🇵🇱 Poland · City guide
Moving to Krakow: Language & First Steps
Historic, affordable and a major IT and outsourcing hub with a big international student crowd.
Living in Krakow
Historic, affordable and a major IT and outsourcing hub with a large international-student crowd; Kazimierz, Podgórze and the Old Town area are popular. English is common in tech and tourism, though Polish smooths daily errands.
To settle into Krakow you'll need Polish — and the practical kind: your PESEL number and address registration (zameldowanie) at the local office, opening a bank account, and seeing a doctor. Here's what to do first and the phrases to learn.
Sources: Language Lab's Polish curriculum & culture notes; city/official processes vary — confirm with Krakow's local authority. · Join the beta →
What to do in your first week in Krakow?
- Register your address / residency — your PESEL number and address registration (zameldowanie) at the local office.
- Open a local bank account so you can get paid and pay rent.
- Register with a local doctor (GP) and sort health insurance.
- Get a local SIM / mobile plan and set up any required digital ID.
- Learn your transport options — tickets, passes and routes.
Polish phrasebooks for Krakow
For the full country picture, see our guide to moving to Poland.
Arrive in Krakow ready.
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