Opening a Bank Account in Poland: Your Rights and the Process
Short answer: Polish law guarantees a free basic payment account at every consumer bank: free card, deposits, EU card payments, 5 free transfers and 5 free other-bank ATM operations a month, no required extras, and a decision within 10 working days. You need a Polish residential address; refusal grounds are set by law.
Opening a bank account is one of the first chores of moving to Poland - your employer, landlord and the tax office will all want one. What many newcomers do not know is that Polish law guarantees a free basic account to anyone who qualifies, and banks cannot make you buy extras to get it. Here is what the law gives you and how opening an account works in practice, based on the Financial Ombudsman's (Rzecznik Finansowy) guidance.
Your legal right: the basic payment account
Since 8 August 2018, every bank, cooperative savings-and-credit union (SKOK) and credit institution offering consumer payment accounts in Poland must offer a basic payment account (podstawowy rachunek płatniczy). The right comes from articles 59ia-59ih of the Payment Services Act, implementing the EU Payment Accounts Directive.
Who can get it: any consumer who does not already hold a payment account in Polish złoty. There is no waiting period after closing a previous account, and an account in a foreign currency does not block you.
What it must include, free of charge:
- cash deposits, and withdrawals at ATMs and branches in Poland and across the EU
- card payments and online payments within the EU
- transfers, standing orders and direct debits
- a free payment card - no issuance fee allowed
The free tier has monthly limits: 5 free transfers (branch, online and standing orders combined) and 5 free operations at other banks' ATMs (your own bank's machines are unlimited). Beyond the limits, fees apply, capped at what the provider charged for the same service over the last 12 months. Some banks voluntarily add extras such as BLIK or instant transfers - ask.
What banks cannot do
Per the Financial Ombudsman, a provider cannot condition the basic account on buying anything else - no insurance, no credit card, no savings product - and cannot require you to declare a minimum monthly inflow. If a branch tells you the free account "comes with" a paid package, that is exactly the practice the Ombudsman warns about.
The bank must conclude the agreement within 10 working days of your complete application or give you a reasoned refusal. Applications must be available in branches and on the provider's website; if the provider allows it, you can even conclude the contract orally.
When a bank can say no
The refusal grounds are set in law. The ones that matter for expats:
- you already have a PLN payment account
- you run a business (the account is consumer-only)
- you have no residential address in Poland
- your identity document has expired
- you are on the KNF public warning list, or there are justified suspicions linked to financial crime
Note the address point: a basic payment account requires a residential address in Poland. Tourists and non-residents are outside its scope, though banks can still open them regular accounts under their own rules.
Opening a regular account as a foreigner
Outside the statutory basic account, each bank sets its own onboarding under anti-money-laundering rules, and practice varies. In general, expect to be asked for your passport (an EU national ID card works at most banks), and many banks will also want your PESEL number, a residence card or visa, and a Polish phone number. Applications can often start online but usually finish with identity confirmation - in a branch, by video call, or via a courier who checks your document.
Two practical tips from the rules above: a foreign-currency account does not count against the basic account's "no other PLN account" condition, and if a bank refuses even the basic account, it must give you a reason within the 10-working-day window - a refusal you can escalate to the Financial Ombudsman.
Frequently asked questions
### I am an EU citizen who just moved to Poland. Can I open an account before I have a PESEL?
Legally, yes - the basic payment account right requires consumer status and a Polish residential address, not a PESEL. In practice many banks ask for a PESEL or residence card for their regular products, so it is worth getting your registration done first, but the statutory account cannot be conditioned on extras.
Is the basic account really free?
Yes, within the limits: free card, free deposits and own-bank ATM use, 5 free transfers and 5 free other-bank ATM operations per month. Exceed those and fees apply, capped by the provider's last-12-month pricing. Banks may add more free services but cannot remove the statutory ones.
Can a bank refuse me an account?
For the basic payment account, only on the legal grounds - another PLN account, business activity, no Polish address, invalid ID, or crime-related concerns - and it must tell you why within 10 working days of your complete application. Regular premium accounts are refused at the bank's discretion.
Does my foreign-currency account at a Polish bank block the basic account?
No. The rule only counts accounts in Polish złoty; holding a euro or dollar account does not disqualify you.
