Legal support since 2001
Open a business bank account in Poland for your company
We match your company to a bank that actually works with your profile, secure pre-approval before you travel and prepare the full document pack. Foreign shareholders and non-resident companies welcome.
- Bank approval in 2–5 days, before you fly to Poland
- Remote opening by notarised power of attorney
- PKO BP, Santander, ING, BNP Paribas, Nest, VeloBank
- You pay after we agree the scope — no upfront fees
- 100+ accounts opened
- Warsaw office
- Reply in 15 minutes
- Sworn translation
Where is your company registered?
What does the company do?
Does the director have a PESEL number?
Can the director travel to Poland to sign?
PKO Bank Polski
- Timeline: —
- Format: —
- Our fee: —
Our fees
Three ways to open an account
We match your company to the right Polish bank, secure pre-approval before the branch visit, prepare the documents and — where possible — arrange opening by power of attorney, without the director travelling to Poland.
Account for a Polish company
Sp. z o.o. or JDG with foreign shareholders
+ VAT and sworn translation of documents
- director visit required
- 1–3 days
- Bank selection based on company profile
- Pre-approval before the visit
- Interpreter at the signing appointment
- Online banking activation
- Consultations after opening
Account for a non-resident company
Company registered outside Poland
+ VAT, apostille and sworn translation
- visit or power of attorney
- 7–30 days
- Assessment of your chances before filing
- Bank selection by jurisdiction and activity
- Collecting and reviewing the full file
- Apostille and translation arranged
- Dialogue with bank compliance
Remote account opening
By power of attorney, no director travel
+ VAT, notary costs and translation
- no personal attendance
- 2–3 weeks
- Pre-approval within 3–5 days
- Power of attorney and signature card
- Sworn translation of documents
- Filing through our representative
- Online banking activation
Bank fees and charges, notary costs, apostille and sworn translation are billed separately. The final amount depends on the chosen bank and the jurisdiction of your company — we quote it before we start and fix it in the agreement.
Where to start
Resident and non-resident companies
Before choosing a bank, work out which of the two scenarios applies to you. The requirements and the list of available banks differ fundamentally.
Polish company with foreign shareholders
An Sp. z o.o. or JDG registered in Poland, holding NIP, REGON and a KRS extract — from the bank's point of view a full Polish resident.
Most large banks will consider such an application, but requirements for foreign beneficial owners vary: some insist on PESEL, some do not, and for some the registered address is the deciding factor.
Non-resident company
A legal entity registered outside Poland — in another EU country or beyond — that needs an operating account specifically with a Polish bank.
The usual reason: the bank in the country of registration is closing the account or restricting work with non-residents. Here the list narrows sharply — in practice only PKO Bank Polski and BNP Paribas review such applications.
Preparation
Which documents you will need
Whichever bank you choose, the basic pack is broadly the same:
- Current KRS extract for a Polish company, or an extract from the commercial register of the country of registration for a non-resident
- Articles of association: a notarial deed or a printout from the S24 system
- Confirmation of NIP and REGON numbers
- Information on ultimate beneficial owners — the bank cross-checks it against the CRBR register
- Proof of registered address: a lease or sublease agreement
- A description of the business: expected turnover, counterparties, countries involved, sources of funds
- Passports of authorised signatories, or an EU ID card
- A PESEL number — effectively mandatory at most banks
An official extract from the commercial register of the country of registration and a tax registration certificate. Documents must be originals or notarised copies with an apostille (or consular legalisation for countries outside the Hague Convention), issued no more than 6 months before filing, and translated into Polish by a sworn translator.
Is PESEL mandatory?
As a rule, yes. At Santander, BNP Paribas and ING a PESEL number for the foreign director or authorised signatory is an explicit condition: without it the application will not be accepted.
At PKO BP a PESEL is not formally required, but it speeds the process up considerably — its absence lengthens an already slow AML review. It is sensible to obtain a PESEL in advance, alongside the other corporate registrations.
Not sure which bank suits your company?
Four questions about jurisdiction, activity and timing — and you will see where it makes sense to apply, how long it takes and what it costs.
