Poland
Last update 17 September 2024Diplomatic missions
Risk index
Level 2: Increased cauion (Be informed on the current situation in the country beforehand)
2
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Republic of Poland
IMPORTANT! As of 16.09.2024, entry by land into the territory of the Federal Republic of Germany from Poland is carried out with a valid identity document /international passport or identity card/. The additional controls introduced by the German authorities are expected to last six months.
Embassy of the Republic of Bulgaria in the Republic of Poland
Address: Al. Ujazdowskie 33/35, 00-540 Warszawa, Poland
Working hours: 08:30 – 17:00
Telephone: +48 22 629 40 71; +48 22 629 40 72
Fax: +48 22 628 22 71
Emergency out-of-hours hotline: + 48 668 668 813
Е-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.mfa.bg/embassies/poland
Consular office with consular district territories of Poland, Latvia and Lithuania
Wydzial konsularny Ambasady Republiki Bulgarii
Address: Al. Ujazdowskie 33/35, 00-540 Warszawa, Poland
Telephone: +48 22 629 40 71; +48 22 629 40 72
Emergency out-of-hours hotline: + 48 668 668 813
Fax: +48 22 628 13 40
Working hours: Mon – Fri, 08:30 – 17:00
Opening hours: 09:00 – 12:00
Е-mail: [email protected]
Honorary Consuls of the Republic of Bulgaria in Poland:
Mr. Jan Strawinski is Honorary Consul of the Republic of Bulgaria in Gdańsk and the Pomeranian and Pomeranian-Kuyavian Voivodeships
Konsulat Honorowy Republiki Bułgarii
Address: Olowianka Street 3A, 80-751 Gdańsk, Poland
Tel. +48 605-81-81-81
Email: [email protected]
Mr. Witold Karczewski is Honorary Consul of the Republic of Bulgaria in the city of Bialystok and the Podlaskie, Warmian-Masurian and Lublin Voivodeships
Honorary Consul of the Republic of Bulgaria
Address: Antoniukowska Street 7, 15-001 Białystok, Polska
Tel. +48 85 652 56 45, +48 85 7487010
Email: [email protected]
Mr. Janusz Zaton is Honorary Consul of the Republic of Bulgaria in Częstochowa and Katowice, Silesian Voivodeship
Address in the city of Katowice: 42-241 Katowice, Hutnicza 10
Tel.: +48 32 360 23 39
Mob. Phone: +48 602 199 730
E-mail: [email protected]
Address in Czestochowa: 42-200 Czestochowa ul. Tartakowa 31/33
Phone: +48 34 361 55 54
Mob. Phone: +48 602 199 730
E-mail: [email protected]
Mr. Wieslaw Nowak is Honorary Consul of the Republic of Bulgaria in Krakow and the Lesser Poland Voivodeship
Honorowy Konsulat Republiki Bułgarii w Krakowie
Address: Kazimierza Czapińskiego 3, 30-048 Kraków
Tel./Fax: + 48 12 633 18 91
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: http://konsulat.bulgaria.krakow.pl/
Embassy of the Republic of Poland in the Republic of Bulgaria
Address: 46 Khan Krum St., Sofia 1000
Telephone: +359 2 987 26 10; +359 2 987 26 60; +359 2 987 26 70
Fax: +359 2 987 29 39
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.sofia.msz.gov.pl/bg
Consular Office:
Telephone/fax: +359 2 981 85 45
E-mail: [email protected]
Working hours: Mon – Fri, 09:00 – 13:00
Honorary Consul of Poland in Bulgaria
Mrs. Lydia Barbara Pietschik-Vangelova
Office: 8230 Nesebar, 62 L. Karavelov St.,
Telephone: +359 554 39 008
GSM: +359 893 550 105
Е-mail: к[email protected]
General information
Security level:
In the Republic of Poland, valuables, wallets, jewellery, watches, cameras and documents should not be carried openly and luggage should be left unattended. Thefts of or from handbags are no exception, with attempts to cut open the bag being relatively common.
On some of the main highways and in major cities, mugging and vehicle theft are possible, especially in unguarded parking lots or through provoked accidents of one's own vehicle, staged or simulated traffic accidents. Vigilance and caution are advised in this regard, especially in the event of an accident, and all vehicle doors should be locked during the journey.
In the event of theft, forcible taking and/or loss of documents, bank cards, luggage, vehicles or objects, you should immediately report this to the Polish police by calling the emergency number 997 or 112.
In these cases, it would be particularly useful if you have copied your documents before you travel or can provide copies electronically. (It's especially helpful if you scan your documents before the trip starts and place the copies in an electronic address that only you have access to, such as your email.)
