Poland Relocation

RELOCATION TO POLAND

As relocation experts, at Move One we know how important it is to familiarize yourself with your potential new home before making the big move.

Move One is therefore pleased to present its country profiles which take a closer look at Relocation, Immigration, Moving and Pet Transportation issues in each of its locations.

Poland is a large Central European country on the cost of the Baltic Sea, laying to the east of Germany. The north of the country in partly forested with many beautiful lakes while flat agricultural land spans the central regions all the way to the mountainous south.

Poland was the first Eastern European Communist State to elect a democratic government in 1989 and despite initial instability, the transition to a privatized market economy was successful. Benefiting from joining the European Union in 2004, Poland has now grown into a modern, progressive state while maintaining its traditional culture and values. Although Poland still has a small expatriate community, an increasing number of foreign workers are coming into the country. Indeed, the expected economic growth and size of the potential market are highly attractive traits to foreigners.

This Central European country is also growing into a popular tourist destination. It not only offers numerous historical sites and modern cities but has also kept a strong traditional culture and a rich musical heritage.
Indeed, Warsaw is a  historically mesmerizing place while Krakow is very attractive and widely celebrated for its musical festivals and street theaters. These main cities, however, contrast with the rest of the country, which has preserved a very traditional and rural lifestyle.

Apart from having become increasingly attractive to tourists in the past few years, Poland has also turned into a popular destination both for international companies to have their operations and for European students to study.

While the cost of living is relatively low, the standards of living are on the other hand nearly comparable to that of most of Western Europe, which makes living in Poland an attractive option for expats.

Most of the larger cities, such a Warsaw, offer a wide selection of properties ranging from new and renovated apartments inside the city center to large, modern and renovated family houses in the outlying areas. However, due to discrepancies in development levels throughout the country, there are areas which have a shortage of housing.

These areas will often only offer apartments in one of the hundreds of prefabricated buildings built in the communist era. Bear in mind that most of these buildings are not in the best state, as they have not been renovated since their construction.

But in recent years, the building of many single-family home settlements on the outskirts of cities has been underway. Despite the fact that they are prefabricated and only come in a limited variety, the rents for these houses remain relatively high. Bear in mind also those city outskirts rarely have easy access to services, such as schools or hospitals.

Rent for an average 2-room city apartment, in the expat market, will cost you between $900 and $1800 per month not including utilities. Bear in mind that this not only applies to Warsaw but also to smaller cities such a Krakow, Gdansk, Paznan and Wroclaw. You can get a fixed or indefinite rental contact in Poland. However, fixed agreements are advisable as they grant more security to tenants.

Buying a house in Poland is an option many expats take, especially those looking to stay for longer. Although it is relatively straightforward to buy a property, especially for EU citizens, bear in mind that there are nevertheless legal and economic risks involved. It is advisable in the first instance to rent an apartment while working out the details of the buying procedures.

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The Polish health-care system based on a general health insurance system and is state-financed through the National Health Fund (NFZ), to which all working residents in Poland contribute.

This entitles medical insurance card holders as well EU nationals with E-111 forms to free primary health care, specialist out-patient care, hospital treatment, dental treatment and ambulance transport.

Although overall standards of medical care are satisfactory, some hospital facilities are not quite up to those in Western countries. Bear in mind that emergency services in rural areas may be lacking while specialist health-care services are mostly located in larger cities.

There are private medical health care options in Poland offering the full range of specialties, treatment and operations. However, these private institutions and specialized doctors are often only located in bigger cities.
Although these services cost significantly, most expatriates will have international insurance paid for by their company. And most of the health insurance companies used will be related to one ore more of the private clinics.
Remember to check your insurance policies so you know exactly how you are covered.

Main cities in Poland have 24 hours drugstores with all types of medicines readily available.
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Although the cost of living in Poland is relatively lower than in most other Western countries, the average income is similarly lower.

Bear in mind that the cost of living will not only vary considerably between cities and rural areas but will also depend greatly on your life-style and habits.