Market overview
Banks that open accounts for companies with foreign shareholders
Bear in mind that a particular branch is governed not only by the bank's general policy but also by internal instructions at voivodeship, city or even branch level. A bank's formal willingness to work with non-residents does not guarantee approval at any branch.
| Bank | In-person visit | PESEL | Activation time | Key feature |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PKO Bank Polski | not required — power of attorney possible | preferred | 1–3 days in person, from 7 days remotely | The only major bank still processing transfers to Belarus; the most lenient currency controls |
| Santander Bank Polska | required | mandatory | 1–3 days, active on the signing day | Fastest activation, but strict on registered address and recent ownership changes |
| ING Bank Śląski | required after online application | mandatory | up to 2 weeks | Deep compliance review; interview in Polish or English only, no interpreter allowed |
| BNP Paribas | required | mandatory | one visit to sign, activation up to 30 business days | Two photo IDs required; the agreement takes effect only after AML clearance |
| Nest Bank | required | mandatory | a few days, decision in about 30 minutes | EU residents only. The most competitive account maintenance fees |
| Credit Agricole | required | Polish residence permit required from 2026 | a few days | For an Sp. z o.o. requires a branch visit with the full set of corporate documents |
| VeloBank | required | not required | AML review up to 14 days | Works with Ukrainian citizens without a residence permit. Remote opening only for Polish tax residents |
Data current for 2026. Banks change their terms without public announcements — we re-check them before every filing.
Bank by bank
PKO Bank Polski most flexibleremote opening12m clients
The country's largest bank and one of very few with genuinely predictable procedures for foreigners. What sets it apart:
- A wide choice of currency accounts — PLN, EUR, USD, GBP and others except RUB — and a reasonable approach to source-of-funds evidence where the ownership structure is transparent
- The only major Polish bank that has kept correspondent relations and the technical ability to process transfers to and from Belarus
- Remote business account opening by notarised power of attorney
How remote opening works. After pre-approval (3–5 days) the director signs a specimen signature card and a power of attorney before a notary or at a consulate. The documents go to the bank, the legal department reviews them within 1–3 days, and the account is opened without the director attending in person.
PKO BP does not work with clients from Latvia and Bulgaria.
Santander Bank Polska faststrict on clean profile1–3 days
One of the fastest procedures on the market: the account goes live immediately after the agreement is signed in person, and the application is reviewed in 1–3 days. There are, however, firm grounds for refusal worth knowing in advance:
- A mass-registration address. If dozens of other firms are registered at the same address, combined with foreign shareholders this is close to a guaranteed refusal
- A complete change of shareholders or management within the past 12 months. The bank reads this as an attempt to conceal the beneficial owner — you will have to wait a year from the last KRS change
- High-risk activities combined with a newly formed company and foreign shareholders
Remote opening is not available for non-residents. PESEL is mandatory without exception.
ING Bank Śląski strictest complianceup to 2 weekssubstance required
Runs the deepest review of the banks on this list. Following a PLN 18.4m fine from the data protection regulator in 2025, it has become even stricter under its risk-based approach.
- You can apply online, but a branch visit for identification is still mandatory
- The interview is conducted in Polish or English only — no interpreter or accompanying lawyer is allowed
- The bank expects a real economic link with Poland: contracts with Polish partners, an office, employees, a coherent business model
- EU citizens are preferred, but Ukrainians are accepted where the structure is transparent
Currency controls at ING are among the strictest on the market. Prepare supporting contracts and invoices in advance for every large payment.
BNP Paribas accepts non-residentslong review
One of the two banks that genuinely consider applications from companies registered outside Poland. The procedure has two stages:
- Signing the agreement at an in-person visit — 30 to 60 minutes
- Account activation — the bank must complete AML verification no later than 30 business days after signing, in practice around 14 days. The agreement only takes effect after a positive review; if the company does not meet the requirements, the account is not activated and the agreement is cancelled
Two photo documents are required for identification — a passport plus a driving licence or EU ID card. PESEL is mandatory. The same red flag applies: a mass-registration address combined with foreign shareholders.
Nest Bank, Credit Agricole and VeloBank niche options
- Nest Bank — focused on already registered Polish companies, works with EU residents only. Decisions in roughly 30 minutes, and the most competitive corporate account fees
- Credit Agricole — requires a branch visit with the full set of corporate documents. From 2026 it works only with foreigners holding a Polish residence permit
- VeloBank — works with Ukrainian citizens, no residence permit needed. AML review takes up to 14 days. Remote opening is available only to companies that are already Polish tax residents
Scenario 2
An account for a company registered abroad
A separate and more demanding task. The typical situation: the business runs through a company in Latvia, Estonia or another jurisdiction, but the local bank is restricting work with non-residents or closing the account, and an alternative is needed.
If this is not a classic offshore and the company carries out transparent, documented activity, the application has a real chance. In practice such cases are handled by PKO Bank Polski and BNP Paribas.
BVI, Panama, Seychelles, Belize, Hong Kong — Polish banks refuse such companies almost without review.
