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Branch — commercial activity
Warehouse, distribution, sales, service center in Poland on behalf of the parent. KRS, NIP, VAT, CIT all on the branch.
Branch · Representative office
Foreign company branches
Branch (oddział) and representative office (przedstawicielstwo) in Poland
A foreign company can operate in Poland through a branch (oddział) or a representative office (przedstawicielstwo). The branch conducts full commercial activity on behalf of the parent and is registered in KRS. The representative office is limited to marketing, advertising, market research (no sales) and is entered in the Register of Representative Offices at the Ministry of Development. We pick the form and run registration in 4–10 weeks.
Branch in KRS
4–8 weeks
full commercial activityRepresentative office
6–10 weeks
marketing onlyOffice validity
2 years
renewableBranch CIT
19%
on Polish-source incomeWhen to use these forms
Alternative to Sp. z o.o. — when you already have a mature parent company abroad and need a Polish presence.
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Representative office — marketing only
Advertising, market research, brand promotion, partner sourcing. Sales and production are forbidden.
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Large corporation
Holdings prefer branch when they don't want to legally separate the Polish business.
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Country representation
Trade missions, export agencies, cultural missions — representative office as a bridge.
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No capital required
Branch needs no share capital — only proof of the parent's activity abroad.
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Brand protection
Polish presence + trademark protects against copycats. Representative office demonstrates active EU brand defense.
Registration steps
From parent-company paperwork to register entry — 4–10 weeks.
- 01
Consultation
30 minBranch or representative office based on planned activity.
- 02
Parent documents
1–2 weeksApostille: KRS/Companies House extract, articles, resolution, PoA. Sworn translation.
- 03
Appoint representative
1 weekPolish citizen or foreigner with residence right, PESEL, KRK.
- 04
Registered office
1 dayWarsaw or another city — ours included or yours. Lease agreement required.
- 05
KRS / MRiT filing
4–6 weeksBranch — KRS-ZAR, NIP-2. Office — Ministry of Development. Fees 500 or 1,000 PLN.
- 06
Tax & ZUS registration
2 weeksBranch becomes CIT taxpayer. Office — only NIP.
- 07
Bank account
1–2 weeksPolish bank. Apostille + translation of parent docs.
/ documents
Parent-company documents
All foreign documents need apostille and sworn translation.
- Current register extract (KRS / Companies House / Handelsregister)01
- Articles of association with translation02
- Resolution to open the representation03
- Power of attorney for branch manager04
- Last annual financial statements05
- Apostille on each document (Hague Convention)06
- Sworn translations — handled by us07
- Manager's passport, address, PESEL08
- Manager's KRK (criminal record) for last 5 years residence09
Our fee
Depends on form (branch vs office).
Consultation
Free
30 min · form selectionPopularRepresentative office
from 4,800 PLN
Application + translations + addressBranch turnkey
from 8,500 PLN
KRS + NIP + VAT + bankPremium
from 12,000 PLN
Complex structures, appeals* State fees: KRS 500 PLN + MSiG 100 PLN. MRiT 1,000 PLN for offices. Apostille from country of origin. Sworn translation 50–100 PLN/page.
Legal basis
- §01Foreign Entrepreneurs Participation Act of 6 March 2018 (chapters 4–5)
- §02Commercial Companies Code (art. 27)
- §03KRS Act of 20 August 1997 (chapter 3)
- §04Hague Apostille Convention 1961
- §05CIT Act of 15 February 1992
/ questions
Frequently asked
A branch has no separate legal personality — assets and obligations sit on the parent. Sp. z o.o. is a stand-alone entity. Branch is simpler for holdings; Sp. z o.o. is better for new businesses with Polish partners.
Related services
Everything a foreigner needs in Poland/ Send request
Polish branch turnkey
Free form selection. From 4,800 PLN turnkey.