The following list will give you an idea of prices and cost of living in Warsaw:

Product	Price ($ USD)	Local currency (Zloty  - PLN)
Restaurants
Meal for 2, Inexpensive Restaurant	$19,30	55
Meal for 2, Mid-range Restaurant	$28,07	80
McDonald’s BigMac	$4,21	12
Medium Latte @ Starbucks/Costa	$3,86	11
Consumables
Fresh Milk (1 liter)	$0,88	2,5
Eggs (Dozen)	$3,51	10
Sugar (1 kg)	$1,05	3
Tomatoes (1 kg)	$1,23	3,5
Chciken filet (1 kg)	$5,26	15
Apples (1 kg)	$1,05	3
Evian Water (1.5 liter bottle)	$2,46	7
Domestic Beer (Zywiec Beer) (1 bottle) 0,5 litre	$0,86	2,45
Heineken (330 ml bottle)	$1,14	3,25
Pack of Marlboro Red	$3,93	11,2
Snickers Bar	$0,63	1,89
Lipton Tea (25 bag box)	$2,81	8
Transportation
One-way Ticket (local transport)	$0,84	2,4
Monthly Transport Pass	$30,88	88
Taxi (5km, downtown)	$6,67	19
Gasoline (1 gallon)	$7,02	20
Recreation
Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult	$52,63	150
Cinema, International Release, 1 Seat	$8,77	25
Grooming
Male Haircut	$8,77	25
Female Haircut	$17,54	50
Pair of Men’s Levis 501	$112,28	320
CoverGirl Lipstick	$0,67	2-3
Old Spice Deoderant (stick, 2.25 oz)	$5,61	16
Manicure	$12,28	35
Pedicure	$17,54	50
Household Goods
Palmolive Soap (Bar, 80g)	$1,05	3
Colgate Toothpaste (reg. tube)	$1,89	5,4
Johnsons Baby Shampoo (15 oz.)	$3,16	9
Tide Detergent (Powder, 33 oz.)	$2,81	8
4 x Duracell ‘AA’ Bateries	$10,53	30

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While Polish is the official language of Poland, it is also spoken in some parts of Russian, Belarus Lithuania and Ukraine. Considered a West-Slavic language, it is similar to the Czech, Slovak, and Russian languages.

Polish is often perceived as difficult to master since it not only lacks in definite and indefinite articles but also uses of seven grammatical noun cases. But by finding the right course and adding in some determination it can be done.

The first step is get to grips with the proper pronunciation of the 32 letters in the Polish alphabet the move onto understanding the letter combination.

Polish is renowned for its long words and unpronounceable strings of consonants attached to the words. Accents can also make a seemly obvious word be pronounced quite differently.

Just learning the basics such as ‘Hello’ ‘Good bye’ and ‘Thank you’, a few numbers and simple phrases will help you get by on a daily basis and reward you with smiles from your Polish neighbors and friends. If you wish to take Polish courses, there are many language schools to choose from.

It is however possible to get by in Poland without being fluent in Polish, as younger Poles tend to be more proficient in either English or German. This is because it is compulsory for students to take at least one foreign language, that is English, German, French or Spanish. However, the older generations in Poland will speak Russian, having studied it at school.


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Poland has a well-developed state-run educational system, to which foreign nationals are allowed also to attend free of charge. However, expat families tend to send their children to private or international schools since teaching in state-schools is in Polish.

Most private schools in Poland are run by the church, or educate using alternative teaching methods. Some offer bilingual classes while others teach only in English.

The majority of these schools are situated in Warsaw and other larger cities such as Krakow, Gdansk and Lodz.

Here is a list of international schools in Poland’s larger cities. Bear in mind that most, but not all, usually follow either the British or American curricula:

Warsaw
Willy Brandt Schule
The British School
American School of Warsaw
International American School
Canadian International School
Lycee Francais de Varsovie
Japanese School Warsaw

Krakow
International School of Krakow
British International School of Krakow (BSKRAK)
Kolegium Europejskie

Lublin
High School No 1 im. S. Staszica

Poznan
International School of Poznan
Poznan British International School

Wroclaw
Wroclaw International School (WROCLA)

Szczecin
Szczecin International School

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Poland’s climate is moderate and has four distinct seasons. In general, the northern and western parts have a maritime climate with mild, humid winters and cool, rainy summer. Whereas the eastern parts of the country manifestly have a continental climate with harsh winters and drier, much warmer summers.

However, the weather tends to be a little capricious due to the continental influence with dryer air coming from the Eurasian interior colliding with the humid maritime influence from the Atlantic.

