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Opening an account abroad Opening a bank account in Poland

Mykola Sirenko

Lawyer

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sirenko@prikhodko.com.ua

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Expert in corporate and international corporate law. Has extensive experience in supporting the acquisition of financial licenses in Ukraine, as well as business incorporation in the EU, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, the UAE, and key Asian jurisdictions.

Opening a bank account in Poland

Poland remains the most obvious financial base for Ukrainians: they work here, register JDGs and sp. z o.o. companies, receive salaries and pay rent. The problem is that there are several practical details between the formula “go to a branch with your passport” and the actual procedure, and people often discover them only once they are standing at the counter. Let us examine how Polish banks actually work with foreigners and what determines the outcome.

Get advice on an account in Poland

How can a non-resident open an account in Poland?

Polish law does not prohibit foreigners from holding bank accounts. Banks, however, divide clients into residents and non-residents, and the requirements for the latter are substantially stricter: more documents, a mandatory branch visit and sometimes a direct refusal without explanation.

In practice, the PESEL number is a key factor. Banking law does not require it, but a significant number of institutions request it as a condition for identification and access to electronic banking. Ukrainians with temporary protection status or a residence card generally go through the procedure much more easily than persons without any proof of lawful stay.

The following documents may be required to open an account:

an international passport; for EU citizens, a national identity card;
a document confirming the right of stay: a residence card, visa or confirmation of status;
a PESEL number — formally optional, but some banks will not open an account without it;
a Polish telephone number and correspondence address;
proof of source of income: an employment agreement, another contract or an extract from CEIDG.

The exact list depends on the bank and even on the individual branch, so it is advisable to confirm the requirements in advance rather than arrive with a universal document package.

Can an account be opened online in Poland?

For a foreigner without a PESEL number and a Profil Zaufany, fully remote account opening with a traditional bank is almost unavailable. An application can often be completed online, but signing usually takes place at a branch or with a courier who verifies the documents.

A genuine online alternative is offered by payment institutions that provide a Polish IBAN and do not require a PESEL number. It is important to understand the distinction: these are not banks, the Bankowy Fundusz Gwarancyjny deposit guarantee scheme does not apply to them, and such an account is often unsuitable for settlements between businesses.

Which bank is best for opening an account in Poland?

A better question is not which bank is best, but which one matches your intended use of the funds.

Bank	Suitable for	What to consider
PKO Bank Polski, Bank Pekao	Salary, mortgage, company banking	Branch visit required, PESEL and residence card often requested
Erste Bank Polska, mBank, ING Bank Śląski	Full range of services and advanced online banking	Non-resident documents are reviewed only at a branch
Credit Agricole, Bank Millennium, Alior Bank	First account in Poland, Ukrainian-language support	Document requirements are stricter and vary by branch
Revolut, Wise, ZEN	Quick start, multi-currency transfers	No deposit guarantee, restrictions on B2B settlements

A detail for those relying on older guidance: in April 2026, Santander Bank Polska changed its name to Erste Bank Polska after joining the Austrian group. Account numbers and agreements remained valid; only the brand and application changed.

It will also be useful: Opening a premium private banking account abroad

Account in Poland for an individual

A personal account is generally opened for salary payments, rent and everyday transactions. Several factors affect the cost and convenience:

resident or non-resident status determines tariffs, limits and the range of available products;
PLN and foreign currency accounts are opened separately, often with separate maintenance fees;
a Polish telephone number is required for BLIK and confirmation of online transactions;
non-residents are more likely to pay a monthly fee from which residents may be exempt;
a change in immigration status is a reason to notify the bank and update the account terms.

Select a Polish bank

Account in Poland for a business or company

For a sp. z o.o., a separate company account is mandatory: without it, capital cannot be contributed and business settlements cannot be conducted. For a JDG, the law does not directly require a separate account, but transactions with businesses of PLN 15,000 or more must pass through an account listed on the VAT taxpayers’ white list. Payment to an account outside that list may prevent the counterparty from recognising the expense and may create joint and several VAT liability, so business partners often check the account details before making a transfer.

The bank, in turn, assesses the company not by its name but by its transparency:

whether the data in KRS or CEIDG and the CRBR beneficial owners register are up to date;
a genuine connection with Poland: address, counterparties, signed agreements;
an ownership structure disclosed down to the ultimate beneficial owner;
a description of the business model and expected turnover;
consistency between the signatories’ details and the entries in the register.

Foreign currency account in Poland

There are no foreign exchange restrictions on accounts in Poland: as an EU Member State, Poland provides for the free movement of capital. Banks open accounts in euros, US dollars, pounds sterling and Swiss francs, often within a single multi-currency package. The main hidden cost is not the maintenance fee but the exchange-rate spread applied during conversion.

For businesses, there is an important practical point: the split-payment VAT mechanism operates only in PLN, and the accompanying VAT account is opened automatically by the bank. A foreign currency account therefore does not replace the PLN account for settlements with Polish counterparties; it supplements it.

Experience of Prikhodko & Partners in supporting account opening in Poland

Refusals by Polish banks are rarely connected with citizenship. Much more often, the reason is a mismatch between what the client says about their plans and what the documents show: the address is only a mailing address, there are no counterparties, or the source of funds is explained verbally rather than documented.

The Prikhodko & Partners practice in international corporate law is built around eliminating this mismatch before approaching the bank. Our lawyers analyse the client profile, select an institution that works with the relevant scenario, align registry data, prepare explanations regarding the source of funds and support document legalisation.

A separate area involves comprehensive projects where the account is only one element: company registration and business launch in Poland, obtaining a tax identification number and accounting support. When an applicant is backed by a properly prepared structure, the bank sees not a random non-resident but a transparent client with predictable transactions.

Do you need to open a personal or corporate account in Poland? The lawyers at Prikhodko & Partners will help determine the requirements of the particular bank, review registration data, prepare evidence of income and source of funds, pass bank compliance and coordinate account opening with the registration of a JDG or sp. z o.o.

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1 question

Are you currently in Ukraine?

Yes

2 question

Are you currently in Poland?

Yes

3 question

Do you need advice on opening a personal bank account?

Yes

4 question

Do you need advice on opening a business bank account?

Yes

Frequently asked questions for the topic:

How long does it take to open an account with a Polish bank?

A personal account can be opened during a single visit, usually within approximately 30–60 minutes, provided that the complete document package is available. A company account takes longer: from several days to several weeks, depending on the complexity of the ownership structure and the speed of the review.

Can you obtain a PESEL number without permanently residing in Poland?

Yes, in cases provided for by law: when registering a place of stay, for persons under temporary protection, and for certain tax and administrative purposes upon application to the relevant gmina authority. A PESEL number is not assigned without a valid legal basis.

What should you do if the bank refuses without explaining the reason?

The bank is not required to provide reasons for its refusal. Reapplying to the same institution is usually ineffective: it is more practical to identify the likely weakness in the documents, correct it and apply to a bank with a different policy towards foreign clients.

Successful cases on the topic: