Let’s imagine the situation: you’ve just become interested in entrepreneurship in Poland, are thinking about relocating, and have started searching for information. In this article, we will discuss how to start a business in Poland from scratch and take a deep dive into the basics of Polish business. We will answer the most common questions that we hear during paid consultations on business immigration to Poland. This will give you a comprehensive picture and understanding of how to start a business in Poland and how much it costs.
Traditionally, we suggest you watch the video or read the article below.
- Who Can Start a Business in Poland
- Company Registration in Poland
- Cost of Maintaining a Company
- Hiring Foreign Employees
- Starting a Business in Poland and Obtaining a Residence Permit
- What Business to Start in the Republic of Poland?
- Can You Open and Manage a Legal Entity Remotely?
- Secret Tip
- Can the Entire Business in Poland Be Done Remotely?
- Conclusion
Who Can Start a Business in Poland
Any foreigner can open a company in the Republic of Poland. The type of company is Spółka z o.o. (Limited Liability Company). Foreign citizens cannot have a sole proprietorship (IP or FOP) here, only a legal entity. If you have a “Karta Polaka” (Pole’s Card), there are options for opening a sole proprietorship, but for now, we’re talking about the majority of foreigners.
Company Registration in Poland
A company can be registered online or via a notary. You need at least two owners; this is convenient in terms of signatures and will help save on taxes. Each partner needs to obtain a PESEL (analogous to an identification number), which is used to create a Zaufany ePUAP profile (the electronic signature). After that, the registration process needs to be done correctly—documents must be filled out and submitted to the court. You pay a fee, and the inspector will either make a decision or ask additional questions.
Cost of Maintaining a Company
The cost depends on the type of activity, assets, liabilities, and whether you employ yourself as an employee. Speaking of a standard microbusiness situation, it’s about 150-200 EUR per month. This includes operating the company with no activity, a few transactions a month, a 30 EUR legal address, and accounting services. If you don’t make transactions but the company is active, submit a zero report.
Hiring Foreign Employees
A foreigner has the right to open a legal entity and hire Ukrainians, Belarusians, Russians, Poles, etc. The key point is to arrange a work permit for the foreign employee. Read the article on this topic.
Starting a Business in Poland and Obtaining a Residence Permit
If you are the owner of a company in Poland or have shares in your or other companies, you can apply for a Karta Pobytu (residence card) solely based on running a business. When filling out the application, you need to mark this point with a checkbox. With a business in Poland, you cannot apply for the residence card based on studies or employment. There have been cases where this has worked, but in most cases, you will be rejected.
To obtain a residence permit based on business, you must meet one of the following criteria:
- Show a net profit of 55-60 thousand PLN (income minus expenses). A simple example: you earned 100,000 PLN, spent 50,000, and the remaining 50,000 is net profit. After paying taxes, this is the basis for issuing the Karta Pobytu.
- You can hire at least two Polish employees on an indefinite term. We do not recommend this as hiring Poles is more expensive, and there’s a lot of paperwork.
- Prove that your company will eventually be able to meet one or two of the points above. This is an important aspect. When starting a business in Poland from scratch, you may not meet these conditions immediately, but you can submit your application and while it’s being reviewed, you can develop your business. This is a legal way to apply for a residence permit based on business, but you will need to show turnover later. In practice, the review process takes longer than the two months stated by law.
What Business to Start in the Republic of Poland?
This is the most common dilemma. There is no ideal solution or guarantee. Just because your acquaintance succeeded in construction or cleaning doesn’t mean you will, and vice versa. It’s important to consider that the way businesses are managed in your country may not work here. This relates to taxes and paperwork. Think it through, analyze the market, talk to those who succeeded or failed, and consult the entrepreneur community. Choosing an idea is not difficult, there are many different approaches—analyze the market, consult Tarot cards, or go with your heart. Use all the methods.
Can You Open and Manage a Legal Entity Remotely?
This question became relevant in 2020 due to the pandemic. It is possible to start a business in Poland remotely—online obtain a PESEL, sign documents, and send them to the court. However, opening a bank account remotely is not currently possible. There are two options:
- Open the Spółka remotely and then come to open the bank account (at least one member of the management board).
- Open a company and register in various online payment systems (PayPal, Stripe, Payoneer).
Secret Tip
We offer this service to some clients: use a Prokurent. This is an official person authorized to represent the company’s interests in Poland, open an account for your legal entity, and conduct payments. The only catch is that the Prokurent must have access to this account. You need to trust this person/partner/company. To ensure security, you can sign a contract, and later you can visit and transfer the account to yourself.
Can the Entire Business in Poland Be Done Remotely?
Yes and no. It’s possible to organize many operations online, but it’s not perfect. Emails sometimes don’t arrive to your electronic or physical mail, and sometimes you’ll need to be present in Poland to make a phone call or discuss things in Polish. Or you will need a reliable person who can resolve everything for you on the ground.
Conclusion
From a legal standpoint, Poland is an excellent country—electronic keys, e-government, services are done online. In practice, it’s not always as smooth.
This was a general overview of how to start your business in Poland from scratch—documents, costs, risks. Read, familiarize yourself with the information, and make a decision. We’re here to help you register a company in Poland, buy and sell a ready-made business, and you can leave an application on our website for a consultation.