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Poland offers a wide range of outdoor activities from its wild scenery in the southern mountains, with its great skiing and hiking, to its wilder northern areas with the Bialowieza National Park and the Great Malsurian Lakes.
For those in search for culture, again, the charming old towns of Krakow, Zamosc and Gdansk will satisfy your every need. Not only are the major towns architecturally and historically interesting, but Polish folk crafts, dance, and music can also be found on display at the dozens of festivals spread all throughout the year. Poles also have a long history of classical music and opera composers, with performances showing nearly every night. From modern and classical through to alternative forms of music events take place to suite all tastes.

Warsaw
Warsaw’s nightlife ranges from tame pubs to upbeat jazz venues and hot dance clubs. Ulica Foksal, east of Krakowskie Przedmiescie, for instance is lined with clubs, restaurants and bars, including hot spot Foksal 19. You can also find several trendy nightspots along Ulica Mazowiecka and Ulica Sienkiewicza, including Paparazzi.

If you’d like to take the bitter edge off your beer ask for a piwo z sokiem (beer with juice) and the bartender will add fruit syrup (usually raspberry) to your draft.

Dance clubs generally stay open until the wee morning hours.

The Warsaw dining scene continues to thrive: Expectations have steadily risen, which has been good news for visitors and locals alike. Polish fare is celebrated in both upscale establishments and in the traditionally inexpensive milk bars (bar mleczny). Milk bars focus on no-frills and hearty fare, but other restaurants may experiment with Polish dishes and lighten them. Typical Polish dishes include sledz (herring), kielbasa (sausage), bigos (hunter’s stew), pierogi (dumplings stuffed with meat), forest mushrooms, kapusta (cabbage), fruit or cheese, various hot and cold soups, and placki (potato pancakes). For those with a sweet tooth, szarlotka (apple cake), makowiec (poppy seed cake) and packi (jelly doughnuts) are very pleasing.

Warsaw has a number of world-class cultural institutions, including the National Philharmonic Orchestra and the National Theater. The main cultural season runs from September to July, although there are often summer festivals featuring outdoor concerts held on the Old Town Square and in Warsaw’s parks. Jazz fans should look out for the Warsaw Summer Jazz Days (July-August) and the JVC Jazz Festival Warsaw (October).
The Warsaw Tourist Information Points have a useful weekly and annual online calendar of cultural events (website: www.warsawtour.pl). The Warsaw Voice (in English) includes a weekly listing of events, as does the monthly Warsaw Insider and the free What’s Up Warsaw.

Culture Shock – Polish Traditions and Customs

Titles and names
Do not use first names with people you either do not know or only know a little. Always call a person Pan (Mr.) or Pani (Ms.) as using only a person’s title such as Director, Cashier or professions is seen as impolite. The socially prevalent custom is to call a person by their first name preceded with either Pan or Pan while using the surname in the same way can be frowned upon in some circles.

Religion
Poland is a very religious country with over 80 percent of the population being Roman Catholic. Catholic holidays are therefore taken very seriously.

Name-days
Name day’s are one of the most important celebrations to remember, sometimes even more so than birthdays. So mark your calendar with the people you know in order to remember to with them best wishes or get them a small present.

Guest in the home, God in the home
Remember to praise your host when attending a party or dinner as Poles pride themselves for their hospitality. There is indeed a Polish proverb that says “A guest in the home, God in the home”, inferring that a guest had to be offered only the best.

Food and drink
The Polish cuisine is famous for hearty dishes meat and creams and various types of noodles and dumplings such as the pierogi.
The country is also internationally known for its beer and vodka with Poland ranking 5th amongst Europe’s largest beer producers. Vodka is also a very popular Polish drink since 1400.

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January 1st – New Year’s Day
May 1st – May Day or Labor Day
May 3rd – Constitution Day to celebrate the establishment of the Polish Constitution on May 3rd 1791.
August 15th – Assumption of the Virgin Mary
November 1st – All Saints’ Day to commemorate the dead.
November 11th – Independence Day to celebrate the restoration of independence in 1918.
December 25th and 26th – Christmas

Movable feasts:
Easter
Corpus Christi


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If you are considering moving to Warsaw, Poland, Move One’s relocation services include city orientation, home and school searches, immigration as well as door to door moving services worldwide and cover packing of personal effects, warehousing, pet transportation and fine art shipping. Should you need help with your corporate or individual relocation needs, or if you would like to receive a free moving quote, do not hesitate to contact us at relo@moveoneinc.com.