Foreigners can register a company in Poland in two ways – through a notary or online. There are four forms of business ownership in the country, but among non-residents, two are popular – limited liability companies and sole proprietorships. Regardless of the form of ownership company registration in Poland for Ukrainians is transparent, with no hidden income.
Features of electronic registration
How to quickly and financially efficiently open a business in Poland? Submit documentation electronically. Business founders need to have electronic keys for digital signatures. There are two types:
- EPUAP. To obtain a digital signature, a PESEL number (analogous to the Ukrainian TIN) is required, which is issued to foreigners upon registration of residence, employment, or upon request of a person intending to open a company in Poland independently. Verification for the EPUAP key is required, conducted at special points in each city or at Polish consulates if the applicant is outside the country.
- Qualified signature. This is a paid digital key, for which an annual fee must be paid for maintenance. It can be obtained without a PESEL code, but identity verification and provided data authenticity are mandatory. Remote verification is allowed, with an application processed by a notary.
The advantages of online registration include
- quick application review – company registration in Poland takes from 3 to 30 days, often occurring within seven days;
- low financial costs – no need for expenses on notary services, the registration fee is low;
- the ability to make adjustments to the charter or the electronic CEIDG register – changes are made on the internet portal, information about the creation, restoration, closure, or suspension of one's own business can be submitted.
Registering a company in Poland online is only allowed for individuals. If there is a legal entity among the founders, electronic registration is not suitable. The downside of the online procedure is the use of a founding agreement with standard provisions. If special conditions need to be added to the charter, company registration in Poland is carried out through a notary.
Nuances of notarial registration
The notarial registration option will be an excellent solution when opening a business where another company is the founder (or special provisions need to be added to the charter). The founding agreement is signed by the parties in the presence of a Polish notary. A lawyer gives the document the status of a notarial act. Then the act is submitted to the KSR. It can be submitted to the court registrar online through the S24 or PRS portals, but a digital signature or a representative of the founder will be needed. Usually, the latter is a legal advisor or lawyer.
Business registration in Poland by notarial means is characterized by:
- the possibility of drafting a contract, deviating from standard provisions, taking into account the interests of the founders;
- the admissibility of registering a company with the legal entity of the founder;
- a long processing time – notarial assistance in opening a company in Poland takes 14-21 days;
- high financial costs – the registration fee is higher than with the electronic method, and additional fees are charged for the services of a sworn translator and notary.
How to register a company in Poland – the choice depends on the future needs of the enterprise and the legal status of the founders.
