Open a Polish company without moving to Poland
A limited company (sp. z o.o.) can be set up online through S24, with a registered address in Warsaw and post handled by someone on site. Here is what works remotely, what needs a signature and what depends on your bank.
- Contract ready in 24 hours
- Sign before the company exists
- Contracts in English
- Same-day mail scans
Most of a Polish company’s paperwork now happens online. The KRS register accepts filings only through its IT system, the S24 portal offers a template articles of association, and tax numbers follow automatically after the court entry. What you still need on the ground is an address and someone to receive the post sent to it.
This guide follows a founder who stays abroad through each step and marks where a Polish ID, a signature or a visit can stop the process. For the full list of fees and the sole-trader route, see our company registration guide.
What you can do from abroad
Each task below, with what it takes to finish it remotely.
Sources: biznes.gov.pl, S24; gov.pl, e-Doręczenia; AML Act art. 60-61 (CRBR); Workin virtual office terms.
What the state charges
Share capital stays in the company as its own money. VAT registration costs nothing; an optional confirmation certificate costs 170 zł. Full table in our registration guide.
From abroad to a registered company
- Before you startCheck which form you can use
Citizens of the EU, the EEA and Switzerland can run any business form on the same terms as Poles. Other foreigners can set up a limited company (sp. z o.o.), a simple joint-stock company or a joint-stock company without a Polish residence title. A sole-trader business needs a residence title that allows it.
- Week 1Secure the registered address
The KRS entry records the company’s seat and street address. Sign the address contract first, so the application can name it. Workin’s address at ul. Senatorska 2 is accepted for KRS registration.
- Week 1Sign the articles and file in S24
One founder fills in the S24 template and the others sign from their own computers. Capital on S24 must be paid in cash. The court should decide an S24 application within one day of receipt.
- Same filingGive addresses for service for the board
Each board member states an address for service. If that address is outside the EU, the company must name an attorney for service in Poland (KRS Act art. 19a ust. 5a). A board member who is not required to have a PESEL number is entered with a date of birth instead (art. 35).
- Days after entryClose the first deadlines
File the beneficial owners in CRBR within 14 days, supplementary tax data (NIP-8) within 21 days, or 7 if the company will pay social security, and the tax on the articles (PCC-3) within 14 days of signing. Register for VAT before the first taxable sale.
- OngoingKeep the company reachable
The tax office can refuse VAT registration if a company does not exist, cannot be contacted or ignores summons (VAT Act art. 96 ust. 4a). Answer letters, keep board decisions documented, and be ready to show where the company is managed.
Sources: biznes.gov.pl, foreign nationals; biznes.gov.pl, S24; KRS Act; VAT Act.
A remote company still needs a real address
In 2019 the Supreme Administrative Court upheld a VAT-registration refusal for a company at a virtual office address whose planned activity was in doubt (I FSK 1363/17). The court looked for the place where management decisions are taken. A remote company can show this with board minutes, contracts and meetings held in Warsaw: Workin’s meeting rooms are in the same building as the address, at 10% off for virtual office clients. Our virtual office guide covers the legal side in full.
What Workin covers
Paper post, a phone line and rooms for your visits. Details of the plans in our mail and phone guide.
Basic, 239 zł net a month
- Registered address at ul. Senatorska 2
- Mail collection and same-day notice
- Scans 2 zł per letter
Mail & Phone, 339 zł net
- Up to 150 scans a month
- Landline answered by reception or forwarded
- 120 forwarding minutes
Meeting room by the hour
- Five rooms for 8 to 14 people
- 10% off for virtual office clients
- Same building as your address
Questions founders abroad ask us
Can a foreigner open a company in Poland remotely?
Yes. A non-EU citizen can set up a limited company (sp. z o.o.) without a Polish residence title, and the KRS filing is online. You need a way to sign electronically and a registered address in Poland.
Do I need a PESEL number to register a company?
The KRS enters a person who is not required to have a PESEL number with their date of birth. Signing in S24 needs a trusted profile, a qualified e-signature or a Polish e-ID signature. If you have neither a trusted profile nor a Polish e-ID, you need a qualified e-signature.
What if a board member lives outside the EU?
The company must name an attorney for service in Poland for that board member (KRS Act art. 19a ust. 5a).
How much does it cost to open a company in Poland?
Via S24: 5,000 zł minimum capital (the company keeps it), a 250 zł court fee and about 24 zł of tax on the articles. The Monitor Sądowy fee no longer applies since 29 November 2025.
Can I sign the address contract before the company exists?
Yes. Workin signs with companies in formation and issues a corrected invoice once the NIP is assigned.
Can I open a Polish bank account remotely?
That depends on the bank. Banks verify board members under anti-money-laundering rules and set their own onboarding steps. Workin issues a certificate confirming the company’s registered address.
Who receives the company’s letters while I am abroad?
Official letters go to the company’s electronic delivery address. Workin’s reception collects paper post every business day and emails you the same day, with a scan if you agree.
Start with the address, the rest follows online
Send us your company details, or the planned ones. Your contract is ready within 24 hours and you can sign it with a qualified e-signature from anywhere.
- Company name, or the planned name
- Board members’ ID details (AML check)
- Chosen plan and term
- Where to forward your post