Considering that the United Kingdom (UK) decided to leave the European Union (EU), a structure to which Poland has been a member state since 2004, the manner in which a British citizen can now move to Poland from UK is also in the process of being modified.
British citizens relocating to Poland from UK will benefit from the free movement rule applicable to EU citizens up until the 31st of December 2020, when the transition period ends, as per the regulations of the Withdrawal Agreement, which stipulates that EU citizens, including UK citizens, will benefit from the same rights.
However, persons who want to immigrate to Poland from UK must know that the provisions of the Withdrawal Agreement allow them to stay, live, work or study in this country or in other EU countries as long as such persons have legal documents attesting their residency in EU member states. Our team of immigration lawyers in Poland can provide in-depth legal assistance on the procedures that will be imposed once the transition period ends.
UK citizens can apply for a residence permit in Poland with our help.
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How can a British citizen move to Poland from UK?
Persons who have not yet moved to Poland and who want to relocate to this country must register with the local authorities, which means that they will have to apply for a residence permit. This is legally required in the case in which the foreigner is interested in moving to Poland for a period longer than three months. The procedure is handled through the Department of Foreigners operating in the region where the person lives.
| Quick Facts | |
|---|---|
| Visa requirements for UK nationals |
YES |
|
Special requirements after Brexit |
YES, British citizens must obtain a visa to enter Poland if they are not EU residents already |
|
Relocation options |
Short-term, long-term residence permits, permanent residency |
| Temporary residence options |
Work, study, family reunification, business visas |
| Permanent residence requirements | Living here for at least 5 years is required for those who move to Poland from UK |
| Access to investor/citizenship by investment visa |
YES, Poland has an investor visa program |
| Timeframe for obtaining a residence permit (approx.) | Residence permits are issued within 3 to 8 months for those who move to Poland from UK |
| Family reunification visa availability (YES/NO) | YES, temporary residence permits are available for family reunification purposes |
| Investment visa requirements | Minimum EUR 100,000 in the creation of a business |
| Permanent residence timeframe | 5 years of interrupted stay in Poland |
| Citizenship requirements | British citizens must live in Poland for 2 years based on permanent resident cards to qualify for citizenship |
| Possibility to acquire real estate (YES/NO) | YES, it is possible to immigrate to Poland from UK and buy real estate |
| Poland-UK double tax treaty (YES/NO) | YES |
| Immigration services (YES/NO) | YES, customized services are available |
| Post-immigration support (YES/NO) | YES, support for British citizens who want to return from UK to Poland, post-Brexit assistance for relocation |
| Cost of living | Poland is 48% less expensive than the UK. |
|
Immigration with a study visa |
After residing in Poland for a period of two years on a study visa, and meeting financial stability criteria, you can have the opportunity to apply for permanent residency status, and then citizenship. |
|
Family visa benefits |
You are allowed to study and work in Poland on a family visa. |
| Polish permanent residency by marriage | To be eligible for permanent residency, one must have been married to a Polish citizen for a minimum of three years prior to the application. |
| Family can join on a Polish work visa |
If you hold a work permit valid for a minimum of two years, you have the option to bring your family members with you. |
| Employment opportunities |
Opportunities may vary depending on your profession, but Poland has a growing economy and job market, especially in IT and finance sectors. |
| Income tax rate |
– 12% rate: applied if the tax base does not exceed PLN 120,000; – 32% rate: applied if the tax base exceeds PLN 120,000. |
| Duty-free household goods |
UK nationals are eligible for duty-free importation of goods to Poland provided the items are at least six months old at the time of immigration. |
| VAT on relocation of goods |
22% |
| Documents for temporary residence |
– application form; – a valid passport; – 4 photos; – health insurance; – stamp duty fee, etc. |
| Stamp duty fee |
€11 |
| Popular places to settle in Poland |
After relocating to Poland from the UK, you can settle in Warsaw, Lublin, Krakow, or Worclaw, etc. |
| Driving regulations |
You’re not required to possess an International Driving Permit (IDP) for driving in the EU (including Poland) during visits. |
| Dual citizenship |
Poland allows dual citizenship. So you can immigrate to Poland from the UK without losing your primary citizenship. |
| Other services | Besides assisting you with immigration to Poland from the UK, we can also help you with acquiring residency. |
Currently, British citizens who want to immigrate to Poland from UK will follow the same rules applicable to EU citizens relocating from one EU country to another. For this purpose, foreigners should prepare the following:
- an application form for the registration of residence of EU citizens;
- a travel document used to present the identity of the person (the original document);
- documents stating that the person has sufficient financial means to live in this country and others.
The types of documents can vary based upon the specific of a given case. Also, we can advise on how to obtain a residence permit in Poland.
Types of visas available for British citizens
In order to ensure a long stay in Poland, a British citizen has two options:
- the Type C visa;
- the Type D visa.
The Type C residence permit, one of the most frequently used Polish visa types, is well-liked since it allows a foreign national to enter and remain in Poland for up to 90 days within a period of six months.
It is important to note that under the Type C visa, British citizens are permitted to leave and enter the country during this time as long as their overall stay does not exceed three months. A non-EU citizen may also use this visa to visit other EU and Schengen countries without having to go through additional requirements.
