A foreigner with only a long-term national visa and PESEL (no job, no work permit) opened an account at Credit Agricole with no problems. Another user described Credit Agricole as accepting even a 'bullshit passport', suggesting very low barriers for foreigners.

A Reddit user recommended Wise for a Polish IBAN, using it for salary with no issues. Another user described Wise as more reliable than Revolut, with no reports of frozen funds. Wise provides a PL IBAN for Polish zloty accounts.

An American non-resident on a work visa with PESEL was rejected three times at mBank: first told they needed to speak Polish, second told to try a main location not a kiosk, third told they needed a residency card despite having a valid work visa. Another non-resident with PESEL and a Polish address managed to open successfully and changed their address to one abroad afterward.

A Jamaican national on a work visa with PESEL and apartment lease opened an account at PKO same day with no work permit. Her Kenyan husband with identical documents was rejected at the same branch — staff demanded a work permit. They later opened at Pekao, which staff attributed to the couple having lived outside Kenya for years. Another non-EU UK resident was told PESEL is needed for joint account. A refugee applicant was told PKO BP may accept temporary refugee ID with branch manager approval at a specific Warsaw branch.

A foreigner with PESEL, work visa, and employment contract opened an account at Alior without problems. A Serbian non-EU applicant needed passport, PESEL, and employment contract plus a 48-hour wait for HQ-level AML processing. A non-resident EU citizen with a Polish spouse opened an account same day with personal staff assistance.

A Reddit user recommended ZEN.com, a Polish fintech based in Poznań, as the best solution for a non-resident who needs a PL IBAN without PESEL. It offers remote account opening, no PESEL required, and supports payments, transfers, and cards, though it is a payment account not a full banking license.

A non-resident EU citizen opened an account at Millennium with a foreign passport and no PESEL, in person at a branch. Another user reported smooth English-speaking service with no fees. A different foreigner and their spouse reported Millennium rejected their application while Santander accepted them. A user suggested Millennium is the most foreigner-friendly bank with full English support.

Multiple users reported Revolut as a quick 10-minute digital account solution for Poland. It provides a Polish routing number and BLIK support, though the IBAN starts with LT (Lithuanian). Some employers do not accept Revolut for salary. American access was previously blocked but later restored. One user described it as a good temporary fix while waiting for a traditional bank account.

An EU citizen moving to Poland was told at ING they needed a job to open an account, despite having PESEL. Another foreigner with sole proprietorship registered with PESEL opened at ING after PKO and mBank rejected them. A third person opened at ING in 2022 without TRC and possibly without PESEL. A foreigner who went through Alior with a personal connection succeeded. Online account opening is legally unavailable for non-Polish citizens.

A Polish citizen residing in Canada (no Polish ID card) opened an account at Pekao Poznań with just a Canadian passport and PESEL number, helped by an English-speaking staff member. Another report described a 5-minute account opening at Pekao with PESEL and passport — account and mobile app active immediately. A Kenyan applicant rejected at PKO successfully opened at Pekao, likely because they had long-term residence outside Kenya.

A Kenyan national opened a Santander account with just a passport. A foreigner whose wife was rejected at Millennium and mBank succeeded at Santander near Rondo ONZ. A student opened with student visa and PESEL. A Hungarian national without PESEL opened with admission letter and Hungarian TIN. Another foreigner with address and employment contract opened the previous week. Santander is consistently reported as foreigner-friendly across multiple threads.

A foreigner opened a Citibank 'international' account post-Brexit without PESEL, visa, or permit. A Kenyan applicant took documents to Citi and was told they'd call back. One Reddit user recommended Citi Handlowy as the most foreigner-friendly bank in Poland. However, Citi sold its Polish consumer banking business to VeloBank in June 2026.