Guide › Moving in Poland: the checklist

Moving in Poland: the checklist

The general list plus what comes on top in this country: deadlines, offices and customs.

58 tasks · General checklist

Contracts and authorities

17 weeks before
Check the notice period: three months to month end for open-ended leases
Civil Code, art. 688: with monthly rent three months to month end unless agreed otherwise; occasional lease (najem okazjonalny) per the contract.
14 weeks before
Give notice in writing by registered letter
Registered, dated; keep a copy.
13 weeks before
Arrange viewings for the next tenant
11 weeks before
Sign the new lease
10 weeks before
Pay the deposit (kaucja) and the first month's rent
At most twelve months' rent (Tenants' Rights Act, art. 6), usually one to two; returned within a month of moving out, indexed.
9 weeks before
Arrange the handover date for the old flat
6 weeks before
Cancel internet and TV contracts
6 weeks before
Book a van for the cellar and small items
4 weeks before
Book time off for moving day
3 weeks before
Draw up the list of address changes
2 weeks before
Adjust the home insurance
Contents and private liability (OC).
7 days before
Cancel the standing order for the old rent

Packing and decluttering

5 weeks before
Get moving boxes
5 weeks before
Get packing material
4 weeks before
Set a decluttering day per room
3 weeks before
Move the cellar and attic ahead of time
2 weeks before
Pack seasonal and rarely used things
10 days before
Pack the workspace
5 days before
Pack the kitchen, defrost the fridge
2 days before
Pack the first-night box
2 days before
Keep the toolbox separate

Old home

9 weeks before
Declutter: sell, give away, dispose
6 weeks before
Clear out the cellar and attic
4 weeks before
Book a bulky waste collection
7 days before
Factory-reset the smart home devices
1 day before
Read and photograph the meters
7 days after
Clean the old place for the handover
10 days after
Sign the handover protocol, count the keys
4 weeks after
Track the return of the deposit
Within one month of handing the flat back (art. 6(4)).

New home

9 weeks before
Handover protocol (protokół zdawczo-odbiorczy) with photos
Meter readings, keys, defects; signed by both parties.
6 weeks before
Book the electrician and tradespeople
6 weeks before
Check mounting points: shower rail, lamps, curtains
4 weeks before
Order the internet connection
4 weeks before
Decide what to buy new
2 weeks before
Draw a furniture plan per room, take measurements
7 days before
Test the internet connection
7 days before
Electricity and gas: assignment or new contract, meter reading
With the supplier, using the handover protocol; switching suppliers is possible.
1 day after
Record and report defects on moving in
3 days after
Label the doorbell and letterbox
7 days after
Set the smart home up again
7 days after
Housing cooperative or owners' association: report the move, adjust the waste fee
Waste declaration by number of residents with the municipality or the management.

Moving day

13 weeks before
Fix the moving date
9 weeks before
Book the moving company
2 weeks before
Apply to the city to occupy the road for the removal van
City road authority, usually one to two weeks ahead, chargeable.
2 weeks before
Reserve the lift at both addresses
10 days before
Arrange care for children and pets
3 days before
Move the plants separately
3 days before
Plan bikes and bulky items separately
On moving day
Food and drink for the helpers
On moving day
Final walk-through of the old flat

After the move

3 days after
Register your residence (zameldowanie) with the municipality
Within 30 days of moving in (Population Register Act, art. 27); online via ePUAP or mObywatel; deregistration happens in the same step.
7 days after
Poczta Polska: mail redirection
Apply at the counter; one to twelve months.
10 days after
School: catchment (obwód) by address; kindergarten by recruitment
The catchment primary school must admit children from its district.
2 weeks after
Tell the bank, employer and insurers
2 weeks after
Update subscriptions and delivery services
2 weeks after
Change your address with the tax office (ZAP-3)
ZAP-3 for people without a business; with a business CEIDG-1.
2 weeks after
Driving licence and vehicle registration: change the address
Within 30 days at the county office (Wydział Komunikacji); a change of county means re-registering the vehicle.
2 weeks after
Choose a family doctor (POZ) in the new area
Declaration of choice at the new practice or online via IKP.

In the app: when setting up the move or under Tasks → Template. Everything can be deselected; a template is a suggestion.

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The checklists in this guide are compiled with care, but without guarantee of completeness or currency. Deadlines and responsibilities change. The information of the respective authority or contracting party is authoritative.