząd Miasta) near your place of stay.

6. How to apply for PESEL ? Do I really need PESEL ?

You need a house address validated by rent agreement for PESEL. PESEL can be helpful to obtain bank loans, medical help and tax return. PESEL is not absolutely mandatory to live in Poland. But it will solve potential problems if you have one.

Please see below link with details on Polish Government website on how to get PESEL for foreigners: https://www.gov.pl/web/gov/uzyskaj-numer-pesel--usluga-dla-cudzoziemcow-en

Additional: PESEL number is not mandatory but very helpfull, specially in terms of medical care and taxes. It is mandatory for those who work in Poland and paying taxes. If you don't have it can be problematic to submit your tax declaration.

7. How to get NIP (it is like Indian PAN Number for Income tax)

In order to receive a NIP number, one should fill in the NIP-7 form. The form is available at all tax offices. One should submit NIP-7 form in tax office nearest to his place of stay.

The completed document may be also sent by registered letter. When starting a business, one's personal NIP number automatically becomes the number of the newly-created company.

8. How to use public transport ?

In general public transport in Poland is very good. You buy tickets from ticket vending machines or you can use app “skycash”. Monthly ticket in Warsaw costs about 100 PLN. You can purchase mobile tickets on other two apps: Jakdojade and MoBilet (available in English). Read FAQ section on MoBilet website.

Apart from buying the mobile tickets, Jakdojade app can also be used for finding the travel options/routes between two locations and also for getting information on entire route of an individual bus/tram/metro. Remember that in order to purchase ‘reduced’ ticket (with discount), you should have a valid ID issued by the Polish institution.

For more question like:

What should I bring from India to Poland ?

Which SIM card I should buy and is cheapest to call India ?

Cheapest supermarkets in Poland ?

Can I drink tap water or I need to buy water filter / mineral water ?

Tiffin services in Poland ?

How to exchange a Indian driving license in Poland ?

Please visit our facebook post for details https://www.facebook.com/groups/Polandian/learning_content/?filter=2285319261751092&post=10162083508395061