Foreign nationals from outside the EU, such as the UK that has completed Brexit, who intend to stay in Poland for a period of time longer than three months may apply for a Type D visa. Similar to the Type C visa, this is also referred to as the national visa and grants free travel to all other members of the European Union and Schengen region.
In contrast to other visa classifications, the D visa can be extended and has a maximum validity of one year. In accordance with the legal conditions, which include being in Poland for a predetermined period of time, it may also be utilized to obtain a permanent residence permit.
The D visa is linked to employment and business relocation to Poland.
If you decide to move to Poland from the United Kingdom, our immigration specialists can guide you. We can also help you apply for citizenship.
If you have a permanent residence permit and have resided in Poland continuously for at 3 three years and if you have a stable income, you can qualify for Polish citizenship. You can address our immigration lawyers if you want to start the procedure of becoming a citizen, as it may take a while before your application is reviewed.
Here is also an infographic on relocation to Poland from the UK:
How easy is it to relocate to Poland from the UK based on employment?
To immigrate to Poland based on employment, one must obtain a job offer and labor contract from a Polish company, in which case the employer must also be implicated in the immigration process.
There are several requirements one must meet in order to become eligible for a work permit, however, the employer is required to advertise the position, and so verifying if you qualify will be easy.
An important thing to consider about the Polish work visa is that it may have different validity timeframes, depending on the type of visa awarded. Here is what to consider:
- the type B work permit has a validity of 12 months, out of which 6 can be spent in Poland;
- type C work permits have a 30-day validity period during a 12-months timeframe, and is usually issued for intra-company transfers;
- the type D work visa is issued to seasonal workers;
- the type E permit is issued for persons who do not fall under any of the visas presented above.
Provided that they are prolonged for the necessary timeframe, they can lead to permanent residency in Poland.
If you are a British national and want to move to Poland, feel free to enquire with our specialists about the changes that have been implemented since Brexit. This is why, different rules apply for EU and non-EU citizens in terms or residency.
You must apply for a permanent residence permit in Poland if you are a non-citizen of the EU or EEA and you want to stay, study, or work here. You only need to register your stay if you are an EU citizen. The residency permit is used as evidence of the justification for your stay. In Poland, there are two types of residence licenses available, the temporary and the permanent one.
Family reunion in Poland
Family reunification visas are quite appropriate for British citizens who have established here and have decided to bring their families later on. Spouses and children are among the members that can join a foreign resident in Poland.
If one of the following conditions is satisfied, British citizens with temporary residence permits may also be qualified for the family reunification visa in Poland, allowing them to invite their families to join them:
- the family member inviting them must have lived in Poland for 2 years;
- the family member inviting them has moved to Poland based on a work permit or a specialized activity he or she is still undertaking.
The British relatives they are inviting may be eligible to apply for short-term residence permits with a period of at least one year or equal to the duration of the residence permit they already have.
Contact our lawyers for more information on how to move to Poland from the United Kingdom with your family.
How many British citizens live abroad?
The UK is seen as a country that has attracted a large number of immigrants from countries around the world. A large proportion of these persons are citizens of the EU. However, it must be noted that numerous British citizens have migrated to other EU countries, as only a part of them decided to relocate to Poland from UK. With regards to this subject, a study of the United Nations (UN) has revealed the following immigration trends:
- approximately 1,3 million citizens born in the UK have migrated to EU countries;
- in 2010/2011, approximately 900,000 British citizens had a long-term residency in other EU member states;
- in 2011, only a small share of British citizens living outside the country chose to move to Poland from UK, as this country ranked as the 20th market where one could find British immigrants;
- however, the statistics provided by the UN for 2017 showed a very different image, as Poland became the 8th most preferred immigration destination for British citizens;
- in 2017, the British community in Poland accounted for approximately 40,000 persons.
If you are interested in Poland citizenship by investment, you can rely on our immigration services.
We also invite you to watch our video on how to move to Poland from the United Kingdom:
How can a British citizen obtain a residence permit in Poland?
The procedure for Poland immigration in the case of UK citizens who are considering to move to Poland from UK and who want to obtain a residence permit is the same as in the case of other citizens. The Polish law provides two types of residence permits, created for short-term stays and for long-term stays. The residence permit for short-term stays is known as a temporary residence permit and it can be issued for a period of two years; at the end of this period, the person can renew the document.
The other type of permit, issued for long-term stay, is the permanent residence permit, a document that can be granted only to foreigners who have lived in Poland for a period of minimum 5 years. The document can also be granted to the children of those who are the holders of permanent residence permits, who were born during the document’s validity. This document can be granted to the below-mentioned categories of persons as well:
- persons who have are the holder of the Pole Card;
- UK citizens who have a Polish origin and who intend to immigrate to Poland from UK;
- UK citizens who are married to Polish citizens and who have been married for at least three years;
- the above-mentioned condition is fulfilled only in the case in which the applicant has lived in Poland for at least two years at the moment when he or she applied for permanent residency;
- the document can be provided to asylum seekers as well, or to persons relocating to Poland for humanitarian reasons.
Please note that the issuance of the immigration papers can last up to several months, considering that Poland has a large number of applicants. We invite you to contact our immigration lawyers in Poland for additional information on this subject and for legal representation on the procedures that will be imposed after the transitional period between the UK and the EU ends. It is also easy to obtain Polish citizenship with the help of our lawyers.
