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If you’re one of the growing number of Britons looking at Poland, you’re not imagining the trend. Migration Observatory data shows Poland recording some of the steepest growth in resident British population of any country between 2020 and 2024 – alongside Malta and Romania, and ahead of many of the traditional expat hubs. The pull is straightforward: a cost of living estimated at around 40% below the UK, with rent running roughly 60% lower in many cities, at a time when UK living costs are pushing more people to look seriously at a move.
What’s less well understood is how much the process itself has changed. Before Brexit, a UK national could simply move to Poland as an EU citizen. That’s no longer the case. Here’s what that actually means, and what to plan for.
Since the UK left the EU, British citizens are treated as third-country nationals in Poland, the same visa category as, say, an American or Australian moving there. If you’re planning to stay longer than 90 days (which almost every relocation involves), you’ll typically need a national Type D visa or a residence permit before you can legally live there long-term.
This isn’t a formality you can sort out after you arrive. Visa and residence permit applications generally need to be submitted before entry or very early in your stay, and processing takes time. The Polish Consulate General in London quotes typical processing times of 15 to 30 working days for national visa applications, though this varies by application type, time of year, and workload at your local consulate — always check the current timeline directly with the consulate before setting your move date. If your move date is fixed, this needs to be one of the first things you sort, not something left until the shipment is already booked.
The practical knock-on effect for your move: your residence status affects your customs paperwork. Poland’s “mienie przesiedleńcze” (transfer-of-residence) process, which lets you bring personal belongings in without paying full import duty, requires proof that you’re genuinely relocating your main residence — which in turn usually requires your residence permit or equivalent documentation to already be in progress or approved. Get the visa timeline wrong, and your customs paperwork gets complicated along with it.
Removal costs for a UK-to-Poland move typically run in the region of £1,400–£3,600, with your household’s volume being the main variable – this is broadly consistent with the site’s own household-size cost breakdown (see our full ). Poland’s EU membership means the logistics are more straightforward than a long-haul move: most household moves go by road freight, which keeps transit times shorter than a sea-freight move to somewhere like Australia or Canada.
Once you’re there, day-to-day living costs are the real draw. Average reported figures put Polish living costs at roughly 40% below the UK overall, with rent the biggest gap – an apartment that would cost you significantly more in a comparable UK city can often be found from around 2,500 PLN in Poland’s larger cities. This is one of the clearer cost-of-living cases among current UK emigration destinations, which is very likely why the migration data shows the trend it does.
Your move manager can walk through your specific timeline, the transfer-of-residence customs process, and what your household move will actually cost – before you commit to a visa application date.
If you’re moving to Poland, it’s very likely you’ll need to exchange a significant amount of currency. Many people lose out by using their bank, assuming it’s the only option. However, there are specialist currency exchange providers that offer more competitive rates and can help you save thousands. To find out how to make your money go further during your move, speak to one of our move managers, click here, or give us a call: +44 20 7097 5335.
We always advise taking out move protection liability cover with us on every move. Although we like to think we’re the best in the industry, the odd accident can occasionally happen. For added peace of mind, make sure to speak to one of our move managers about this.
Poland drives on the right, so a UK right-hand-drive car is legal to drive but not ideal to live with long-term – most people relocating permanently choose to sell in the UK and buy locally rather than ship. If you do want to bring a UK car, it will need to go through Polish vehicle registration and roadworthiness inspection, and as a third-country import you should expect import duty and VAT to apply unless you qualify for transfer-of-residence relief on the vehicle specifically, which has its own separate conditions from the household-goods relief. Motorcycles follow broadly the same registration and import process, at a smaller scale.
Given the cost and paperwork involved in registering a right-hand-drive vehicle in a left-hand-drive country, this is one of the areas worth a very honest cost comparison against buying a car once you’ve arrived.
Poland has no quarantine period for pets that meet the standard EU import requirements, which makes it more straightforward than many non-EU destinations. For cats and dogs travelling from the UK, you’ll need:
The costs and admin here are manageable but time-sensitive – start the process at least a month before your intended travel date, and treat your vet’s availability as part of your moving timeline, not an afterthought. A specialist pet relocator can handle the logistics end-to-end if your schedule is tight; your move manager can refer you to one.
Generally permitted: Standard household goods – furniture, electronics, clothing, kitchen equipment, and personal effects – move without issue as part of a transfer-of-residence shipment, provided you can show you’ve owned them for the qualifying period (generally six months) before your move.
Restricted items: Alcohol and tobacco above personal-use quantities require declaration and may attract duty. Prescription medication should be carried with you rather than shipped, along with a copy of the prescription. Standard household electronics (phones, laptops, televisions, kitchen appliances) move without issue under EU CE marking requirements. Specialist radio equipment, amateur radio transceivers, or high-power transmitters may require additional licensing documentation from Poland’s Office of Electronic Communications (UKE, urząd komunikacji elektronicznej) before they can be operated; check with UKE before shipping if you’re moving specialist kit.
Prohibited items: The standard prohibited list applies – firearms and ammunition without a licence, illegal drugs, counterfeit goods, and certain protected plant/animal products (ivory, some traditional medicines). Poland, like the rest of the EU, is strict on unlicensed firearms specifically, so this is not an area to guess on.
As a practical rule: if an item needs a permit to own in the UK, assume it needs a permit – or won’t be allowed at all – to import into Poland, and check before you pack it.
Yes, in almost all cases. If you plan to stay longer than 90 days, you’ll typically need a national Type D visa or a residence permit, since UK citizens are now treated as third-country nationals in Poland. Start this process well before your move date, as it can affect your customs eligibility too.
Removal costs typically run from around £1,400 to £3,600, depending mainly on how much you’re shipping. Road freight is standard for UK-to-Poland moves, which generally keeps transit times shorter than moves to more distant destinations.
Current estimates put overall living costs in Poland at roughly 40% below the UK, with the biggest gap in rent. This is one of the clearer cost-of-living cases among current UK emigration destinations.
You can, but most people relocating permanently sell in the UK and buy locally instead, given the cost and paperwork of registering a right-hand-drive car in a left-hand-drive country. If you do bring one, expect a formal registration and roadworthiness process, plus potential import duty.
No – Poland has no quarantine requirement for pets that meet standard EU entry requirements (microchip, rabies vaccination, Animal Health Certificate, and tapeworm treatment for dogs). Start the process at least a month ahead, since some steps have minimum waiting periods.
Your move manager can talk through the transfer-of-residence customs process and give you a realistic cost and timeline for your specific route.
Contact our team to arrange a pre-move survey and receive a detailed quotation tailored to your move.Real feedback from people who chose our international moving company.
“Moved from Leeds to Kraków with two kids. The crew packed the whole house in a day and rebuilt the bunk beds at the other end, which I’d been dreading.”
“Coming back to Gdańsk after nine years in Manchester. Wasn’t sure what to expect with customs, but they sorted it. The piano went exactly where I wanted it too.”
“Paid for the move ourselves, so knowing the cost upfront really mattered. The box marked ‘first night’ – kettle, bedding, chargers – was the first off the van.”
