Registered residence address in Poland

Registered residence address (in Polish: zameldowanie or meldunek) is a relic of the past and part of the system of the General Register Office in Poland. It allowed for better record-keeping, especially in the communist times, when the free flow of Polish citizens was severely restricted by authorities. The registered address was defined as a place of legal abode and people were generally asked not to live in a place with an address different from the one stated in their personal ID. From March 1^st, 2015, Polish identity cards do not have this kind of information. Nevertheless, foreigners spending in Poland over 30 days, are obliged to file for their meldunek – registered address on the Polish territory.

Temporary registered address

If you are a foreigner staying in Poland for over 30 days and plan to return to your home country, you are obliged to register your temporary Polish address.

EU citizens and nationals of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland (or their family members) have to register no later than in the 30^th day of their stay in Poland.

Other foreigners are asked to register their temporary registered address no later than in the 4^th day of their stay in Poland.

The registration needs to be done in a local commune office (urząd gminy) and is free of charge, although getting an official confirmation of the registered address is PLN 17 and is not given on the spot.

For the registration, you are required to file the following documents:

• Registration form;
• Document showing you are entitled to use or own the place you are staying at (if applicable);
• Statement from the owner of the place you are staying at if you do not have any rights towards this building or flat;
• Passport and visa (if you do not come from the EU or Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland);
• Valid travel document and confirmation of your permanent stay in the EU or in Poland (if you come from the EU or Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland).

Permanent registered address

If you are a foreigner moving permanently to Poland, you are obliged to register your permanent Polish address.

EU citizens and nationals of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland (or their family members) have to register no later than in the 30^th day of their stay in Poland.

Other foreigners are asked to register their temporary registered address no later than in the 4^th day of their stay in Poland.

The registration needs to be done in a local commune office (urząd gminy) and is free of charge. You are given a confirmation of the procedure on the spot, which is also free of charge.

For the registration, you are required to file the following documents:

• Registration form;
• Document showing you are entitled to use or own the place you are staying at (if applicable);
• Statement from the owner of the place you are staying at if you do not have any rights towards this building or flat;
• Passport and visa (if you do not come from the EU or Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland);
• Valid travel document and confirmation of your permanent stay permit in the EU or in Poland (if you come from the EU or Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland).

In both cases, whether regarding a permanent or temporary residence address registration, you can do it personally or by a proxy. If you want to register a child’s address, you need to be their parent or legal guardian.

As you can see, zameldowanie is a quick but rather important thing to check from your list after you arrive in Poland.