A bank account for a foreigner in Poland is opened with a passport and a document confirming legal residence; a PESEL number is not required by law: it is a requirement of the specific bank. It is worth opening the account in the first week, before the first payday arrives.

What documents are needed for a foreigner's bank account

The bank typically asks for four things.

  • a passport,
  • a document confirming legal residence: a visa, a residence card (karta pobytu), or another residence title,
  • a residential address in Poland,
  • proof of income source, e.g. an employment contract or a certificate of employment.

A PESEL number is sometimes additionally required, but that is a practice of individual banks, not a statutory condition: some branches open an account without it, based only on the passport and residence document. How to obtain a PESEL is described in a separate article about the PESEL number for a foreigner.

Why the bank asks about income source and address

The bank is an obligated institution required to identify the client and verify their identity before opening an account; the obligation follows from the act of 1 March 2018 on counteracting money laundering and terrorist financing. This is a standard procedure for every client, not extra scrutiny of foreigners.

What to check when choosing an account

  • account maintenance and card fees and the conditions for waiving them,
  • cost of ATM withdrawals, including from other networks,
  • international transfers: if you plan to send money to family; the cost itself of such a transfer is explained in the article on sending money abroad,
  • app in an understandable language: a condition for control over your own money,
  • service in a language other than Polish.

Is the money in the account safe

Funds of individuals held in domestic banks and in SKOK credit unions are covered by the Bank Guarantee Fund (Bankowy Fundusz Gwarancyjny) up to the equivalent of EUR 100,000 per depositor at a given bank, regardless of the holder's citizenship (the guarantee does not cover Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego). If a bank's operations are suspended, payout of guaranteed funds standardly follows within 7 business days. Do not share access to your account with anyone, and do not open an account "for a friend": the account obligates only its owner, even when someone else's money passes through it.

A currency account, if you send money abroad

If you regularly transfer part of your pay to family abroad, it is worth considering a multi-currency account or a separate foreign-currency account instead of an ordinary zloty account. This lets you separate the moment you receive your pay from the moment of currency conversion, and conversion is often the highest cost item in transfers abroad, higher than the transfer fee itself. Check the conversion terms in the specific bank's fee schedule; they differ between accounts and cards.

Why open an account before the first payday

Wages usually go to an account at a Polish bank, so opening your own account beforehand lets you receive your first payday without stress. If you have questions about an account outside Poland, check the article on payment to a foreign account. Branch appointment dates can be far off, and the first payday comes sooner than it seems.

The account number is also given in the tax return as the place for an overpayment refund, and a bank statement is sometimes accepted as proof of regular income where an employer's certificate alone is not enough.

Frequently asked questions

### Can a bank account in Poland be opened online, without a branch visit?
The bank has a statutory duty to verify the client's identity before opening an account, so an online application alone usually does not finish the process; each bank sets its own verification method, so it is worth checking before applying.

### Can a Ukrainian citizen open an account without a residence card, on a passport alone?
It depends on the bank: some branches accept a passport together with another document confirming legal residence, others additionally require a residence card or a PESEL number. It is worth checking before your visit.

### Do you need to already have a contract to open a bank account?
It is not a mandatory condition, but the bank asks about your income source during client verification, so an employment contract or a certificate of employment makes opening an account easier and faster.

### Do you need a PESEL number for an account?
Not always: a PESEL is not a statutory condition for opening an account, it is a specific bank's practice. Some branches require it as proof of legal residence, others open an account without it, based only on the passport and residence document.

This text describes the general rules. What you are entitled to depends on your type of contract: an employment contract (umowa o pracę) or a contract of mandate (umowa zlecenie). Your own contract and payslip are what count.