Documents for a non-resident company
- Confirmation of company registration
- Current extract from the commercial register of the country of registration
- Articles of association
- Tax registration certificate — confirmation of a TIN or equivalent
- Justification for banking in Poland: contracts with Polish counterparties, supporting invoices
All documents must be originals or notarised copies with an apostille, issued no more than 6 months before filing (this does not apply to the articles of association and registration documents) and translated into Polish by a sworn translator. The bank will additionally request a description of the business, actual and projected turnover, contracts with counterparties and expected incoming amounts.
Timelines and remote opening
Reviewing the documents, clearance by the bank's security department and opening the account takes 7 to 30 days. Remote opening is possible through a notarised power of attorney granted to our representative in Poland, but it requires a fuller document pack and usually takes 2–3 weeks: the power of attorney and corporate documents first go through sworn translation and review by the bank's legal department.
In practice
Why banks refuse
Experience with foreign shareholders points to a handful of recurring reasons that apply to practically every bank on this list:
- A mass-registration address — a virtual office shared with dozens of companies, combined with foreign shareholders
- A complete change of shareholders or management in the past 12 months — read as an attempt to conceal the real beneficial owner
- High-risk activities — cryptocurrency, financial services, gambling, trade with sanctioned countries, dual-use goods
- An opaque ownership structure — chains of ownership through offshores, nominee holders
- No clear economic link with Poland — the bank cannot see why the company needs a Polish account with no counterparties, office or staff in the country
- Incomplete or contradictory data across forms and registers
KYC and AML in plain terms
KYC (Know Your Customer) and AML (Anti-Money Laundering) are the customer identification and anti-money-laundering procedures that every EU bank must follow. It is under these rules that the bank asks for a description of your business, sources of funds, company history and beneficial ownership details.
Supervision in Poland has tightened noticeably in recent years — a telling example is the record PLN 18.4m fine imposed on one bank in 2025 for breaches in handling customer personal data. After such precedents, transparency requirements have become stricter across the whole industry, not just at one bank.
Checklist before you apply
- Use a unique, unspammed registered address with evidence of a genuine presence
- Obtain a PESEL number for the director and authorised signatories in advance
- Prepare a clear description of the business: what the company does, who the counterparties are, where payments come from and go, and why the account has to be in Poland
- Make sure the data matches across KRS, the CRBR register and the bank's own forms
- If shareholders or management changed in the past year, expect some banks to refuse on that basis alone
- For high-risk activities, prepare an extended file and plan for a longer review
A refusal from one bank does not mean refusal everywhere — each has its own risk criteria. But two branch visits instead of one mean lost time and a damaged record in the eyes of other banks. That is exactly why we secure pre-approval before the client travels.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Which banks open accounts for Polish companies with foreign shareholders?
PKO Bank Polski, Santander Bank Polska, ING Bank Śląski, BNP Paribas, Nest Bank, Credit Agricole and VeloBank. Requirements, timelines and attitude to foreign beneficial owners differ — see the comparison table above.
And for a company registered outside Poland?
In practice PKO Bank Polski and BNP Paribas. The company must not be a classic offshore (BVI, Panama, Seychelles, Belize, Hong Kong) and must carry out transparent, documented business activity.
Can the account be opened remotely, without the director travelling?
For a non-resident company — through a notarised power of attorney granted to a representative in Poland, most often at PKO Bank Polski and BNP Paribas. For a Polish company with foreign shareholders, PKO BP can open the account remotely after pre-approval; most other banks require the director in person.
Is a PESEL number mandatory?
At Santander, BNP Paribas and ING — yes, the application will not be accepted without it. At PKO Bank Polski a PESEL is not strictly required, but it speeds up and simplifies the process considerably.
How long does it take to open an account?
With an in-person visit, usually 1–3 days at Santander and PKO BP, up to 2 weeks at ING. At BNP Paribas activation can take up to 30 business days after signing, in practice around 14 days. For a non-resident company, 7 to 30 days.
Can you open an account for a crypto or fintech business?
It is possible, but these activities fall into the elevated AML risk category. Most banks on this list either refuse outright or impose substantially extended requirements on documents and business justification. We assess such cases individually.
What if one bank has already refused?
Analyse the likely reason — address, activity, ownership structure — remove it where possible, and apply to a bank with a better-matching client profile. Ideally after pre-approval, so you do not collect a second refusal.
What does your fee cover?
Bank selection based on your company profile, pre-approval before the visit, preparation and review of the full document pack, an interpreter at the signing appointment, online banking activation and communication with the compliance department. Bank charges, notary costs, apostille and sworn translation are billed separately.
Why this is worth delegating
Formally you can file on your own, but the cost of a mistake is high. The wrong bank for your profile, the wrong registered address or a poorly prepared business file end in refusal — and two branch visits instead of one mean lost time and a damaged record with other banks.
