Immigration Statistics in Poland are quite dynamic, though ethnic diversity is not that large. Poland has, throughout most of its long history, experienced only very limited immigration from abroad. This factor explains why 96,8% of the population of Poland is ethnic Polish.

You can find more detailed immigration statistics in a paper on migration in Poland.

The most popular city by population is Warszawa (Warsaw). The next largest cities by population are Krakow and Lodz, however, there is a large immigrant population in the small city of Wroclaw due to the presence of several large international companies – including IBM.

The population of Warsaw during the last century has increased 2.5 times, while the population of Krakow has increased 5 times during the same period. Krakow has a rich heritage and is the second most popular city among tourists and immigrants.

The top 5 biggest cities of Poland by population according to 2018 estimate are:

The Republic of Poland is a member state of the Schengen area. Countries of the Schengen Agreement have abolished passport and immigration control at their common borders and for travel between their member states. Member countries also recognize Schengen visas issued by other Schengen states. On the external border, or upon first entry to the Schengen area, normal immigration control procedures apply, however admission to any Schengen country is considered admission to the whole Schengen area (all member countries), with no further immigration checks needed.

Third-country citizens holding long term visas may stay in the Republic of Poland for more than 90 days. Due to strict immigration policies, sometimes it may be quite hard to acquire a Schengen visa directly from Poland. A list of documents and grounds for requesting a visa can be found on the web site of the Ministry of the Interior. One of the options, which would allow a non-EU citizen to submit for a residence permit, is establishing a business in Poland.

Polish legislation is not very flexible when it comes to the provision of residence permits to non-EU citizens. Many European countries, such as Latvia or Estonia, provide many more opportunities for potential investors in order to submit an application for a residence permit.

Currently, there are three ways to obtain a residence permit in the Republic of Poland for non-EU citizens: establishing a company in Poland, getting an education or getting a highly-qualified job. According to statistics, provided by the Ministry of Interior, company formation is one of the best solutions to obtain a residence permit.

To read more about the various immigration, residency and citizenship documents in Poland, please refer to the immigration documents section.

History of modern immigration to Poland started in the year 1989, before this the immigration situation was very limiting for political reasons, due to the existence of the USSR. The change occurred in 1989, for various reasons. Later, when Poland became part of the Schengen area and opened its borders – new opportunities were granted. Many locals have used this opportunity and started immigration to Western European countries. This has dramatically decreased the population of Poland over the last decade as well as creating large Polish populations in countries such as the UK and Germany. Poland has not become a major host country for labor immigrants. Currently, it is running a mass repatriation program for its nationals.

In case you have questions or you need a free consultation regarding immigration opportunities to Poland, feel free to contact us