Guidance

Poland: providing services and travelling for business

Guidance for UK businesses on rules for selling services to Poland.

From:
Department for Business and Trade, Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, Department for International Trade and Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy
Published
4 March 2019
Last updated
11 June 2021 — See all updates

Read this page in combination with the general guidance for EU Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Iceland.

The authoritative source for Polish market regulations is the Polish government. This guidance links to official Polish sources wherever possible.

Trade and services regulations in Poland

If you are a UK business providing services in Poland, you need to follow specific regulations about:

  • getting authorisations or licences to provide a service
  • complying with specific local business regulations
  • EEA nationality requirements which could prevent you from providing services in some sectors

Poland’s e-government portal for service providers can help you to:

  • find out what you need to know about providing services in Poland
  • understand local regulations
  • complete the relevant administrative procedures online

Consider appointing an English-speaking lawyer in Poland to help you comply with specific regulations. You can also contact your local chamber of commerce for advice.

To find out if EEA nationality requirements apply to you, contact the appropriate competent authority.

Trade reservations

To sell or provide services to customers in Poland, you must follow local laws. If in doubt, you should get professional advice.

Reservations are part of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement. They reserve the right of each party to keep or make new laws restricting investment, or the sale of services, in ways that would otherwise breach the rules in the agreement.

Check which reservations apply to the sale of services from the UK to Poland. This includes an interactive tool to find reservations that are already in place.

VAT on sales of digital services

To use the UK’s VAT Mini One Stop Shop (MOSS) to declare sales of digital services to EU consumers, businesses need to register for MOSS in an EU member state.

Find out more about paying VAT on sales of digital services.

Ownership of companies registered in Poland

If you have a UK business, you might face restrictions on your ability to own, manage or direct a registered company in Poland or any other EEA country.

For information about setting up and running a business in Poland, visit Business in Poland.

Read more about this in our guidance relating to the EEA and Switzerland.

If you are a legal professional who has an investment in a Polish law firm you should contact the Polish Bar Council (site in Polish) and Poland’s National Council of Legal Advisers (site in Polish) to discuss what actions you need to take now that the UK has left the EU.

Business travel and entry requirements

UK business travellers and service providers may need a visa, work permit or other documentation.

Check our travel to Poland for work guide for detailed information on:

  • types of visa and work permit routes available
  • exemptions that may apply to you or the activity you are planning to undertake

The Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Polish Embassy in London, Business in Poland and Poland’s Office of Foreigners have more information about:

  • visas including intra-corporate transfers
  • work and residence permits
  • supporting documentation
  • other conditions

Check which actions travellers visiting Europe need to take.

Social security payments for employees

Find out if you need to pay National Insurance in the UK or social security contributions in Poland.

Recognition of professional qualifications

To check what you need to do in Poland, read our guidance on professional qualifications in the EEA and Switzerland.

If you need to take action to secure the recognition of your professional qualification in Poland, these sources can help you:

UK statutory auditors working in Poland

For UK statutory auditors, the Audit Oversight Commission Poland (site in Polish) should be able to provide further information.

UK lawyers working in Poland

If you are a UK-qualified lawyer working in Poland, using either a Polish or UK professional title, you should contact the local Bar association in the region in which you are working or the Polish Bar Council (site in Polish) and National Council of Legal Advisers for specific advice.

Data transfer and GDPR

On 28 June 2021, the EU formally adopted ‘adequacy decisions’ for the UK, delivered through:

‘Adequacy decisions’ allow for the ongoing free flow of personal data from the EU/EEA to the UK.

Read guidance on using data in your personal business or other organisation.

Updates to this page

Published 4 March 2019
Last updated 11 June 2021 + show all updates

  1. Added 'Trade reservations' guidance. Updated 'Recognition of professional qualifications' with new UK contact point.

  2. Updated the following sections to reflect the changes created by the UK and EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement: overview, trade regulations, VAT on sales of digital services, business travel and entry requirements, social security payments for employees, recognition of professional qualifications, and data transfer and GDPR.

  3. Guidance for ‘Recognition of professional qualifications’ and ‘Social security payments for employees’ updated.

  4. Change to title to include travelling for business

  5. Update to 'Business travel and entry requirements' section

  6. First published.

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