This page is for people who are opening their first account in Poland or who have been refused one. It does not compare the fees of individual banks: conditions change, and the law guarantees minimum rights at any bank.
Do I have the right to an account at a Polish bank?
Yes, to a basic payment account (podstawowy rachunek płatniczy), if you have no other payment account in zloty in Poland. The law requires banks that open accounts for consumers to provide such an account; credit unions (SKOK) have this obligation only toward their members. The account is opened in zloty.
Holders of temporary protection stay in Poland legally. The EU directive on payment accounts guarantees the right to a basic account to everyone who stays legally in the EU, including people with no fixed address and asylum seekers, regardless of where they live. The Polish law does not repeat this wording. Instead, it allows a bank to refuse a person who does not stay legally in an EU country or has no address in Poland.
What does a basic account include, and how much does it cost?
A basic account gives you only three types of transactions:
- paying money into the account;
- withdrawing cash in any EU country;
- payments in EU countries: by card, including online, transfers and direct debits.
Keeping the account for domestic payments is free. The bank may charge only for:
- domestic transfers above 5 a month;
- transactions at other banks’ ATMs and cash deposit machines in Poland above 5 a month;
- cross-border transactions.
These fees cannot be higher than the bank’s own usual fees over the last 12 months, and the law does not allow any other fees for a basic account. The bank also cannot require you to sign another contract together with the account or to declare a certain amount of incoming payments.
How do you apply, and how long do you wait?
Application forms are available at branches, and the bank publishes a sample on its website; if the bank allows it, you can also apply orally. The bank must sign the account contract with you or inform you of a refusal within 10 working days of receiving a fully completed application.
What documents do you need?
We have not found an official list of documents that banks accept from Ukrainian citizens (passport, PESEL UKR, the protection document in mObywatel, the CUKR card): neither the Polish Financial Supervision Authority (KNF) nor Polish law sets one. The law names only the conditions under which a bank may refuse: if you do not have a valid identity document, a legal stay in the EU or an address for correspondence in Poland.
When can a bank refuse?
The bank must refuse if there is a suspicion of money laundering or terrorist financing, if the person does not meet the requirements for membership in a credit union, or if there is reliable information about a crime involving the account or about the criminal origin of the money.
The bank may refuse if:
- you already have a payment account in Poland;
- your details match international sanctions lists or the KNF list of public warnings;
- you do not have a valid identity document;
- you do not stay legally in any EU country;
- you have not given a home address or another address for correspondence in Poland;
- the bank has already terminated an account contract with you because of a serious breach of its terms;
- you did not sign the contract within the set time.
The bank must explain the reasons for a refusal immediately and free of charge, except in cases related to security or the prevention of money laundering.
When can a bank close the account?
The bank can terminate the contract only for the reasons listed in the law. If there have been no transactions on the account for more than 24 months in a row, if you no longer stay legally in an EU country, or if you have opened another such account in Poland, the bank can terminate the contract with at least two months’ notice and must explain the reason free of charge. If the account was knowingly used for illegal purposes, there is a well-founded suspicion that the money is of criminal origin, or the account was opened with false information, the bank can terminate the contract immediately.
Is the money in the account protected?
Yes. The Bank Guarantee Fund (BFG) guarantees deposits in full up to the equivalent of €100,000 per depositor at one bank or credit union, for all accounts together. Money in both zloty and foreign currency is protected, but it is paid out in zloty. The €100,000 limit is converted into zloty at the average exchange rate of the National Bank of Poland on the day the guarantee is triggered. Payouts start within 7 working days.
For some funds of individuals, for example from the sale of a home, an inheritance or certain insurance payouts, the BFG provides a higher guarantee, up to €100,000 on top of the usual one, if the money reached the account no earlier than 3 months before the guarantee was triggered. This part is paid on the depositor’s application. The BFG does not guarantee deposits of people for whom the bank does not have full identification data. Deposits at branches of banks from other EU countries are covered by the guarantee scheme of the country where the bank is registered.
For transfers to Ukraine and currency, see the section Banks and money transfers.
What mistakes should you avoid?
- Agreeing to a condition to buy another product or to declare incoming payments: for a basic account, the bank cannot require this.
- Accepting a refusal without an explanation of the reasons.
- Not using the account for more than 24 months: the bank can close it.
- Opening a second account in Poland when you have a basic one: this is a ground for terminating the contract.