Right after arrival

Right after arrival

1. Visit your department at IFJ

  • Find your supervisor and the Secretary Office in your division to find help in setting up your work place according to the procedure.
  • Sign your contract at Employee’s Department (Building 4, 5th floor, room 4508A) and check the next steps.

2. Register your stay at the municipal office

Apart from the law on entering the territory of Poland, as a foreigner, you are subject to certain laws that regulate your stay in our country during your research and academic work. Polish law introduces different requirements for EU/EFTA and non-EU/EFTA citizens with regard to legalisation of stay.

EU/EFTA citizens

  • You can stay in Poland for the first three months only on the basis of the document.
  • If you stay longer than 3 months you are required to register in the municipal office. The registration procedure is easy and free-of-charge. The document confirming the registration is a written statement and will be sent by post mail. The application should be submitted in person to the municipal office, not later than one day after the expiry of the three- month period since the date of entering the Polish territory.

The same procedure applies to family members who are also EU/EFTA citizens.

NO EU/EFTA

Citizens of countries other than member states of the EU/EFTA

  • You have four days for registering your short-term (< 3 months) stay, starting from the moment of entering the Polish territory, unless you do not wish to spend more than 14 days in Poland.
  • If you wish to stay in Poland for a longer period than your visa allows, you should apply for a fixed time residence permit (residence card). You will need to submit several documents, including the Act of Birth.

About address of the municipal office and the documents needed to register/ submit please contact welcome@ifj.edu.pl.

3. Get your PESEL

PESEL is obligatory for anyone who wants to work and live in Poland: taxpayer identification, public health care, also most of banks or mobile operators ask for it before signing an agreement with you.

Apparently you are granted your PESEL number ex officio if you get registered with your temporary or permanent residence address.

How to get PESEL number if you do not?

The process is quite simple. Fill in this application form. Please remember to bring along your travel documents (passport, visa, signed employment contract/signed lease agreement). The authority responsible for granting PESEL numbers is your relevant municipal office. It is free of charge and most people manage to receive their identification number at one go.

About address of the municipal office and the documents needed to register please contact welcome@ifj.edu.pl.

4. Open bank account

Your salary is paid in Polish zloty into an account held with a bank. There is also a possibility to get your salary in cash, here in the Institute.

If your stay does not exceed a period of three months a Polish bank account is not a must-have. Otherwise, it is advisable to open an account. In order to do so, usually the only required document is a passport or an identity card and PESEL number.

Bank opening hours:
In general, banks are open Mondays to Fridays from 9 AM until 5 PM.

For any helpful information please contact welcome@ifj.edu.pl.

5. Find long term accommodation and sign your lease contract

There are plenty of rooms and flats for rent in Kraków. A monthly rent varies from about 900 to 3000 PLN, depending on the location, size and standard of the place. Before you start looking for a place for rent, you should define your expectations of the flat (location, number of rooms, price, area).

If you have already friends in Kraków then you should consider asking them for help in renting a flat. Websites such as www.gumtree.pl, www.olx.pl and Facebook may be very useful.

It is vital to do deep research when renting a property. Ask someone to accompany you when viewing a flat. Think about the level of security (door locks, CCTV in the building, distance to public transport etc.). Make sure your potential landlords have their tenure of property – ask them to show identity cards. It is crucial to remember about the lease agreement as it is a guarantee of the tenant’s rights. It is also important to determine the agreement’s duration, the rent and deposit at the beginning. The lease agreement is absolutely necessary to submit in the municipal office to get the Residence Permit.

If you pay cash for rent or deposit, ask for a receipt. Always sign a lease agreement and ask for a copy. Ask for explanations, if you do not understand any of the provisions of the agreement. Consider legal advice especially if the agreement is not written in your native language.

6. Social and Health Insurance/Taxation

An employee hired on the basis of an appointment or an employment contract is automatically charged for health & social insurance and taxation.

Employee has a right to apply for health insurance for his unemployed spouse and children below the age of 18 (26 for children in education).

7. Family

Except for registering your family in the municipal office - which is actually obligatory, you may need information about kindergartens, schools and other activities.

You can find these information in section Additional/useful information.