9 articles
Setting up in Poland
Bringing a foreign group into Poland means a run of practical decisions before anything is signed: which vehicle to use, how long a Polish company takes to register, who can sit on its management board, and how to fund it.
The articles below answer those questions the way the person running the project needs them - the CFO, head of legal or head of expansion - with the direct answer first, the current law, and the things that actually slow a set-up down. Each one stands on its own, so you can forward a single link.
Start here
Opening a Polish company: the decisions that actually take the time
Setting up in Poland, decision by decision: the vehicle, the people, the formation clock, the bank and the UBO register - and where the real delays sit.
Choosing the vehicle
sp. z o.o., a branch or a PSA, a new company or a ready-made one - the form your Polish operations sit in.
Sp. z o.o., branch or PSA: which vehicle for your Polish operations?
Most foreign groups entering Poland need a limited liability company (sp. z o.o.). When a PSA or a branch is the better call - and when it is not.
New company or a ready-made one? Build or buy a Polish sp. z o.o.
A foreign group rarely forms its own Polish company. The real choice is to build a fresh sp. z o.o. or buy a ready-made one - and what actually differs.
Timeline, cost and formalities
How long a Polish company takes to register, what it costs, and the formalities - S24 or notarial deed, address and language.
How long does it take to set up a company in Poland (sp. z o.o.)?
Through S24 a Polish sp. z o.o. can be registered in a day; by notarial deed, in weeks. The real delays are board signatures, the bank and the court.
People and control
Who can be a shareholder or sit on the management board, from abroad, and what they take on.
Who can be a shareholder or board member in Poland?
Any foreigner can own and sit on the board of a Polish sp. z o.o. - no nationality requirement and no permit to hold office. The limits explained.
Can a single-member company be the sole shareholder of a Polish sp. z o.o.?
Yes - a single-member company can own a Polish sp. z o.o. outright. What Polish law restricts is narrower and earlier: founding one. Here's the fix.
Board-member liability in a Polish sp. z o.o.: what you sign up for
Limited liability protects the shareholder of a Polish sp. z o.o., not its board. The liability a board member takes on - and the deadline behind it.
The Polish UBO register (CRBR): who you must name and who can see it
Every Polish company must name its beneficial owners in the CRBR within 14 days of registration. Who counts in a group, who signs, who can see it.
Operating from day one
The bank account, the UBO register, tax at orientation level and how to employ people.
Opening a company bank account in Poland: why it takes so long
A Polish company can be registered in a day; its bank account takes 2 weeks to 2 months. What the bank must check, and how to get there faster.