How to open a company in Poland

Main steps for opening a company in Poland

• Step 1: Create a business concept, name and strategy;
• Step 2: Find a tax advisor or find relevant taxes for your business;
• Step 3: Make sure you are eligible to work in Poland;
• Step 4: Take care of the legal documents;
• Step 5: Brush up on your Polish language skills and find out about life in Poland;
• Step 6: Finally, make a checklist to keep track of everything.

Poland is located in the centre of Europe and has over 38.5 million inhabitants. It is divided into 16 administrative subdivisions, covering an area of 312,696 square kilometres, which makes Poland a rather large country. Poland is a member of the European Union’s Schengen Area, meaning that it does not have a hard border with fellow member countries such as Germany, the Czech Republic or Lithuania. This results in Poland being a very accessible and easy to reach by car, plane or boat. Poland’s economy is growing rapidly, and according to the global competitiveness report, it is the fastest growing economy in Europe.

An example of an excellent office space in Poland, complete with large windows and trendy furniture.

With a nominal gross domestic product (GDP) of $586,015 billion, Poland has the 21st largest nominal GDP in the world. The economy has quickly recovered after the collapse of the Soviet Union and is on its way to becoming one of the most important economies in Europe. Due to Poland’s turbulent history, this era of unprecedented peace has benefited the country greatly and has shown the great potential the country has. This could be the best time ever to open a company in Poland.

When opening your company in Poland, there are several different legal forms to choose from, the first legal form is a civil partnership. For this legal form, at least 2 people are needed to start the company. This legal form needs at least 2 people to start. There is no personal liability for the respective partners and a starting capital is not required. Secondly, you could opt for a registered partnership, which is similar to the civil partnership except for the fact that the partners do have personal liability.

While working hard is important, being able to relax in your office is equally important to maintain productivity.

You can also choose the limited partnership legal form. This form is similar to the previous two legal forms except for that fact that it consists of full partners with personal liability and limited partners who do not have personal liability. Another option is a limited joint-stock partnership, for which you only need one partner who does have personal liability and a required starting capital of 50,000 PLN. A professional partnership has no personal liability or starting capital required and a limited liability company, a very well known legal form, requires 5,000 PLN to start and has no personal liability. Finally, you can opt for a joint stock company, similar to a limited liability company but this form requires a starting capital of 100,000 PLN.

What are some of the reasons to open a company in Poland?

Poland is an excellent choice for people who enjoy living in a large city but also want to visit nearby natural wonders. As one of the last homes of the European bison and home to the largest woodland areas in the continent, Poland has a lot to offer to adventurous individuals. Poland is also heavily investing in infrastructure, continually improving its internet connections throughout the country and working on a better road network. These improvements ensure that it is easy and convenient for you to visit other cities and countries.

Poland is an excellent choice for people who enjoy living in a large city but also want to visit nearby natural wonders

Before moving, you have to make sure that you and your colleagues have the necessary documents to be able to work in Poland. Aside from visas and permits, articles of association should also be drafted and your company will need a local bank account in order to be able to do business. Furthermore, you will need a notary who will assist you during this process, it could be a good idea to start looking for a notary as early as possible. You may also need a tax advisor, who can give you tips and advice on how to deal with certain rules and regulations that are unique to Poland.

Adjusting to life in Poland

Opening your company in Poland and thus having to move to another country means a lot of adjustment. To prepare yourself in the best way possible, it might be a good idea to immerse yourself in Polish history and culture. The de facto Polish state was first created in 992, hence the country has a rich history that spans over a millennium. Using the cultural insights created by Geert Hofstede, we can get a good overview of the key insights of the Polish culture relative to other world cultures.

Your office space could include areas such as a social gathering point or large meeting rooms.

The cultural dimensions of Poland show us that Polish culture scores really high in uncertainty avoidance, relatively high in power distance and low in indulgence. Meaning that Polish people (in general) go to great lengths to avoid the unexpected on unpleasant, like a clear hierarchical structure and do not indulge themselves with extravagances or unnecessary things. Learning about the local culture could make the initial transition easier, you can read more about Hofstede’s cultural dimensions here.

Aside from the interesting cultural aspects and natural splendour, Poland is well known for several other reasons as well. According to the European Commission, there currently are over 41% of Polish 25-34-year-olds that have completed tertiary education. Meaning that it is easier to find highly educated employees in Poland.

Over 41% of Polish 25-34-year-olds that have completed tertiary education

Finding places to settle your company

Warsaw is the sprawling capital of Poland. The metropolis is located next to the Vistula river and has over 1.7 million inhabitants. The capital of Poland, inhabitants, which int. companies are here? A large amount of inhabitants, in this case, corresponds with a large labour market, making it easier for your company to find highly skilled employees. You can find office spaces in Warsaw via SKEPP using this link (Currently only available in Polish).

The best office spaces in Warsaw

Warsaw offers a wide variety of office styles. This means that it could be difficult to find the right property. Furthermore, the office space forms the very heart of your company and it is important that you find a space in which you and your fellow colleagues can be both efficient and comfortable. It is not just about what the office space looks like or how it is designed, it is also good to see where the office building itself is located. Your office building might be in the very heart of the city, making it easy to reach important places. At the same time, such a central location can have either a positive (good infrastructure) or negative (high amounts of traffic) influence on the accessibility of the office.

Due to the wide range of available office spaces, it is important you determine your specific wants and needs before you start your search.

Perhaps you are still considering other countries to settle in?

Perhaps you are still undecided whether or not you would like to rent an office space in Poland? In that case, there are many other countries nearby that might be interesting for you. Due to the wide range of office spaces that SKEPP has available in many European countries, we are happy to help you find office space that suits your needs! The good news is that, if you are eligible to work in a Schengen Area country, this most likely results in you being able to work in other Schengen Area countries. If you want to check out what other countries have to offer, please have a look at our ‘How to open a company in..’ series.

• How to open a company in the Netherlands
• How to open a company in Germany
• How to open a company in Switzerland
• How to open a company in Spain
• How to open a company in Belgium 

If you still have questions about how to open a company in Poland after reading this article, we are happy to help you in any way we can! Feel free to contact us by phone on +31 85 888 2339 or at info@skepp.com via email. We will try to help you right away, if we are momentarily unavailable, we will try to get back to you within 1 business day. If you enjoyed reading this article about how to open a company in Poland, come and have a look at our other articles!