When you arrive in Warsaw

Making a new home in a new land, with all its cultural, culinary and social differences, is an exciting – and at the same time stressful – undertaking. Give yourself and your family time to settle in and adapt to a different social and work environment. The more you do to prepare yourself in advance for this transition and the more steps you take to adjust to your new surroundings, the more positive your experience will be. Before you start taking in all that the Polish capital has to offer, you first need to take care of official matters and familiarise yourself with the logistics and intricacies of everyday living. This section contains practical information and resources on getting around the metropolitan area, giving you a jump start on successful integration.

Registration:

Upon crossing the Polish border, non-EU nationals have three business days to register at their local district office (Urzad Gminy). EU citizens must register within 30 days of arrival. If you plan on staying and working in Poland for the short or long term you need to obtain a PESEL number (Public Electronic System of Population Records) from the City Hall (Urzad Miasta). This 11-digit number, which is a combination of your date of birth, gender and a number specific to you, is key to acquiring a work permit (pozwolenie na prace) and a residency card (karta pobytu), as well as to opening a bank account and succeeding in many other bureaucratic affairs. You’ll need to register in person at the city hall in the district you live in by filling out an application and showing your apartment or house lease agreement and your passport, in addition to another identity document stating your nationality.

Prepare an emergency plan:

It’s always prudent to work out a plan of action with your family in the event of an emergency. Prepare a folder with all the pertinent medical information and records for everyone in the family, and map out where the closest 24-hour medical facility is. Discuss what to do in the event of power outages and how to turn off the water, gas and electricity at the main switches if necessary. Make cards for your children with a list of emergency numbers, your home address and the address of various neighbourhood hospitals. The general emergency number to call throughout the European Union is 112, which can be dialled from any phone free of charge. From land line phones dial 999 for an ambulance, 998 for the fire department, 997 for the police and 981 for road assistance. When using a mobile, remember to add the local code (for Warsaw) in front. For additional safety and security, you may also wish to have an emergency kit containing extra batteries, flashlights, first aid supplies and copies of your family documents and insurance papers in a waterproof container.