Banks’ offer for foreigners

For foreigners, especially citizens of non-European Union countries, the choice of available banks may be restricted for formal reasons, meaning the necessity to present suitable documents required by a bank. Unfortunately, some banks refuse to open bank accounts for certain foreigners (this refers particularly to persons who do not have a PESEL number or have not yet been granted a residence permit). Internal bank regulations determine who and how may be served by the bank. Unfortunately, those regulations are not generally available even to potential clients.
Certain banks demand a PESEL number - a condition which is under regulations currently in force quite difficult for a foreigner to meet, as obtaining a PESEL number for newly arrived foreigners became almost impossible.

One of the banks that do not require a foreigner to have a residence permit and a PESEL is Millennium Bank. It has many branches in Poland, a modern internet banking service (the application to open an account may be also submitted online) and an attractive offer.
In ING Bank Śląski a foreigner can open an account using a passport and another document accepted by the bank, issued in the country of origin and confirming a residence address within that country’s territory, or the foreigner’s statement on the place of residence within the territory of a foreign country. In ING Bank Śląski a foreigner can open a bank account also using his ID issued in the country of origin (if it is on the list of templates kept by the bank) together with another document accepted by the bank and indicating a residence address in the foreigner's country, or with a statement indicating the place of residence in the country of origin. Therefore, the easiest way to open an account is to use a passport and a statement on the place of residence, or use an ID, as well as the previously mentioned statement (more information here). Services of ING Bank Śląski are a little more expensive and it also has less branches. It should also be rembered that opening an account online is not possible.

Raiffeisen Polbank’s offer is also worth considering – here, you will open an account using a passport or a residence permit. Moreover, this bank has interesting financial services and quite a lot of branches, so that your everyday business can be handled conveniently.

While signing a contract you should ask the advisor to explain in detail what services you will get. Generally, advisors would like to sell many products at once but you should be careful – during the first meeting you should open only a current account. Next, you should log in to your online account and see if it suits you and is easy to use. Then, if you are happy with it, you can come back to the advisor and open a second account – a savings account. In general, the interest rate on a savings account is higher than on a current account, and your money is safe because there is no possibility to withdraw it using an ATM card. Thanks to making deposits to such an account, your money is always available and at the same time you earn interest on it.
It is worth knowing that in Poland all interest from bank deposits is subject to a so-called Belka tax which is 19%. However, tax non-residents (if you do not live in Poland longer than for 183 days in a calendar year) can take advantage of the Conventions on the Avoidance of Double Taxation. If you do, then the interest – whether it be from a savings account or from deposits – will be taxed in accordance with the legislation of the country adequate to your tax residence (the tax is very often much lower). To exercise this right you have to present your bank with a certificate of tax residence issued by a foreign Inland Revenue Office.

Bank Zachodni WBK has an interesting offer of bank accounts – it is worth visiting or calling one of its branches and looking into its offer (the online banking interface, besides in Polish, is available also in English and in Spanish). The bank’s advisors declare that to open a bank account it is enough to have a passport and a certificate of registered residence or a residence permit, regardless of its type. This bank is the third largest bank in Poland and has a lot of branches where you can get professional help. Many matters may also be handled through the Internet or by phone.
When consider opening a bank account in Poland you cannot omit PKO BP bank, which has an interesting offer, modern products, and many branches even in little towns. To open an account, you have to present a passport along with other documents required by the bank. In practice, it may turn out that the passport alone is enough, but there is also a possibility that the bank will demand for example a residence card. Those are individual matters and probably every foreigner will find himself in a different situation, and the bank will require different documents from different people.
Another bank worth mentioning is Pekao S.A. It also has a lot of branches – it will definitely be possible to find one near to where you live or work. To open an account in this bank it is enough to present a passport and to declare a monthly inflow into the account. Those should be sufficient to open an account as a foreigner regardless of the country of origin.
Foreigners preparing to open a bank account in Poland must remember that the requirements of particular banks regarding the presentation of proper documents upon signing a bank account contract are subject to change. Moreover, information on those requirements usually cannot be found on the bank’s website. It is often written in the rules and regulations of a given product. While choosing an account you should of course browse the bank’s website to find out about its offer, and then contact the bank whose offer seems to be the most attractive to you. To save time it can done by phone. This way, you should get sufficient information on the account, its rules and required documents. However, at this very stage certain banks ask potential clients to visit the bank in person in order to get precise information on the possibility of signing a contract for a bank account by a given foreigner.

More on Polish banks’ offer for foreigners.

If you are concerned about a bank’s actions, you can notify the Polish Financial Supervision Authority (Komisja Nadzoru Finansowego). This institution supervises the banking sector, capital, insurance and pension markets, payment institutions and offices of payment services, electronic money institutions and co-operative funds.

The correspondence address:

Komisja Nadzoru Finansowego
Plac Powstańców Warszawy 1
00-030 Warszawa
or by email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.