Job Discussion Forums

[dragonpiwo]

But I have a NIP and PESEL as I worked there for a long time. Non-tax residency is a normal thing that smart people do. I have a residency for another country where my tax is paid. As an EU citizen, I have the right to live and work exactly where I want in Europe, which just happens to be Poland. I have lived in other western European countries and can assure you the whole thing is much easier in them.

Poland is a bureaucratic nightmare. Anyone thinking of staying there long-term should be aware of that.

[delphian-domine]

[dragonpiwo]

Temporary residency old boy. However, that isn't the credit issue.

As for tax avoidance? My Polish doctor requires cash payment, the BUPA affiliated hospital required cash payment, many places require cash payment like Biedronka and travel agents for example. Who's actually fiddling taxes?

I'm not. So Delph you are right. I should become more 'Polish'.

[delphian-domine]

Temporary residency under Polish law doesn't mean temporary - it simply means "with a time restriction". It's a faulty translation, and the correct translation is something more along the lines of "Certificate of Residence for a fixed time period". By having the zameldowanie for more than 3 months, you're effectively declaring your full time residency here.

The reason that the zameldowanie is for 5 years in the first instance is that it's expected that EU citizens will apply for permanent residency after that time.

[dragonpiwo]

Well for anyone who cares-

1-The karta pobytu is valid for 5 years
2-If you register at an address for over 3 months you can get a PESEL and NIP number. You can get a Polish friend to do this.
3-If you want a mortgage and don't work in Poland, you will need the above plus your salary transferred there from wherever, salary slips and some sort of banking history.
4-You may need a letter from your overseas bank saying you've got no debts and a copy of your work contract. You may also need a letter saying where you pay tax. All this paperwork needs to have a similar date on it. Some banks say within a month others more.

It's a long, frustrating route, especially building the banking history once you've got pissed off with one bank and changed. The rest is just a lot easier if you are there all the time. Different banks will ask for different things. Some simply look at you and say 'nie, you don't earn in Poland' (PKO) or 'nie, you don't have the old karta with the photo' (Millenium) or 'nie, you don't pay tax here.' (WBK), who I'd had an account with for 15 years.

Forget a decent credit card with a good limit. Two of my friends are extremely rich and can't get one having lived there for about 15 years each. My Polish missus got one in 24 hours.

I've had a stable salary from the same big oil company for longer than you've been in Poland Delph. I haven't broken any tax laws anywhere. There's naff all dodgy about what I'm doing.

And Swajzarska was the hospital in question. The military hospital (BUPA) was the other. Incientally, when I had a potentially life threatening flare up of a chronic illness (not caused by hell raising), I also got charged cash then in Przybyszewskiego...nice use of the EHA rules. Our doctor is excellent.

Everybody's on the fiddle in Poland from the native speakers who don't declare income to the cash only shops. Get off your high horse. I'm not on the fiddle and pay taxes at source. Like my Polish colleagues here, I don't have to pay tax. Get over it.

[delphian-domine]