Start · formalities

First steps after arrival — PESEL, address registration, bank account

SIM card, address registration, PESEL number, bank account and health insurance — where to start so that everything is legal and convenient.

See the plan →
📱 SIM🏠 Registration🔢 PESEL🏦 Bank account🏥 NFZ/ZUS
Where to begin

First steps after arrival — the plan

A few matters settled at the start will save you time and stress later. Here is the typical order for someone arriving for work.

📱

1. SIM card

A Polish number will be useful for the bank, apps and contact with your employer. Registering the card in your name (with a document) is required by law.

🏠

2. Address registration

Registering at your address of stay — it makes obtaining a PESEL easier. You report it at the commune/city office.

🔢

3. PESEL

An 11-digit identification number — needed among other things for a contract, a bank account and tax settlements.

🏦

4. Bank account

For your salary and payments. A passport is usually enough; a PESEL and a Polish phone number speed up opening it.

PESEL number

PESEL and address registration

If you live in Poland for longer than 30 days, you can register your address — a PESEL is then assigned automatically. If you have no registered address, a PESEL can also be obtained on request, where the law requires you to have one (e.g. for tax, insurance or bank account purposes). The application is filed at the commune/city office.

What a PESEL is for: it makes it easier to conclude an employment/mandate contract, open a bank account, settle tax (PIT) and use e-services. You will find the official description of the service on gov.pl (link in the sources).
Phone

Polish SIM card

Without a local number it is hard to function — you need it for SMS codes from the bank, transport apps and contact with your employer. You can buy a prepaid card at an operator's shop, a kiosk or a supermarket, but it must be registered with your personal data (with an identity document) — this is a legal requirement; an unregistered card will be blocked.

Health

Health insurance (NFZ / ZUS)

When you work legally under a contract, your employer registers you with ZUS and you use public healthcare financed by the NFZ. It is worth confirming with your employer that the insurance registration has been made — this is your right and the basis for treatment.

Not sure whether everything is legal?

We will check your contract, your ZUS registration and your residence title — and help with your residence and work application.

I need legal help →Benefits and allowances
Questions

FAQ

Can I open a bank account without a PESEL and address registration?
In many banks yes — especially for Ukrainian citizens a passport and confirmation of legal stay are enough. A PESEL and a Polish phone number do, however, speed up identification and activation of banking services.
Is address registration compulsory?
Address registration is a formality that makes obtaining a PESEL and other matters easier. For a bank account, registration is usually not required — the actual address of residence is enough.
Who registers me for health insurance?
In legal employment this is done by the employer (registration with ZUS). It is worth asking for confirmation that the registration has been made.
Basis

Sources and useful links

Sources and useful links

  • Obtain a PESEL number for foreigners — gov.pl
  • Address registration — gov.pl
  • ZUS — social insurance — zus.pl
  • NFZ — healthcare — nfz.gov.pl
This content is for information purposes and does not constitute legal advice. Prices, timetables, addresses and procedures change — before travelling or submitting documents, confirm current information with the indicated source or with us. As of 07.2026.
✆