Healthcare:
Despite financial difficulties, public health facilities provide quality medical services.
The qualification of medical workers is at a high level.
Pharmacies are numerous, usually located in busy places and well stocked, including with foreign-made medicines.
A prescription is required for a number of medications.
Customs requirements:
When entering/leaving the territory of the Republic of Poland, amounts equivalent to EUR 10,000 or more must be declared.
The export of objects (e.g. books, works of art, ornaments, furniture) from the pre-1945 period is governed by special provisions of Polish law. It is advisable to check the legal export options before purchasing such an item.
Further information can be found HERE.
From 01 January 2009 up to 800 cigarettes per person can be freely exported.
Up-to-date information on alcoholic and tobacco products that can be imported into Poland duty and excise free can be found at HERE..
Customs requirements for the Republic of Poland can be downloaded from HERE.
Road traffic:
The Republic of Poland has a well-developed network of domestic and international flights, bus lines and rail links.
A list of fines for some of the more common traffic offences in Poland can be found at HERE.
The movement of cars in the Republic of Poland is free, except on toll motorways. If the owner of the vehicle does not drive it personally and does not travel with it, it is necessary for the driver to have an explicit notarized power of attorney to drive the vehicle with a Polish/English translation.
Practical advice:
Reports of accidents, traffic accidents and extraordinary circumstances (natural disasters, terrorist attacks, etc.), etc., in which the life and/or health of Bulgarian citizens is threatened or may be threatened, as well as for / by victims of trafficking for sexual exploitation or other forms of violence can be submitted at any time of the day or night to telephone: + 48 22 – 629 40 71.
Tourists intending to visit forest and lake areas in Poland during the summer months are advised to have the tick-borne encephalitis (FSME) vaccine and, according to some additional recommendations, the Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B vaccines.
It is prohibited to drive after drinking alcohol and other intoxicating or narcotic substances, the maximum permissible limit being 0.2‰. It is recommended that full cooperation be given in ascertaining the actual quantity by blood sample and that no bribery be attempted under any circumstances.
If travelling by car, although since 01 May 2004 the insurance ‘green card’ is not compulsory, we strongly recommend that drivers of motor vehicles have it, as it could relieve them considerably when drawing up an accident report and obtaining compensation.
From 01 July 2011, before starting a journey on toll roads, drivers of vehicles with a maximum permissible weight of more than 3.5 tonnes (including drivers of vehicles with trailers, etc. with a maximum permissible weight of more than 3.5 tonnes) and drivers of minibuses with more than 9 seats are obliged to pay tolls via the ‘viaTOLL’ system. A special charging device should be purchased for this purpose. The devices can be purchased at designated points just after the border, as well as at the petrol stations of major retail chains. Further information can be found at: https://www.viatoll.pl
In Warsaw and the low-lying areas, the water is not fit for direct consumption due to its hardness.
During the heating season, air pollution is possible in larger cities.
Photography and filming of appropriately designated military installations and services is prohibited.
The use of alcohol and other intoxicants in public places is prohibited.
Since 2010, a ban on smoking in public places such as public transport stops and vehicles, train stations, hospitals, schools, museums, theatres, cinemas, stadiums, playgrounds, sports grounds, etc.) Under certain conditions, smoking is allowed in designated smoking areas in restaurants and bars. The fine for violating the ban is up to 500 zlotys (about BGN 250).
Bulgarian citizens staying in Poland for up to 3 months must have a European Health Card or a certificate replacing it, and those staying longer than 3 months must be registered (insured) with the Polish Health Insurance Fund on the basis of a certificate issued by the National Health Insurance Fund (More detailed information can be obtained at HERE or HERE).
Local currency:
The currency of the Republic of Poland is the Polish zloty (PLN).
The exchange is mainly carried out in exchange bureaus called ‘Kantor wymiany walut’ (Kantor or Lombard for short).
Travel papers and visas
Bulgarian citizens can enter Poland with an identity card, passport or Emergency Travel Document. A visa-free regime is in force for trips with a maximum stay of 90 days, every 6 months. Travellers should be able to prove that they have sufficient funds to finance their stay in Poland. Children under 18 years of age travelling with/without an accompanying person do not need a declaration of consent to travel.
Address registration and residence permits:
Foreigners are obliged to register their address (zameldowanie tymczasowe) with the local address registration office (Urzad Meldunkowy) no later than the date of entry into Poland. The certificate of address registration is a necessary but not sufficient condition for obtaining a residence permit (kartapobytu) if you wish to stay longer than 3 months. Further information on the Polish authorities' requirements for residence permits, including the conditions for obtaining a residence permit, can be obtained from the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland.
