How to Open a Company in Poland as a Foreigner – 5 Steps

You can register a company in Poland without visiting the country. This guide walks you through all five steps – from providing foundational data to opening a bank account. It works for partnerships, limited liability companies, joint-stock companies, and simple joint-stock companies.

5 Steps to Open a Company – Overview

We help foreigners establish companies in Poland without requiring a visit. Here is the full process with our support:

1. Provide foundational information – You send us details about the company (name, shareholders' data, etc.). We give you a form – you just answer the questions.
2. Sign and return the power of attorney – We prepare and e-mail you a power of attorney. You sign it as a notarial deed and send us the hard copy.
3. Company incorporation and court registration – We incorporate the company and register it in the National Court Register on your behalf. No visit to Poland needed.
4. CRBR registration – We register the company in The Central Register of Real Beneficiaries (CRBR).
5. Open a bank account – If the director is an EU citizen, this is easy to do remotely. If not, visiting Poland is the simplest option, though remote setup is possible (with additional steps).

Below you will find detailed descriptions of each step.

Step 1 – Provide Foundational Information About the Future Company

To handle all formalities on your behalf, we need basic information about the founding structure. Here is what to prepare:

• Business name of the future company.
• Share capital amount, including the number and value of shares. Minimum capital depends on the legal form:
  • Limited liability company – at least 5,000.00 PLN; each share worth at least 50.00 PLN.
  • Simple joint-stock company – share capital can be as low as 1 PLN.
• Personal data of shareholders, along with the number of shares each will acquire. A shareholder can be a natural person or another company. If a company acquires shares, provide us with an extract from your country's register of entrepreneurs.
• Company seat – indicated by city. You also need an office address, but we can help. A virtual office is easy to arrange if you don't need more.
• Personal data of Management Board members and the preferred way of company representation.

Management Board – What You Need to Know

The Management Board may consist of one or more members. The articles of association may specify the exact number.

If the articles of association are silent on representation, general rules apply. For example, in a limited liability company, submitting statements on behalf of the company requires either:

• cooperation of two Management Board members, or
• one Management Board member together with a proxy.

If you don't know how many board members your company should have or how much initial capital to set – don't worry, we will advise you.

Step 2 – Collect Documents Required to Establish the Company

Based on the information you provide, we prepare a power of attorney that enables our law firm in Poland to establish the company on your behalf – without your presence in Poland.

After receiving the drafted power of attorney, complete these three steps:

2.1 Grant the Power of Attorney as a Notarial Deed

Make an appointment with a notary public in your country and sign the power of attorney in the form of a notarial deed.

2.2 Obtain an Apostille Clause

After signing, obtain an apostille clause on the notarised document. In some countries, you will need legalization (sometimes called authentication) instead.

2.3 Send the Original to Our Office

Send us the original power of attorney – notarised and marked with an apostille clause (or legalized).

After we receive it, we forward it to a sworn translator and then complete all remaining formalities – signing of the articles of association and incorporation of the company.

Step 3 – Register the Company in the National Court Register

All companies in Poland must be registered in the National Court Register (KRS). Here is what the register covers:

• Data about the company's management board, supervisory board (if any), and shareholders.
• Annual financial statements (must be filed once a year).
• All ongoing changes – management board composition, articles of association amendments, capital changes.

The register gives certainty about a company's representation and financial condition. It also facilitates the purchase and sale of companies and helps navigate capital structures for investment decisions.

We register the newly established company in the National Court Register on your behalf. This nearly completes the process.

Step 4 – Post-Registration Obligations (CRBR + PESEL)

After registration, two additional obligations must be fulfilled:

4.1 PESEL Number for Management Board Members

PESEL is the identification number of a natural person in Poland. To register in the CRBR, Management Board members need a PESEL number. Provide us with:

• An ID card or passport of the Management Board member.
• A power of attorney to submit documents to the appropriate authority in Poland.

4.2 Entry in the Central Register of Real Beneficiaries (CRBR)

The CRBR is a system that collects information on beneficiaries – natural persons exercising direct or indirect control over the company. Its main purpose is counteracting money laundering and financing of terrorism. Registration is mandatory.

To save time, we carry out this step simultaneously with step 3.

Step 5 – Open a Company Bank Account

After completing all incorporation formalities, set up a bank account for the company. This is necessary to maintain proper accounting records.

The process depends on where Management Board members reside:

• Polish citizens or other citizens residing in Poland – visit a bank branch to sign the account agreement.
• Foreigners not residing in Poland – grant a power of attorney in the form of a notarial deed to open the account on the company's behalf. This power of attorney must be apostilled (or legalized) and sworn translated – same as the incorporation power of attorney.

Additional Bank Requirements

Requirements vary by bank. At one of the Polish banks our clients frequently use, opening an account through a proxy requires:

• Articles of association of the company.
• The appropriate power of attorney.
• A copy of a document confirming the identity of the person representing the company – as a notarial deed, with an apostille clause, sworn translated.
• Documents confirming the eligibility of the local notary public – with an apostille clause, sworn translated.
• Information on the company's business model.
• Data of the person who will act as the main bank account administrator.

Timeline and Costs

The whole process usually takes up to two months. Registration in the National Court Register alone takes less than one month, but collecting documents, completing translations (the court requires Polish-language documents), and obtaining an apostille or legalization adds time. Plan for two months to be safe.

What Does It Cost?

Our law firm handles all activities – document preparation, translations, and any support you need during the process. We move as fast as the given matter allows.

To receive a tailored offer, contact us directly.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I open a company in Poland as a foreigner without visiting Poland? Yes. You can register a company in Poland entirely remotely by granting a power of attorney in the form of a notarial deed, signed and apostilled in your home country, which authorizes a Polish law firm to handle incorporation and court registration on your behalf. This process works for limited liability companies, simple joint-stock companies, joint-stock companies, and partnerships.

What information and documents do I need to register a company in Poland remotely? You need to prepare the company's business name, share capital amount (minimum 5,000 PLN for a limited liability company or 1 PLN for a simple joint-stock company), personal data of shareholders and management board members, company seat (city), and an office address. On the document side, you need a power of attorney signed as a notarial deed before a notary in your country, an apostille clause (or legalization) on that document, and the original sent by mail to the law firm handling the process. If a shareholder is another company rather than a natural person, you also need to provide an extract from your country's register of entrepreneurs.

How long does it usually take to open a company in Poland as a foreigner? The entire process usually takes up to two months. Court registration alone takes less than one month, but collecting documents, completing sworn translations into Polish, and obtaining an apostille or legalization adds time — so plan for the full two months to stay on track with your operational timeline.

Do foreign management board members need a PESEL number to register a Polish company? Yes. PESEL — the identification number of a natural person in Poland — is required for management board members to complete the mandatory registration in the Central Register of Real Beneficiaries (CRBR). To obtain it, you need to provide a copy of the board member's ID card or passport and a power of attorney authorizing submission of documents to the appropriate Polish authority.

Can a foreign director open a Polish company bank account remotely? A foreign director not residing in Poland can open a bank account remotely by granting a power of attorney in the form of a notarial deed, apostilled (or legalized) and sworn translated — the same procedure as for the incorporation power of attorney. The bank may also require additional documents such as the articles of association, a certified copy of the director's identity document, information on the company's business model, and data of the person acting as the main account administrator. If the director holds Polish citizenship or resides in Poland, visiting a bank branch to sign the agreement in person is the simpler path.