Can a foreign company open a bank account in Poland?
Yes! A foreign company may sign a bank account agreement after presenting relevant documents and obtaining a positive verification from the bank.
What documents should be presented to the bank?
Opening a bank account for a foreign company requires the submission of documents confirming the company’s details to the bank. The management board should present the articles of association, an excerpt from the relevant register of entrepreneurs and a document confirming who is the real beneficiary of the company. Documents presented at the bank should be certified with an apostille and translated into Polish.
What does the bank verify when opening a bank account?
Pursuant to the provisions of the Act on counteracting money laundering and financing of terrorism, the bank is obliged to check the reliability of the company before establishing cooperation with the client. It is necessary to check e.g. the company’s registration data, the identity of the management board and the beneficial owner, the subject of the company’s activity, the countries of origin of the company’s contractors. After considering the application for customer verification, the bank may request additional documents, answers to the questions asked, or immediately issue a decision on consent to establish cooperation with the customer or a decision on refusal to consent to opening a bank account.
What do you need to show during the process of opening a bank account in Poland?
During the verification, banks check not only the correctness of the company’s registration data, but also the company’s links with Poland. This means that in order to open a bank account for a foreign company in Poland, the company should conduct business, e.g. in Poland. The best confirmation of conducting such activity in Poland is the registration of a branch of a foreign entrepreneur in Poland for a foreign company.
Are there any additional requirements for members of the management board of a foreign company?
As a rule, there are no special requirements for members of the management board of a foreign company. However, it should be borne in mind that having a PESEL number by members of the management board of a foreign company may facilitate and speed up the verification procedure at the bank. An additional advantage will certainly also be having an address in Poland.
What are the chances of opening a bank account for a foreign company in Poland?
The decision to open a bank account always rests with the bank. On the other hand, the bank makes this decision on the basis of documents provided by the client and on the basis of a description of the company’s activities. This means that the more refined documents are presented to the bank, the greater the chance of obtaining positive verification at the bank.
Is it necessary to visit the bank in person to open a bank account?
In accordance with the regulations of individual banks, the application for verification of the company and the agreement on maintaining a bank account can be concluded in person or by means of a qualified signature.
