How to Register a Company in Poland as a Foreigner (2026 Guide)

In short:

• Foreigners can register and own 100% of a Polish company. For most non-EU entrepreneurs, the sp. z o.o. (limited liability company) is the practical choice.
• The fastest route is online via the S24 system, which can take as little as 1 business day for the registration itself; the full setup (tax numbers, bank account, VAT) usually takes 2–4 weeks.
• Core costs: 5,000 PLN minimum share capital (stays in your business), plus registration fees of roughly 350 PLN online, plus accounting and optional setup support.
• You’ll need a registered office address in Poland, identification documents, and the company’s founding details. Notarised documents may be required if you can’t sign in person.
• A Polish-speaking accountant isn’t legally mandatory at the registration step, but in practice it’s what keeps the process — and everything after it — from going wrong.

Starting a business in Poland as a foreigner is very achievable. Poland has one of the more open business environments in the EU for non-residents, and tens of thousands of foreign-owned companies operate here. But the process runs entirely in Polish, involves several government bodies, and has a few decisions early on that are hard to reverse later. This guide walks through what actually matters in 2026.

Can a foreigner register a company in Poland?

Yes. There is no requirement to be a Polish citizen or resident to own a Polish company. Citizens of the EU, EEA and a number of other countries can register essentially any business form. Citizens of other countries (including many non-EU nationals) can freely set up certain forms — most importantly the sp. z o.o., the limited liability company — and own all of its shares.

In practice this is why the sp. z o.o. is the default recommendation for most foreign founders: it’s open to everyone, it limits your personal liability to what you put into the company, and it’s the structure Polish banks, clients and authorities are most comfortable dealing with.

Choosing your company type

The form you choose shapes your taxes, your paperwork and your personal risk. The two you’ll most often weigh up:

Sp. z o.o. (limited liability company)

This is a separate legal entity. Your liability is generally limited to the company’s assets, not your personal ones. It requires a minimum share capital of 5,000 PLN (this isn’t a fee — it becomes the company’s working capital). It’s open to foreign owners without restriction, and it’s the most credible structure when dealing with banks, larger clients and tenders.

JDG (sole proprietorship)

A JDG (jednoosobowa działalność gospodarcza) is simpler and cheaper to run, but it’s only available to people with a specific residency status in Poland, and crucially you are personally liable for the business’s debts. For most non-resident foreigners arriving to start something new, the JDG either isn’t available or isn’t advisable.

We compare these two structures in detail — including the tax differences — in our guide on sp. z o.o. vs. JDG. If you’re unsure which applies to you, that’s the first thing to settle.

The registration process, step by step

Here’s the path most foreign founders take for an sp. z o.o.

1. Decide the company basics. Company name, registered address, business activity (PKD codes), share capital, and who the shareholders and board members are.
2. Prepare and sign the articles of association. Online through the S24 system you can use a standard template and sign electronically. For a tailored structure, you sign in front of a Polish notary instead.
3. Register in the National Court Register (KRS). This is the official company registry. Through S24 the registration itself is fast — often one business day. Your company legally exists once it’s entered in the KRS.
4. Receive your identification numbers. Your company is assigned a REGON (statistical number) and a NIP (tax identification number). These are largely automatic after KRS registration.
5. Open a company bank account. Required for paying in capital, receiving payments and meeting tax obligations. Some banks are more foreigner-friendly than others, and this step often takes the longest.
6. Register for VAT, if applicable. Not every company must register for VAT immediately, but many do. This is a separate filing with the tax office.
7. Set up accounting. From day one your company must keep proper records under Polish accounting law. This is the point where most founders bring in an accountant — because the obligations start immediately, not after your first sale.

How long does it take?

The KRS registration alone can be as quick as one business day through S24. But “the company exists” and “the company is ready to operate” are different milestones. Factoring in tax numbers, a working bank account, and VAT registration, a realistic end-to-end timeline is two to four weeks. Registering through a notary rather than S24, or any complication with documents, can extend that.

What does it cost?

The headline numbers for an online sp. z o.o.:

• Share capital: 5,000 PLN minimum — this stays in your company as working capital, it isn’t spent.
• Registration fees: roughly 350 PLN for the online KRS registration and announcement.
• Notary (only if not using S24): several hundred to over a thousand PLN depending on capital and complexity.
• Accounting: an ongoing monthly cost from the moment you start.
• Optional setup support: if you use a firm to handle registration, address and VAT for you.

The recurring costs — accounting, the registered address, ZUS where it applies — are the ones founders most often forget to budget for, so factor them in from the start, not after the company exists.

Documents you’ll need

The exact list depends on your situation, but typically:

• Valid identification (passport for non-EU founders).
• The company’s founding details: name, address, activity codes, capital, ownership.
• A registered office address in Poland — this can be a physical office or a virtual office address.
• For shareholders or board members who can’t appear in person, notarised and sometimes apostilled documents, often with sworn translation into Polish.

That translation requirement catches a lot of people out: official documents in another language generally need a sworn (certified) translation to be accepted. It’s worth confirming what’s needed before you travel or post anything.

The most common mistakes

A few patterns we see repeatedly with foreign founders:

• Choosing the wrong structure because it looked cheaper, then dealing with personal liability or tax consequences later.
• Underestimating the address requirement — you can’t register without a valid Polish registered office.
• Treating accounting as a “later” problem. Your filing obligations begin when the company is registered. Miss the first deadlines and you start your business with penalties.
• Relying on machine translation for official documents, which authorities won’t accept in place of a sworn translation.
• Assuming VAT is automatic or optional. Whether and when you register matters, and getting it wrong creates problems with clients and the tax office.

Frequently asked questions

Can I register a Polish company without living in Poland? Yes. You don’t need to be a resident to own an sp. z o.o. You will, however, need a registered office address in Poland and a way to handle ongoing obligations like accounting and tax filings.

Do I need to be physically present to register? Not necessarily. Online registration via S24 with an electronic signature can often be done remotely. Where in-person signing or notarisation is required, that step needs either your presence or properly notarised power-of-attorney documents.

How much share capital do I really need? The legal minimum for an sp. z o.o. is 5,000 PLN. This isn’t a cost — it becomes your company’s capital. You can contribute more, but you can’t register with less.

Do I have to register for VAT straight away? Not always. It depends on your activity, turnover and clients. Some businesses must register from the start; others can wait. Getting this decision right early avoids problems later.

Can I run the company in Turkish or English? You can run your business in any language, but official filings, tax documents and dealings with Polish authorities are in Polish. This is exactly why working with a multilingual accountant matters — so nothing is lost in translation.

Ready to set up your company in Poland?

Meyis is a Warsaw-based accounting office that registers companies for foreign entrepreneurs and handles everything that comes after — bookkeeping, tax, payroll and work permits — in Turkish, Polish, English and more.

Book a free consultation or message us on WhatsApp at +48 692 413 475. We’ll tell you exactly what your situation needs.