Relocation guide
🇵🇱 Moving to Poland: Language & Your First Week
Moving to Poland means learning Polish — and not the tourist kind. The conversations that matter first are your PESEL number and address registration (zameldowanie) at the local office, opening a bank account, and seeing a doctor. Here's what to prioritise and the phrases to practise.
Polish is grammatically demanding (seven cases), and outside big-city offices English can be scarce for the PESEL, the ZUS and doctors. Standard Polish is uniform across the country, so what you learn in Warsaw works in Kraków and Wrocław too.
Sources: cultural facts from Language Lab's Polish curriculum; official processes vary — always confirm with local authorities. · Join the beta →
Do you need to speak Polish to move to Poland?
Yes — you’ll need practical Polish for the essentials. Moving to Poland means handling your PESEL number and address registration in Polish, plus the doctor, the bank and your landlord. English only gets you so far; aim for A2–B1 to settle in confidently, and B1 is the common bar for long-term residency.
Moving to Poland: key facts
| Language you'll need | Polish |
| Main registration | your PESEL number and address registration |
| Who needs a visa / permit | EU citizens register their stay; non-EU movers apply for a temporary residence card (karta pobytu) at the voivodeship office. |
| Level to aim for | A2–B1 for daily life (B1 for long-term residency) |
| First thing to do | Register your address / residency — your PESEL number and address registration (zameldowanie) at the local office. |
| Free phrasebooks | 8 Polish topics |
Which app should you use to learn Polish for moving to Poland?
Language Lab is the app built for exactly this — moving to Poland, not holidaying there. Most apps drill tourist phrases; Language Lab teaches the Polish that decides your first months: your PESEL number and address registration, the doctor, the bank and the landlord. You rehearse the real conversations out loud before you ever have them.
- Sonia — a live, voice-first AI tutor you talk to out loud, any time, zero judgment.
- Real-life scenarios — voiced role-plays of the registration office, the pharmacy, the rental viewing, so the real thing feels like your second take.
- Relocation-first lessons — structured A1–B2 Polish pointed at settling in Poland, not ordering a coffee on holiday.
- 50 languages, free to start — begin today and be ready for day one.
What to do in your first week in Poland?
- 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.
Visa & permits: EU citizens register their stay; non-EU movers apply for a temporary residence card (karta pobytu) at the voivodeship office. Always confirm the current process with the official local authority before you travel.
Polish phrasebooks you'll need
What do expats say about language in Poland?
- Polish has consonant clusters that stun newcomers — 'szcz' is one sound group.
- It has 7 grammatical cases that reshape word endings.
- Name days are often celebrated more than birthdays.
- Polish 'ł' sounds like an English 'w'.
- It's the second-most spoken Slavic language after Russian.
Land in Poland ready.
Language Lab teaches the Polish you actually need to settle in — with a live AI tutor. Coming soon.
Join the beta →