Consular service
Issuance of Bulgarian identity documents:
The Consular Office of the Embassy can accept applications for passports, identity cards and Emergency Travel Documents.
Certifications and legalizations:
Pursuant to the bilateral Treaty on Legal Assistance between Bulgaria and Poland, documents issued or certified by central and local authorities or notaries in the Republic of Bulgaria and in the Republic of Poland do not require any other certification (legalizations, Apostilles) when they will be used in the territory of the other country.
Translations:
Translations of transcripts and certificates of Polish civil status certificates of birth, marriage or death, which are intended for the primary registration of the event in Bulgaria, are carried out by the Embassy of the Republic of Bulgaria in Poland. In these cases, they shall be exempted from the fees under Tariff No 3.
Translations of other Polish documents and other documents, including transcripts and certificates of Polish civil status certificates of birth, marriage or death, not intended for primary registration, shall be carried out by:
-translation agencies registered with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Bulgaria;
-polish sworn translators from/into Bulgarian (Translations are certified by the Embassy in Warsaw. (A list of sworn translators can be found at HERE).
Translations of all Bulgarian documents and papers to be used in Poland for official purposes shall be carried out by Polish sworn translators.
Notarization:
At the Embassy of Bulgaria in Poland can be certified:
- the date, content and signatures of private documents that are drawn up in Bulgarian and are not subject to registration,
- the accuracy of transcripts and extracts of documents.
When the document is presented by a foreign citizen, the certification shall be carried out if the document is in Bulgarian and is intended to produce its effect on the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria.
If the citizen does not speak Bulgarian, he/she should appear together with a Polish sworn translator from/into Bulgarian. (In this case, the interpreter must present a certificate from the Polish Ministry of Justice and his/her identity card.)
Issuing documents relating to civil status events (birth, marriage or death)
In case a child, one of whose parents is a Bulgarian citizen, is born in Poland or a Bulgarian citizen has entered into a civil marriage or has died, this event must be registered within 6 months in Bulgaria according to the due procedure.
Registering a birth:
A certified translation of a full copy (odpis zupełny) of the birth certificate issued by the Polish Civil Registry Office must be submitted to the municipality in Bulgaria.
Attention!
- For birth registration, you can not use an abbreviated transcript (depreciated), since it does not indicate the sex of the child.
- Polish law does not allow an entry for the father ‘unknown’. In case the parents are not married and/or the mother is under-aged (under 18 years of age), the father's details on the Polish birth certificate are entered ex officio, with the mother's surname as the father's surname and the mother's given name as the father's given name. (If she does not provide a name, one of the most common names in Poland is entered.)
-In order to avoid further complications when issuing identity documents and when travelling abroad for children whose parents are not married, it is necessary for them to be recognised by their fathers before the Polish Civil Registry Office where the birth certificate was drawn up. For this purpose, both parents need to appear at this Civil Registry Office together with a sworn interpreter.
Marriage:
A certified translation of a full copy (odpis zupełny) of the civil marriage certificate issued by the Polish Civil Registry Office must be submitted to the municipality in Bulgaria.
In case a Bulgarian citizen has changed his/her surname (adopted or added to his/her surname the surname of the other spouse) by entering into a civil marriage, he/she is obliged to apply for a new passport, identity card and driving licence within 30 days of receiving a Bulgarian certificate of civil marriage and for a change of surname.
Death:
A certified translation of a complete copy (odpis zupełny) of a death certificate issued by a Polish Civil Registry Office is submitted to the municipality in Bulgaria.
If you intend to transport the remains of the deceased to Bulgaria, you should contact the Consular Office with the Embassy of the Republic of Bulgaria in Poland as soon as possible.
Divorce:
In case your marriage is dissolved in Poland, you are obliged to submit an application under Article 118 of the Code of Private International Law (CPIL), either in person or through a person authorised by you, and a notarized declaration under Article 177 items 3 and 4 of the CPIL to the mayor of the municipality of your domicile in Bulgaria for recognition of the judgment and for registration of the changes in your marital status and surname.
With the application and the declaration you should also submit an original copy of the Polish divorce judgment with a certified translation into Bulgarian, a certificate that the judgment has entered into force.
If the decision of the Polish divorce court is recognised by the mayor of the municipality of your permanent address in Bulgaria and it is related to changes in your surname, you are obliged to apply with the new surname for replacement of your Bulgarian identity documents within 30 days from the date of the decision, attaching a certificate from the municipality.