Poland Citizenship By Investment – All You Need To Know

Poland is a full member state of the European Union, as well as a Schengen country. It is one of the greatest locations for foreign investments. Poland has a lot of engineers, economists and information technology specialists that speak good English.

Also, Poland has a very large number of European Union workers employed on temporary contracts. The government also provides their investors with many forms of state aid. They also give about 14 special economic zones tax breaks.

In terms of investment attractiveness, Poland is ranked 7th in the world. However, Polish law does not have a straightforward system that allows foreigners to obtain citizenship by investment. There is nothing like a Golden Investor Visa in Poland.

The sole way of obtaining citizenship by investment in Poland is to first apply for a residence permit. The applicant will first apply for and obtain a short-term residence permit and then receive a permanent residence permit.

After becoming a permanent resident in Poland, the foreigner can reside in the country for the period of time that is required, in order to qualify for Polish citizenship.

Foreign businessmen and investors that want to relocate to Poland and become Polish nationals can do so only in certain conditions. Here is a list of the requirements for Poland citizenship by investment.

1. The businessman or investor must invest at least EUR 100,000 in a profitable business, company or startup.

2. The amount of money taken as sales transacted in a year must be at least EUR 15,000.

3. The businessman or Investor must have obtained a permanent residence card while also having a profitable business, investment or startup in Poland.

4. The Polish law necessitates that the businessman or Investor must reside in the country for a minimum of 3 years. The 3 years duration will start counting from the moment the applicant receives a permanent resident permit.

5. The businessman or Investor must pay his/her taxes according to the income being received.

6. The businessman or Investor must have resided in Poland for 3 consecutive years. He/she can also stay outside the country for some time, but it must not be more than 10 months.

7. The businessman or Investor must have a stable and reliable source of income. This income can come from dividends, work activities, contracts, projects, etc.

8. The businessman or Investor must have a stable and reliable place of residence. It can be a house that is on a long-term rental contract. It can also be a property in Poland that is owned by the businessman. 

9. The businessman or Investor must be able to communicate in the polish language. The minimum Polish language skill required is the B1 level.

As a foreign businessman or Investor, you can start a business by registering with any of the legal entities. This can be corporate entities or partnerships.

A corporate entity includes limited liability companies or joint-stock companies.

As a foreign businessman or Investor in Poland, your family members can also come to Poland and help you to run your business. However, your family members must have a residence permit. Also, some of the rules that apply to you will apply to them.

They can also be family members of people that are subject to international agreements. If your family members only have a temporary residency permit, they can still help you in running the business.

They can do that even if they came to Poland for reunion reasons. Either way, your family members must have a residency permit. On their arrival, they must indicate their interest in running the business. This can be done by claiming it as their entry basis. 

Businessmen and Investors can start their company or partnership without necessarily legalizing their visit to Poland.

In this case, they won’t need to apply for and obtain a Polish work permit. Also, they can have a business in Poland without physically residing in the country.

However, staying outside the country for more than 10 months will affect your Polish citizenship application.