PESEL number and ePUAP trusted profile

PESEL number and ePUAP trusted profile for foreigners

What is an e-PUAP trusted profile?

A trusted profile is a confirmed set of data that clearly identifies its holder in the services of public entities on the Internet. These data are name(s), surname, date of birth and PESEL number. A trusted profile is secured so that no one other than its owner can use it. Using the e-PUAP trusted profile, we can sign documents online.

Why does a foreigner need a PESEL number and an e-PUAP trusted profile in business?

Having a PESEL number definitely makes it easier to run a business in Poland in the form of a commercial company. For example, having a PESEL number, a foreign entrepreneur becomes more credible from the perspective of Polish offices. Moreover, the PESEL number is commonly used in legal transactions between individuals and various types of institutions, e.g.:

all types of official matters, from inheritance to court matters;
financial services (opening a bank account, taking out a loan or leasing) an entrepreneur who has a PESEL number has a greater chance of opening a bank account for the company because it has already passed the “initial verification”;
registration of your own company (sole proprietorship, civil partnership using the CEIDG-1 application;
insurance / medical issues;

PESEL number and e-PUAP trusted profile and company registration

The current legal status allows you to register a commercial company online, i.e. via the ICT platform – S24. This means that any person can set up such a company without leaving home, anywhere in the world. However, registration documents require a signature. They can be signed with the ePUAP trusted profile (Electronic Platform for Public Administration Services). ePUAP enables the effective submission of documents in electronic form to a public administration body, as well as the effective delivery of documents. Epuap is closely correlated with the PESEL number. Namely, in order to register ePUAP, it is mandatory to have a PESEL number.

ePUAP trusted profile – why else is it needed?

Registration of a commercial company in Poland requires entrepreneurs to perform secondary activities, e.g. registering the company in the CRBR (Central Register of Beneficial Owners) within 14 days of such an obligation. If an inspection is carried out in the company and results in failure to fulfill this obligation, the company is exposed to a financial penalty of up to PLN 1,000,000. Taking into account the currently applicable legal regulations, we can expect that there will be more and more such inspections, as the new regulations on counteracting money laundering and terrorism financing introduce a rather restrictive approach to reporting discrepancies in the content of the entry in the CRBR with the actual state or lack of reporting at all. We can complete and sign the application to register the company with the CRBR online, using the ePUAP trusted profile. Moreover, each company is obliged to submit an annual financial report to the Financial Document Repository after each completed financial year. Such a report can also be signed online, using the e-PUAP trusted profile.

Bearing the above in mind, Poland is currently a country that favors foreigners to undertake business activity on its territory, because from the very beginning, i.e. registration of the company, to its sale/liquidation, all these activities can be carried out remotely by foreigners without the required personal presence.